Step away from the Netflix and into another dimension
Be transported to another time, place or dimension in one of London’s best immersive experiences – from virtual reality to themed parties. Intrigued? Ready to try something new? Step out of your comfort zone and into a world of imagination.
Best Immersive Experiences in London
Stranger Things: The Experience
Enter the infamous Upside Down at Fever’s new immersive experience, which transports visitors into the weird and wonderful world of Netflix’s Stranger Things. Coming to London this summer, the adventure will be set in 1986 in the town of Hawkins, taking fans through a new story developed with the series creators. You’ll be able to meet characters from the show, grab a USS butterscotch sundae at Scoops Ahoy, try a unique cocktail at the first ever Stranger Things-themed bar and even get up close and personal with a Demogorgon. From 12 May, strangerthings-experience.com
The Perfect Crime
Step into the world of an art heist at the Rogue’s Gallery and reclaim an extremely valuable stolen Rembrandt painting. Picking your way past security cameras, lasers and pressure-alarmed flooring, you have to decide whether to retrieve the painting for the FBI or steal it for yourself – if you ever get that far. With its live-action theatre element and wonderful set, the level of detail at the Theatre Deli in Finsbury is astounding. Enjoy delectable drinks (choicely named the Pink Panther and the Art Thief) and immerse yourself completely into the world of this criminally alluring escape room. theperfectcrime.co.uk
The Murdér Express
Climb aboard The Murdér Express, an immersive experience set on a glamorous 19th century-style train in East London. Sip drinks from Pedley Street Station’s ‘Seven Sins’ Bar and enjoy food from MasterChef finalist Louisa Ellis as the mysterious story unfolds around you. As you journey to the (fictional) town of Murdér, expect to be joined by characters such as East End Costermonger Frank, a music hall star Tilley and local antique dealer Cliff. From £65, funicularproductions.com
Alcotraz
Don your orange jumpsuit and go behind bars at Alcotraz, the notorious prison-themed cocktail experience inspired by America’s most infamous prison. The pop-up site takes the concept to new heights, with an immersive experience that begins before arriving. Inmates are given their own processing number and instructions to covertly meet a cast of shady characters on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Neal Street, before embarking on a clandestine game of cat and mouse to smuggle their own liquor into the experience. If successful, guests will be rewarded with four cocktails prepared by the best bootleggers in the business. alcotraz.co.uk
Crooks 1926
Immersive theatre experts COLAB are back with an underworld experience comprising game mechanics, chilling narratives and an opportunity for audiences to choose their own path to supremacy. Gain control over the city, broker an alliance, or scheme with a traitor – the choice is yours. What’s more, the experience takes place at the theatre company’s exciting new South London residency. colabtheatre.co.uk
Photo: Courtesy of Ysbrand Cosijn
Otherworld
Escape to 16 different realities in this epic virtual reality venue, Otherworld in Haggerston. You’ll step into a pod by yourself but still be able to hear what other participants are up to, and choose from activities from fighting zombies to travelling the globe on Google Earth, to completing office tasks. As they say, ‘step in and leave it all behind…’. other.world
Aures London
If you weren’t expecting to find Waterloo’s Leake Street Arches, then you’ll be doubly surprised to find Aures London – a sensorium of sound among them, too. This venue is fully immersive with a vibrating dance floor, 3D projection, cutting-edge acoustics and visual projection. Those with a flair for the dramatic and interested in designing their own immersive experience can hire the space to be tailored for bespoke events or parties. Discover upcoming events at aures-london.com
The Big London Bake
So close to The Great British Bake Off, you can taste it. All you need to bring from your cupboard is yourself and a friend. The Big London Bake provides all the ingredients you’ll need to bake the monthly recipe. With instructions by your side, a professional baker on hand and a trove of customisable decorations in the ‘creation corner’, your team will have the keys to create a winning masterpiece or a right old mess. thebiglondonbake.com
Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience
Travel back in time to HG Wells’ dark Victorian England in a multi-sensory immersive experience, taking place at The Old London Metal Exchange. Using immersive theatre, virtual reality, augmented realit holograms and other cutting-edge technology, visitors will be able to experience the fictional Martian invasion narrated in HG Wells’ War Of The Worlds, and in Jeff Wayne’s musical interpretation of the story. Audiences will be guided along in small groups of 12 by live and virtual actors, as they walk, crawl and slide through different scenes: from drinking tea in a Victoria household while Martians roam outside to witnessing an enormous Martian Fighting Machine rise above them in virtual reality. The experience stimulates all the senses – you’ll smell the grass and feel the chill of the story’s famous Horsell Common, and feel the ground shake as the first cylinder lands. The total run lasts for 110 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission in the Red Weed Bar. Finish by enjoying a bite to eat and a drink at the steampunk themed bar. dotdotlondon.com
Sherlock: The Game Is Now
Upon arrival at West 12 Shepherds Bush Shopping Centre, it won’t be obvious anything suspicious is going on – until you’re whisked away into a sketchy looking ‘opticians’ in the corner for an ‘eye test.’ Once inside, you’ll find yourself not at an optician, but in a screening room, where you’ll be debriefed by Mycroft. What will follow is a fast-paced, hour-long immersive escape room experience, where you must solve a series of puzzles and riddles, collecting clues to earn your release from each room. thegameisnow.com
MAMMA MIA! The Party
First came the musical, then came the films, now we have the party! Dancing Queens, prepare for the night of your life at Mamma Mia’s new immersive restaurant experience, coming to London in August this year following a sell-out stint in Stockholm. London’s O2 will open its doors to an exotic Greek taverna, where guests will be transported to a Greek island paradise where they can eat delicious Mediterranean food, drink, dance and sing to all of ABBA’s greatest hits. mammamiatheparty.com
DISCOVER MORE:
The UK’s Best Drive-In Cinemas / The Best Art Exhibitions in London
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