Welcome to this month’s round-up of Extraordinary Experiences across all experience sectors and around the globe.
August is upon us and summer is in full swing. Keen to make the most of the warm weather in London is Secret Cinema, which is back with a bang, turning Battersea Park into Rydell High for Greece: The Immersive Movie Musical. In a Secret Cinema first, the action will be taking place throughout the film screening, allowing fans to fully immerse themselves in the drama.
Speaking of films, across the pond in LA, Disney has teamed up with pool sharing platform Swimply, turning a trio of private pools into liveable versions of popular films, including Honey I Shrunk The Kids, where you can glide through a cereal bowl pool on a Cheerio inflatable. Music also gets top billing this month, with animated band Gorillaz celebrating their 25th anniversary with an immersive exhibition in London and four intimate gigs.
At the Las Vegas Sphere, festival heavyweights Tomorrowland and Insomniac have joined forces for a series of immersive concerts featuring cutting-edge tech, eye-popping visuals and a live performance each night from a globally renowned artist. Kicking off the Edinburgh Festival will be an epic eight-hour performance of John Tavener’s magnum opus The Veil of the Temple, but fear not, organisers are laying on complimentary tea and biscuits for all.
While school is out for summer, there are learning opps aplenty in our round-up. In London, the history of HMS Wellington is being brought spectacularly to life aboard the ship via a VR experience that celebrates the iconic vessel’s role in national resilience during World War II. Further north in Durham, text from the Magna Cartas has been turned into a light-based artwork featuring words that grow in real time depending on their resonance with visitors.
18. Gorillaz House Of Kong
Opens: 8 August until 3 September 2025
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
It’s hard to believe (and makes us feel old), but Gorillaz, the virtual band created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, has turned 25. To mark the milestone the band has launched House of Kong, a large-scale immersive exhibition at London’s Copper Box Arena.
Promising a journey into the animated band’s genre-defying universe, House of Kong gives fans the chance to step inside the world of 2D, Noodle, Murdoc Niccals and Russel Hobbs. The exhibition charts the band’s history from their Y2K debut Tomorrow Comes Today through to their global success across eight albums and an impressive list of collaborators, including Grace Jones, Elton John and Bad Bunny.
More than just a retrospective, House of Kong is a fully immersive experience “for the brave and bold”, inviting visitors to explore the Gorillaz universe from inside the band’s legendary base, Kong Studios. Alongside the exhibition, the group will play four intimate gigs at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 29th and 30th August, and 2nd and 3rd September. House of Kong ticket holders will have exclusive presale access to the tickets.
17. Disney+ Dive In Theatre
Open now until 17 August 2025
Location: Los Angeles, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Film
Hoping to make a splash this summer is the Disney+ Dive-In Theatre, which takes immersive cinema to new depths. The fruit of a collaboration between Disney and pool-sharing platform Swimply, the experiences will transform three private swimming pools in Los Angeles into recreations of three classic films available to view on Disney+ and Hulu: Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Camp Rock and Alien. And you’re in for more than just a splash about and a film: each screening features themed photo opps and interactive experiences tailored to the movie.
At the Honey I Shrunk the Kids experience, guests will enter through a ‘shrink ray’ laser tunnel and encounter giant props, from a huge popcorn box and enormous ants to a cereal bowl swimming pool. At the Camp Rock screening, attendees can enjoy a fire pit, friendship bracelet-making stations and impromptu singing. The Alien experience, meanwhile, will transport guests into deep space, who will be recruited by Weyland-Yutani agents, pose in a flight suit, and watch the film surrounded by eerie green lighting and sci-fi sound design.
16. Portugal Pavilion At Expo 2025 Osaka
Open now until 13 October 2025
Location: Osaka, Japan
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Proving to be one of the standout cultural spaces of Expo 2025 Osaka is the Portugal Pavilion, which has already welcomed over 500,000 visitors. Designed by acclaimed architect Kengo Kuma and audiovisual solutions provider ON, the pavilion explores the theme the ocean and sustainability through immersive storytelling, interactive installations and large-scale projections. The space combines open-air architecture with a carefully orchestrated interior flow, where audiovisual technology acts as an invisible guide, shaping atmosphere, rhythm, interaction, and emotional impact.
