Welcome to this month’s round-up of Extraordinary Experiences across all experience sectors and around the globe.
December is upon us and the countdown to Christmas has begun. For those who find this month to be the most wonderful time of the year, there are plenty of festive experiences that will jingle your bell, from a dive bar pop-up in East London with Christmas-themed karaoke and a Mariah Carey shrine, to a festive takeover in Kansas City by movie maker Hallmark featuring a Christmas market, ice rink and food hall.
If it’s light you’re in need of during the dark December days then you’re in for a treat, as the calibre of light shows around the globe has never been greater. In Wiltshire you can amble among 1,000 lanterns, including one resembling Elizabeth I, at Longleat’s Festival of Light. Across the pond in New York, the Meatpacking District plays host to immersive experience Starscape that explores the wonders of the cosmos.
Our often under-appreciated sense of sound is being harnessed at a variety of experiences this month. In Auckland you can listen to the deluxe version of Amy Winehouse’s epic album Back To Black in a pitch black cinema, allowing you to appreciate every note in exquisite detail. Over in Paris, you can immerse yourself in the sounds of rumbling volcanos in an experience that journeys to the centre of the earth.
While you’re there, don’t miss Icelandic singer Björk’s sound experience at the Centre Pompidou that asks us to rethink our role in nature’s preservation via a narrated manifesto alongside the cries of endangered species. To wind down after, hop on a plane to Lisbon to kick back at Spiritland‘s latest project at Locke de Santa Joana hotel, which features six bars including a listening lounge with a killer vinyl collection.
18. The Festival Of Light
Open now until 14 January 2024
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
If you’re seeking to brighten the dark December days then head to Longleat safari park in Wiltshire, which is hosting a Festival of Light with a difference this month. Running with the theme of time travel, visitors will be taken on a fantastical journey through the eras, from the Jurassic age and ancient Egypt, to racing with Roman chariots, storytelling with sultans, and hobnobbing with the Chinese Shang dynasty via 20,000-lumen projectors, integrated LED lighting, narrated animations and an original score.
The immersive experience allows you to explore Egyptian pyramids, walk with dinosaurs, and marvel at a 10 metre high Roman Colosseum complete with chariots and gladiators. Look out for the interactive lantern trail, where you can amble among over 1,000 of them, including iconic historic and mythical figures such as Queen Elizabeth I (and II) and Greek thunder god Zeus, who will be sharing a path with a colony of rockhopper penguins. There’s also a giant Christmas tree with 88,000 lights.
17. Art Basel Miami Beach
Opens 4-8 December 2024
Location: Miami, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
Art aficionados are in for a treat this month as Art Basel Miami Beach rolls into town, bringing together leading galleries and collectors from five continents. Expect thought-provoking works from modern masters alongside exciting emerging artists to watch. Creative head Bridget Finn has united 286 galleries from 38 countries, spotlighting artists from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Canada and the US. Hong Kong’s Pearl Lam, Brazilian collective MAHKU, Nigerian-born London-based Slawn, and activist Agosto Machado are among the many names taking part this year.
The fair spreads across the city, where there will be a feast of events to sink your teeth into, including DJ sets from Fatboy Slim, and mindfulness workshops hosted by Deepak Chopra at The Wellness Oasis on South Beach for those wanting to wind down. Art Deco jewel the Sagamore Hotel will be showing Eternal Creations, a collection of seven silver casts of Michelangelo’s masterpieces made from the original moulds, while Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira will unveil a towering, tree-like structure in the Ruinart Lounge. Look out for IKEA’s immersive ‘Sleepeasy’ via a secret door.
16. Björk Immersive Sound Experience
Open now until 9 December 2024
Location: Paris, France
Experience Sector: Immersive Audio
We love Björk and we love Paris, so we’re tickled pink that the two have united in an immersive sound experience at the Centre Pompidou. The Icelandic songstress has teamed up with Mexican photographer Aleph on an experience that asks us to rethink our connection with nature and role in its preservation. Conceived as a post-optimistic manifesto on nature, the sound work addresses the current attack on biodiversity and collapse of our ecosystems. It features Björk reading the manifesto alongside the cries of extinct or endangered animals, harmonizing them with natural soundscapes.
Envisioning a future where the resilience of biology creates new combinations in nature, the audio experience gives a voice to nature, transforming its silence into sound and resonating in our collective imagination. The sounds were edited by Björk in collaboration with Robin Meier Wiratunga using software from the Institute for Acoustic/Music Research and Coordination (Ircam) and AI models. Björk has long championed environmental causes, using her fame to raise awareness of ecological issues and advocate for sustainable initiatives.