The experience begins in the Waiting Area, where a multichannel soundscape envelops visitors in the sonic atmosphere of ocean waves and winds, created by composer Diogo Alvim. Room 1 is a darkened environment organised around five themed islands offering a different layer of interpretation through light, projection, image, and sound. In Room 2, 16 Barco G62-W9 laser projectors create a fully enveloping animated underwater landscape across the curved walls and floor. With surround sound and kinetic lighting, the room invites visitors to sit on the ground and absorb the sensory narrative about the future of our oceans.
15. Titanic: An Immersive Voyage
Opens: 6 August 2025 until 2 February 2026
Location: Singapore
Experience Sector: Themed Attractions
Having already attracted 700,000 visitors everywhere from Cincinnati to Copenhagen, Titanic: An Immersive Voyage – Through the Eyes of the Passengers has docked at the Fever Exhibition Hall in Singapore, marking its maiden voyage in Asia. Brought vividly to life by immersive experience experts Exhibition Hub and Fever, this sprawling 1,300sqm space plunges you into the world’s most famous ocean liner’s ill-fated journey. Highlighting the human element of the tragedy, the story is told by the passengers themselves.
Inside you’ll find impressive room recreations, never-seen-before 3D views of the ship, interactive storylines, moving video animations, and a sweeping soundscape that pulls you from the glamour of first class to the horror of the ship’s final hours. Visitors can walk through cleverly reconstructed cabins, read handwritten letters, pore over personal artefacts, and take a VR deep dive to the Titanic’s wreck site more than 4,000m under the ocean. The Singapore event features a full-wall panel showing the first local report of the sinking in 1912, alongside rare historical photographs of local life at that time.
14. The Words That Bind Us
Open now until 2 November 2025
Location: Durham, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
As part of its summer exhibition, Durham Cathedral has created a powerful light-based artwork called The Words That Bind Us, which takes centre stage in its nave. Commissioned for the exhibition, the immersive installation by visual artist Nicola Anthony transforms the space into a river of light and language. Projected text, drawn from the Magna Cartas in the cathedral collection and crowdsourced from local communities, shimmers across the floor, shifting and rippling as visitors move through it. The result is an ever-shifting experience that invites reflection on justice, democracy, and the values that bind us.
Visitors can select the words or phrases that resonate with them most, which then grow in size in real-time as part of the projection, creating an ever-changing Modern Charter. “The Words That Bind Us is a conversation across centuries rooted in the ideals of the Magna Carta and shaped by the voices of today. I hope people leave with a deepened connection to this sacred space, and a sense of belonging to something larger,” Anthony said. The exhibition gives visitors a rare chance to view three issues of Magna Carta and three Charters of the Forest from the cathedral collection displayed together for the first time in eight years.
13. The Dark Side Of The Moon
Open now until 15 August 2025
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Pink Floyd‘s iconic album The Dark Side Of The Moon turned 50 recently, and to celebrate, Museon-Omniversum in the Hague has created a 42-minute show within its domed Planetarium that immerses visitors in awe-inspiring 360° images of the solar system and beyond, supported by cutting-edge surround sound. The show is divided into 10 tracks from the album played in chronological order, each with a different theme; some futuristic, others an acknowledgement of Pink Floyd’s visual history, all related to a time and space experience.
Suitable for over 18s, the full dome film contains breath-taking visuals by NSC Creative, who worked closely with Pink Floyd’s long time creative collaborator Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis on the project. During the experience viewers fly through the solar system with a mixture of psychedelic art, cosmic visuals, and incredible music from the luxury of their reclined seats. The 14 x platinum album received widespread critical acclaim, bringing Pink Floyd international fame, and is often featured in round-ups of the best albums of all time.
12. The Waiting Room
Opens: 3-16 August 2025
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Experience Sector: Immersive Theatre
Created by the New York-based Ally Artists Group, The Waiting Room invites participants into an immersive space where AI unveils their projected histories. Inside, choices shape a unique, evolving audio narrative, guiding attendees through moments of dreams realised and challenges faced. As their future unfolds, from the fulfilment of deepest aspirations to a global crisis that transforms the world, they explore a bizarre, unpredictable world where technology and humanity collide, prompting reflection on how our choices shape the future.
The Waiting Room delivers an exciting new genre of storytelling where every audience member receives a personalised experience. They become the centre of their own narrative, with scenes generated in real time based on their input, using prompts crafted by the show’s writer and director, Natalia Yandyganova, with the AI component powered by OpenAI’s generative tools and brought to life by developer David Gaynor. Blending theatrical design and generative technology, The Waiting Room is a deeply personal shared experience.
11. TCM Cultural Experience Center
Open now
Location: Guangdong, China
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Creative concept design firm Wētā Workshop has joined forces with the Guangdong-Macao Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park in China to create the TCM Cultural Experience Center, which boasts a lotus petal-shaped building, giant hyper-realistic figures, magical forests, and a futuristic herbal laboratory. Spanning 36,000 square metres across five floors, the centre is a standout feature of the park and serves as a flagship facility for the health sector and an example of cultural integration in the Greater Bay Area.
Inside, a fully immersive experience brings the culture of traditional Chinese medicine to life, taking guests on a journey from its mythological origins to contemporary practices. Among the exhibits are a 50-metre animated historical tapestry and hyper-realistic oversized figures that represent key moments from Chinese culture, including Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing and Li Shi Zhen. The central atrium tells the story of Shen Nong with a large-scale ceiling mural from which 100 birds fly down towards the ground floor and connect the building’s five floors.
10. HMS Wellington VR Experience
Open now until 31 August 2025
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: VR, Immersive Learning
All aboard the historic HMS Wellington, which has launched a 30-minute VR experience produced by IMITO. Offering a powerful blend of innovation and history, it places visitors at the heart of the action, allowing them to experience the history of this iconic WWII ship like never before. Moored on the Victoria Embankment, the ship was a convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Built in 1934, the 81-metre, 1,200-ton vessel saved hundreds of lives in the Battle of the Atlantic and is the last surviving convoy escort in the UK.
The ship is open every Saturday, Sunday and Monday until 31 August for guided tours and the VR experience, which was created with the help of a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant. “Our new immersive VR experience is designed to engage visitors with HMS Wellington’s extraordinary wartime stories. We aim to honour the bravery of merchant seafarers and naval personnel, educate new generations, and celebrate this important vessel’s role in national resilience during one of the greatest challenges to our nation,” said chairman of the Wellington Trust, Dominic Tweddle.
9. Le Rêve Du Gladiateur
Opens: 8-15 August 2025
Location: Nimes, France
Experience Sector: Immersive Theatre
The sweeping amphitheatre in Nîmes will play host to a new immersive theatre show called Le Rêve du Gladiateur (Gladiator’s Dream) this month. The brainchild of the Dragone company and dancer and choreographer Arthur Cadre, who worked on the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the show blends dance, theatre, circus and poetry, and features over 200 performers. Inspired by the ancient history of the amphitheatre, the show follows the fate of a gladiator suspended between life and death, imagining a Roman Empire that would never have collapsed.
Exploring the lives we have never lived, dance, acrobatics, theatre, singing, equestrian and motorized arts collide as hundreds of artists and extras unite in the amphitheatre for an hour-and-a-half in a spectacular staging led by Cadre. The show is the result of a collaboration with the Dragone company, famous for its memorable productions alongside the Cirque du Soleil. Their abundant visual universe, combined with the sensitive approach of Cadre, promises an unforgettable experience.
8. Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition
Open now until 26 October 2025
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
The latest stop on the Boy King’s global tour is Glasgow. Having already welcomed over two million visitors across Europe, Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition has opened at the SEC, offering budding historians an extraordinary journey into ancient Egypt and the incredible discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. Curated by Nacho Ares, the exhibition focuses on archaeologist Howard Carter and his benefactor Lord Carnarvon’s discovery of King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, with the latter tragically dying shortly afterwards.