15. Culinary Safari At Palaash
Open now
Location: Maharashtra, India
Experience Sector: Immersive Dining
Chef Amninder Sandhu is on a mission to empower female chefs in India via her new restaurant in the wild, Palaash, where diners can enjoy a seven-course tasting menu in the Maharashtra wilderness made from ingredients grown a stone’s throw away. Taking things back to basics, Sandhu’s all-female team cooks over an open fire, in underground barbecue pits, on chulhas, in cast iron and bamboo. You’ll find Palaash at luxury safari resort Tipai close to the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.
The intimate 25-cover restaurant is open only for dinner and serves an ever-evolving tasting menu of seasonal dishes inspired by Sandhu’s childhood in Mahatrashtra, while incorporating elements from nearby Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. On the food front expect the likes of grilled quail with crispy chicken skin; black crab with wild garlic and chilli; and bamboo smoked pork with sticky rice steamed in haldi leaves. Dishes are paired with wine and cocktails by sustainability guru Tim Etherington-Judge.
14. Gamification Europe
Opens: 2-3 December 2024
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Gaming, Immersive Learning
Forget Fortnite and Minecraft, the gamification trend is everywhere these days, with gaming metrics being used in everything from improving healthcare to enhancing the employee experience. If you’re keen to stay at the bleeding edge of trends in the sector then head down to The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London’s Whitehall for two-day trade fair Gamification Europe, which will unite the great and good of the industry for masterclasses, talks and networking opportunities galore.
The theme for 2024 is ‘Projects and Players’, and the show will be diving deep into the transformative power of gamification and its impact on users via recent case studies that showcase innovative strategies and their outcomes. During the show you can get stuck into interactive exhibits, take part in in-depth workshops and masterclasses, listen to thought leading keynotes and learn from insightful panel sessions on gamification design, escape room design and designing meaningful player journeys.
13. Starscape
Open now until 12 January 2025
Location: New York, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Brightening New York this month is Starscape, an immersive light experience at Genesis House in the Big Apple’s Meatpacking District that explores the wonders of the cosmos. The free walk-through exhibit was designed by visual storyteller extraordinaire Ethan Tobman, creative director of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, so you’re in safe hands. Tobman drew inspiration from Dongji, the Korean winter solstice, to craft an awe-inspiring journey that will help New Yorkers through the longest night of the year.
The event begins in a lounge area and moves to an exhibition space featuring 590 geometric light fixtures that coordinate in colourful bursts, recreating the constellations that illuminate Seoul and New York, and connecting the two cities through light. The main event is a captivating light show charting the journey of an evening star via LED projections covering every inch of the walls, ceiling and floor. From burning embers to flashes of starlight, the cinematic experience is epic in its ambition.
12. Pitchblack Playback
Opens: 10 December 2024
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Experience Sector: Immersive Audio
Audio experiences are enjoying their moment in the sun right now, and rightly so. We love the sound of new listening initiative Pitchblack Playback, which is hosting album listening sessions in major cities, from London and LA to Montreal and Mexico City. The idea is to go back to when albums were listened to in full, and a new release was treated with the same reverence as a blockbuster coming to the silver screen.
With many of the events taking place in cinemas, and eye masks provided for the full blackout experience, it’s a brilliant way to reconnect with your favourite artists. On 10 December at the Capitol Cinema in Auckland you can listen to the deluxe version of Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black played loud in uncompressed audio on a powerful cinema sound system. Listening in the dark, its founders believe, helps you to get closer to the music and appreciate its finer details and the layering of sounds.
11. Stone Speakers
Open now until 5 January 2025
Location: Paris, France
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
Franco-Swiss, Berlin-based wunderkind Julian Charrière has taken over Paris’s Palais de Tokyo with a ground-breaking exhibition called Stone Speakers that rocks. The cross-disciplinary artist and adventurer combines nature, art, science and sound in original ways, and Stone Speakers invites visitors into an all-encompassing sonic volcanic landscape. The exhibition features recordings of volcanoes in Columbia, Ethiopia, Iceland, Indonesia, and Italy, which intermingle with a live data feed that captures seismic activity, placing the visitor inside the earth’s powerful tectonic core.
Encouraging visitors to immerse themselves in the sonic environment, you can get cosy on a pillow in a dark corner of the crater-like room and take it all in. The deepest frequencies are conveyed by L-Acoustics subwoofers, which amplify the rumbling of the volcanoes, creating an architectural echo chamber exploring our relationship with other forms of life. Brace yourself for a cutting-edge audio experience of primordial conversations of the earth combining magma chambers, tides and tectonic plates.
10. The Great Christmas Feast
Open now until 12 January 2025
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Dining
For those seeking a little whimsical escapism during the hectic run-up to Christmas then The Lost Estate’s latest incarnation – The Great Christmas Feast – should ring your bell. Taking place in a sprawling space in West Kensington designed by Darling & Edge of Secret Cinema fame, the immersive dining experience blends the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, with top nosh and killer Victorian-inspired cocktails including the Smoking Bishop, Pear Tree Cup and Marley & Rye.
As night falls, Dickens himself guides the audience through a raucous performance of his timeless tale, with cinematic live music from Steffan Rees. The event unites London’s top talents in theatre, music, mixology and fine dining in a warm hug of an experience. Directed by Simon Pittman, actor Alex Phelps takes on the dual role of narrator and a host of beloved characters in this unique staging of the book. Food comes courtesy of chef Ashley Clarke and includes Gressingham duck breast with all the trimmings, and a rich Twelfth Night cake served with Christmas pudding ice cream.
9. STÖR
Open now until 10 January 2025
Location: Seattle, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
A pair of Seattle artists have created an inspired tongue-in-cheek spoof of Swedish homeware retailer IKEA called STÖR. Blurring the line between art and retail, it pushes people to think about how they experience and consume art. Rather than objects to admire, everything at STÖR is for sale. Made by local artists, among the gems on offer is a mirror framed by false teeth for $275, a traffic cone-shaped vase for $16, and a faux-inflatable canvas chaise longue for $1,500. Look out for green slime in the loo, and inflatable living room, a bed made from cigarettes, and meatballs aplenty.
STÖR is the brainchild of Mary Anne Carter and Lilia Deering, Seattle-based artist-curators with a penchant for subverting norms. Their concept takes visitors on a surreal trip through a whimsical warehouse full of mock rooms stocked with home goods designed by them and 34 local artists. Carter believes IKEA has become something of a Disneyland for Millennials and hopes the familiar setting will encourage people to engage with contemporary art and support local artists by buying their quirky works. Smaller homeware items include pancake-shaped coasters and colourful throw pillows.
8. The Weeknd: Open Hearts
Open now
Location: Metaverse
Experience Sector: Immersive Audio, Metaverse
It’s one small step for man, one giant leap for the metaverse as musician The Weeknd launches a cutting-edge immersive audio-visual experience for the Apple Vision Pro headset. Called Open Hearts, the music experience is captured in Apple Immersive Video, a 180-degree format that leverages ultra-high-resolution immersive video and spatial audio to place viewers in the centre of the action. During the experience viewers journey alongside The Weeknd as he weaves his way through a surreal cityscape.
If you don’t have an Apple Vision Pro headset you can still enjoy the experience at an Apple store by booking a demo slot. It can also be seen via the Apple TV app. The Open Hearts video was directed by Anton Tammi and is inspired by LA’s iconic downtown skyline. The goal is to revolutionise the way fans experience musical performances by combining spatial audio, cutting-edge tech and immersive visuals in creative new ways.
7. Coded Dreams
Open now until 12 January 2025
Location: Montreal, Canada
Experience Sector: Museums, Immersive Art
AI is put under the microscope in Montreal this month at Coded Dreams, an immersive exhibition that encourages you to explore the frontiers of artificial intelligence and unlock the doors of your imagination. Fusing contemporary art and cutting-edge tech to weave mesmerising narratives, in the show complex data is transformed into dreamlike, interactive experiences that invite the visitor to become part of the works. The artists behind them are seeking to create spaces for exploration, allowing the public the chance to interact with AI in order to better understand its powers.
Two major works are on display. Tulpamancer is a VR creation that uses machine learning to allow guests a moment of self-exploration. By sharing your memories and visions of the future, you’ll become the architect of an intimate encounter with Tulpa, creating a unique work that’s deleted at the end but left to resonate in the mind of the viewer. The Golden Key, meanwhile, reinvents folk tales with the help of AI, allowing visitors to take part in a never-ending story where every choice they make influences the narrative. One critic said it was like ‘stepping into the world of Stranger Things.’
6. Humbug Dive Bar
Open now until 31 December
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: F&B, Immersive Entertainment
If you’re a tad on the Grinchy side then you’ll probably love this new East London pop-up at the Truman Brewery, where Santa is keeping a secret from Mrs Claus. To gain entry you must venture through a secret passageway down a magical tunnel, which spits you out into a camp as Christmas, confetti-filled world. Santa has lost his holiday spirit and is in desperate need of cheering up. With a little help from the Humbug regulars, your job is to put the snap back in his cracker in time to save Christmas.
Whether you’re in the thick of the action or watching from the side-lines with a drink in hand, the two-hour interactive experience will put a smile on the face of the grumpiest of scrooges with its twists, turns and an insane amount of tinsel. Expect live music, cabaret, games including beer can bowling, Santa’s sack, Rudolph’s rings and Christmas karaoke, served with a generous side dish of street food, mulled wine by the barrel, and plenty of dance opps for those who enjoy throwing shapes. VIPs get a sneaky peek at (bad) Santa’s grotto – look out for the Mariah Carey shrine.