The first part of the exhibition features replica mummies and sarcophagi from Ares’ collection, alongside original pieces. Visitors then step into a full immersive experience with projections across the four walls and on the floor, taking them down the Nile and into the tomb. You can enter the metaverse with VR glasses and walk inside Carter’s tent, touch the photos on the tables, and play music on a gramophone. “Beyond the idea that it is a symbol of the Egyptian state, Tutankhamun’s mask is related to the greatest discovery in the history of archaeology,” says Ares, who hopes the show will inspire a new generation of historians.
7. Blooming Wonders
Open now until 1 September 2025
Location: New York, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Summer is in full bloom and to celebrate, ARTECHOUSE in New York has launched a show dedicated to flowers. Called Blooming Wonders, the multi-sensory exhibition features an ever-evolving landscape of psychedelic pink daises, delicate butterflies and abstract surprises accompanied by calming ambient music. The 40-minute experience lets you mooch about inside a floor-to-ceiling 18K-resolution digital canvas within Chelsea Market’s 100-year-old boiler room while watching the ephemeral beauty of spring and summer blooms come to life.
Staying on message throughout, at the upstairs bar you can order a Blooming cocktail that riffs on an Aperol Spritz but leans more heavily on peach. In the main room find a floor cushion or open bench and get lost in the vivid florals and dreamy soundscape. In the upstairs gallery you’ll find a pair of video games to get stuck into. It’s also a great spot for people watching, giving you a 360-degree view of the main gallery from the balcony. Previous ARTECHOUSE shows include collaborations with Refik Anadol, Yuko Shimizu and Pantone.
6. Merlin’s Magic
Open now
Location: Ubud, Bali
Experience Sector: Immersive Dining
A meal at Merlin’s Magic is one to remember. At the themed restaurant in central Ubud the dishes choose you. The dining experience is curated around tarot cards. Guests can opt for Merlin’s classic 3 card shuffle of the deck, allowing the cards to determine their starter, main and dessert. High-rollers can raise the stakes with a 7-Oracle card reading to determine the composition of their 5-course tasting menu. Among the dishes on offer are the Cauldron of Life and the Flower Pot pud.
Integrating magical elements into the experience from start to finish, on entering the restaurant, run by American chef Michael Magliano – who worked under Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in California’s Napa Valley – diners pass a magic shop selling a range of tricks, fashion accessories, and special editions from a magic library. The dining area features gothic lighting and whimsical accessories. Even drinks can be ordered through the tarot card method if you’re happy to leave it all to fate.
5. Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs
Open now until 31 October 2025
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Themed Attractions
If dinos are your jam then head to the Lightroom in London’s King’s Cross this month to enjoy Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs, a documentary narrated by actor Damian Lewis, who lends his dulcet tones to the film. The 50-minute experience is divided into six mini documentaries, which draw upon high-quality CGI supplemented by new elements that add an educational aspect to the doc. In one part of the film, life-sized dinosaurs are projected onto the walls and audience members are invited to interact with them.
Created specifically for the venue, the film is a fascinating find for dinophiles of all ages. Expect to see battling dreadnoughtus, courting tyrannosaurs, and adorable baby sauropods at an epic scale. Look out for a trio of opportunistic velociraptors who pick their way down cliffs to ambush a nesting pterosaurs in a scene that spirals its way around the walls of the room. The CGI is impressive throughout and works well on such a large scale. Not only does it look and sound good, the film is incredibly informative for young dino fans.
4. Yokai Immersive Experience
Open now until 23 September 2025
Location: Nagoya, Japan
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Supernatural creatures known as ‘yokai’ come to life through the power of cutting-edge digital tech at the Yokai Immersive Experience Exhibition in the Japanese city of Nagoya. The exhibition features an immersive experience in which yokai depicted in artworks and caricatures painted by various artists in the Edo and Meiji periods, such as the Hyakki Yagyo Emaki picture scroll and works inspired by Hyakumonogatari supernatural storytelling are dynamically brought to life using state-of-the-art digital tech such as 3DCG, projection mapping, and holographic screens.