5. The Hallmark Christmas Experience
Open now until 22 December 2025
Location: Kansas, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Across the pond Christmas lovers can get their festive fix in Kansas at The Hallmark Christmas Experience. The movie maker has turned Kansas City into a winter wonderland, allowing fans of its films to feel like they’ve stepped inside them. There a bundles of free, family-friendly activities on offer in The Square, a central hub mimicking the quaint town squares in Hallmark films, including card-sending, a Crayola community mural, and festive photo opps.
Ticketed events include the chance to meet the likes of Andie MacDowell and Lacey Chabert, and learn from the artists and writers behind Hallmark greeting cards. The majority of events will take place at Crown Center just outside Hallmark’s HQ. Expect a Christmas market, tree lightings, a card sending station and light walk. You can also get your hands on Hallmark merch, roam the festive food hall, gawp at the 100-foot Christmas tree, and get your skates on for a whoosh around the ice rink.
4. Spiritland
Open now
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Experience Sector: Audio Experience
Listening lounges are enjoying a resurgence and we’re here for it. Inspired by those found dotted across Tokyo, where you can sit back and chill to everything from classical scores to new releases, London bar Spiritland has taken the concept and run with it. The concept has proved so successful that its founders have opened a sister Spiritland in Lisbon. The ambitious project spans six bars within the new Locke de Santa Joana hotel, a converted 17th century convent. Each bar boasts its own theme and aesthetic.
Created alongside White Rabbit Projects, at the flagship Spiritland bar DJs play a variety of genres from a renovated vintage JBL sound system. Two floors below is listening bar The Kissaten, home to an epic record collection and Portugal’s largest whisky selection, where you can choose the vinyl and peruse the drams on pour. O Pequeno, meanwhile, is a 12-seater Martini and Champagne bar playing classical and jazz, while wine bar Joana is a light-filled mezzanine space. And if that wasn’t enough, completing the line-up is a pair of al fresco bars, one of which has a pool.
3. The Factory Of Lost Time
Open now until 30 December 2024
Location: Lescar, France
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Eat The Cake Studio is back with a bang this month with shiny new offering The Factory of Lost Time, an immersive adventure in Lescar, southwest France. During the day it’s an immersive quest adventure for families, and by night, things turn a little darker with happy hour murder parties. In the family-friendly version visitors have to solve the mystery of Amelia’s tragic disappearance in 1891 before the last remaining trace of her fades away.
During the game you will be armed with a quest book and charged with solving riddles, unearthing clues and deciphering hidden messages within Amelia’s cabinet of curiosities in order to set her tortured spirit free. In the adult version, dubbed ‘The Shadow of Time’, you’ll whet your appetite for adventure with an apéritif cocktail and a selection of gourmet ‘steampunk’ dishes before diving into the action. With space for up to 20 players, to succeed you’ll need to keep a cool head in the face of uncertainty.
2. Sing The Body Electric
Open now until 22 December 2024
Location: Bristol, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
Bristol has long been a pioneer of contemporary art, so we’re delighted to learn that the city is home to an avant-garde new gallery called Undershed, which strives to showcase the best in immersive and interactive art from all over the world. The space will show a roster of exhibitions and installations that experiment with new forms of storytelling, inviting visitors to challenge their modes of thinking and ways of seeing the world. Its debut show explores how we get out of our heads and into our senses.
Called Sing The Body Electric, the exhibition explores what lies beyond the edge of our perception and is revealed through unusual ways of encountering a story. Inside you can detect the sound of the space between you and another person, come close to a wildly different world of colour, and explore the memories of someone whose story goes unheard. The artworks from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Korea and the UK invite you to step outside of your usual ways of perceiving the world, and see the invisible.
1. Great Gold Bird
Open now until 29 December 2024
Location: Los Angeles, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Prepare to have your mind blown, heart broken and patience tested. Great Gold Bird is a mind-bending, time-travelling meta adventure in LA, so buckle up! Part immersive theatre, part escape room, you’ll be transported to different dimensions, encounter strange and wonderful creatures, and might even discover the meaning of life. Created by Twin Alchemy Collective in association with Hatch Escapes, this site-specific ‘wanderplay’ puts you at the centre of an emotional mystery of the missing Henry Coombs, who has left a trail of clues in his personal ephemera for you to follow.
As you sort through the contents of his life, you discover a personal history of love and loss. The experience will have you running around LA solving puzzles and unravelling mysteries to try to get to the bottom of what happened to Henry. The self-guided experience takes around three hours and is akin to a narrative-driven, interactive scavenger hunt that asks you to engage with the story on an emotional level. You’ll enjoy the experience most if you’re living in and absorbing the story rather than racing through it at speed, or looking at everything as a potential puzzle to be solved.