The show also includes realistic 3D-modelled figures of yokai, allowing visitors to enjoy the expressions and characteristics of the yokai up close. While revealing the cultural and historical background of yokai, including ancient Japanese mythology and folklore, the exhibition explores how yokai are connected to pop culture.
Featuring over 300 yokai creatures, the exhibition comprises eight rooms based around distinct themes such as the yokai birthplace and yokai processions. The main attraction is a room themed on a wild dance of yokai. Moving images of supernatural creatures fill the room’s walls, ceiling and floor, accompanied by atmospheric music for a fully immersive experience. Explanations of yokai drawings and caricatures from the Edo (1603-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) eras add an educational element.
3. Veil Of The Temple
Opens: 2 August 2025
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Experience Sector: Immersive Audio, Live Events
Classical music nuts can get more than their money’s worth if they brave an eight-hour performance of John Tavener‘s magnum opus, The Veil of the Temple at Usher Hall, which will be kicking off the Edinburgh Festival in style. The one-off day-to-night concert will feature no less than 250 singers, bean bags for tired bottoms, and complimentary tea and biscuits. The monumental choral work, performed in the UK for only the second time, invites introspection and the search for deeper truths. Sung in five languages and drawing on many of the major world religions, the performance serves as one colossal universal prayer.
Fusing Eastern and Western traditions, Tavener’s meditative music and resonant chants create a sense of mystery and reverence. The Monteverdi Choir will be joining the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and National Youth Choir of Scotland with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for this once-in-a-lifetime experience conducted by Sofi Jeannin. Comprising eight cycles with three short breaks, how you choose to experience this epic performance is up to you. Attendees are allowed to come and go, taking breaks when they need them, with refreshments provided in front-of-house spaces where the music will play through speakers.
2. Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical
Open now until 7 September 2025
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Secret Cinema is back with a bang, turning Battersea Park into Rydell High this summer for Greece: The Immersive Movie Musical. Allowing moviegoers to become part of the action, the two-and-a-half-hour show based on the 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John features a cast of 30 performers amidst giant multi-screen platforms, turning the venue into a theatrical experience. With the movie playing all around you and events at every turn, you’ll live the film from start to finish. Expect DJs spinning ‘50s tracks, milkshakes and waffle fries at Frosty’s Palace diner, and getting greasy at the auto repair shop.
Laid out across multiple themed locations, the film will be aired on a series of screens dotted around the park, allowing those wanting to get involved in the interactive elements the chance to keep up with Sandy and co. It’s a Secret Cinema first, as in the past interactive fun came first followed by a sit down movie screening. This new format allows for a more fully immersive experience and for audience members to feel more closely connect to the film. You’ll be able to get up close and personal with the live actors playing the different characters throughout as you navigate your way around Rydell High.
1. UNITY
Opens: 29 August until 20 September 2025
Location: Las Vegas, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment, Live Events
Taking over the Las Vegas Sphere this month is immersive concert series UNITY, a live show put together by global festival phenomenon Tomorrowland and music events purveyor Insomniac. Each performance will end with a surprise one-hour set from a world-renowned artist, with Chase & Status, Kaskade, Eli Brown, DJ Snake and Alan Walker confirmed to perform. The show will involve cutting-edge technology, lights, lasers, eye-popping visuals, and a live orchestra to highlight the message of togetherness through music. Additional artists will to be announced for the remaining shows in September and October.
UNITY marks the first partnership between the two biggest festivals on the planet that strive to bring people together. This is not just a concert, it’s a transformative journey through music, storytelling, and technology. Designed as a multi-hour immersive experience, UNITY blends cinematic 360° visuals, original orchestration, and world-building from Insomniac and Tomorrowland’s most beloved festival realms, culminating each night with a powerful live performance from a globally renowned artist. It’s a celebration of music, love, and togetherness. Expect special effects, flashing lights, and seat haptics.
