Welcome to this month’s round-up of Extraordinary Experiences across all experience sectors and around the globe.
February is here. We’ve survived January and entered the shortest month of the year. And while it might still be cold and grey outside, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, the snowdrops and crocuses are out, and with them come the first signs of spring, and hope.
Despite the cold we’ve got a red hot line-up of extraordinary experiences this month, many of which are capitalising on our escapist desire to enter living story worlds. In London Pixar fans will be able to live inside the worlds of their favourite animated films, from Toy Story to Coco, at the Mundo Pixar Experience, where scent is being used to spark nostalgia.
Across the pond, at Netflix House in Philly you can roam around a creepy carnival at the Wednesday: Eve of the Outcasts experience, while in LA you can time travel back to the funk-fuelled 1970s at immersive theatre and live concert experience Brassroots District LA ’94. Taking things up a notch, in Matera museum-hotel hybrid Moyseion catapults guests centuries back in time so they’re able to not just witness history but actually live it.
The might of Mother Nature is on display this month at a trio of thought-provoking experiences. In Berlin fearless explorers can be whisked to some of the most extreme regions on the planet at the Polar Experience, while in Reykjavik you can journey through Iceland’s volcanic landscapes and the powerful processes that shape them at Volcano Express. Over in Yorkshire, Marshmallow Laser Feast have created a digital double of Kew Gardens’ towering Lucombe Oak to reveal the inner workings and interconnectivity of an oak tree.
Art is also on the menu this month, with street artist Banksy given a retrospective in South Kensington complete with a t-shirt spray painting station, Mexican icon Frida Kahlo’s wedding menu being turned into an immersive dining experience in Chelsea, and French artist Pierre Huyghe exploring uncertainty and liminal spaces with the help of quantum physics. Far out!
18. Mundo Pixar Experience
Opens: 13 February 2026
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
London-based Pixar fans are in for a treat this month as the Mundo Pixar Experience rolls into town, allowing Finding Nemo fanatics and Inside Out lovers to live inside the worlds of their favourite films. The travelling immersive show takes visitors on a journey through 14 themed rooms dedicated to different Pixar films. You can shrink down to tiny toy size in Andy’s Room from Toy Story, explore the headquarters of Riley’s emotions from Inside Out 2, mooch about the Monsters Inc scare floor, and make a pit stop at Flo’s Café from Cars.
Adding to the multi-sensory nature of the experience, in addition to creative set design and ambient music, bespoke scents crafted specifically to bring each story world more vividly to life will fill the rooms, triggering nostalgic memories. Based in a purpose-built venue in Wembley Park, the exhibition spans overs 3,500 square metres and features over 25 sculptures. Inside you can take to the skies with Carl Fredricksen from Up, journey through the spiritual worlds of Coco, and take part in a Pixar Ball Treasure Hunt. The attraction has already welcomed over 3.2 million Pixar fans in Brazil, Belgium, Mexico and Spain.
17. Polar Experience
Open now until 6 April 2026
Location: Berlin, Germany
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Be sure to pack your gloves and thermals as the Polar Experience takes visitors on an intrepid adventure to some of the coldest and most extreme regions on the planet. Presented by ClimateXtremes and Galileo, explorers are helped along the way by world-leading scientists and will witness how international research teams conducted large scale polar expeditions to uncover the secrets of these icy regions. With advanced technology, immersive visuals and soundscapes, visitors can explore the regions’ landscapes and unique wildlife up close.
The experience kicks off with a virtual boarding of the research vessel Polarstern. The journey then proceeds to Fascination Ice, where an interactive 360° projection depicts the Arctic and Antarctic, highlighting the beauty of polar wildlife. At the Animal Habitat you can watch polar bears, seals, sea eagles and penguins in their natural habitats, while the Human Habitat showcases a documentary about the Yupik people. Interactive stations in the final, festival-like Act Now Room invite visitors to brainstorm ideas for creating a more sustainable future.
16. Monastery Mystery
Opens: 27 February until 1 March 2026
Location: Tilburg, The Netherlands
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a monk? At this quirky experience in Tilburg you can not only follow in their footsteps but step into their shoes. It’s perfect for people who are seeking answers to some of life’s bigger questions and are searching for a sense of purpose. Billed as a ‘playful learning retreat in a Dutch monastery’, the Monastery Mystery experience is aimed at change makers, aspiring leaders and personal growth-seekers who want to live a more meaningful existence. The idea is that by becoming a cog in the wheel of monastic life, you’ll get closer to your true self. The goal is for everyone to leave with a sense of clarity about where they’re headed.
Perfect for those seeking inspiration for their next career (or life) chapter, it’s a choose your own adventure-style experience where each participant goes on their own bespoke journey that will shape the path they take after leaving the monastery. With plenty of time for relaxation and reflection, the three-day event includes a mission-led initiation process with 10 other novices, inspiring workshops hosted by ‘Magic Monx’ and ‘Nurturing Nons’, an End-of-Day ceremony where you can dress up and party, and a Sunday Service where you share your learnings.
15. UNBOXD Live
Opens: 5 February 2026
Location: Birmingham, London
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Keen to inspire Gen Z to get off their phones and interact with each other, the BBC’s UNBOXED Live in Birmingham allows visitors to step inside the story worlds of their favourite shows. Giving attendees a backstage pass to peek behind the scenes of some of the biggest TV hits around, the immersive event is aimed solely at 16 to 24-year-olds. Inside you can take on a mission from series four of The Traitors, step onto the set of your own EastEnders scene, or bolt through a Race Across the World speed packing challenge.
Fitness fans can shoot their shot at the BBC Sport Crossbar Challenge, while music lovers can try their hand at being a Radio 1 DJ for the day, and wannabe hacks can uncover how news stories are produced with BBC Verify. You can even get advice on apprenticeships and CV building from the BBC’s Early Careers Team. Taking place at the Secret Space in Digbeth, there will be live sets from Birmingham-based DJs, panel chats, and creator-focused sessions designed to spark curiosity, build skills, and inspire the next generation of storytellers.
14. Wolf Gang Paris
Open now
Location: Paris, France
Experience Sector: Escape Room
Blending interactive theatre, escape room, and immersive role-playing, werewolf game Wolf Gang takes place in a secret Parisian crypt close to the Place de Clichy. Inside each player takes on a key role in the quest to save the city of Waloris. With each character influencing how the plot plays out, you can choose to be a druid, the City’s medium, or a werewolf in disguise. Players choices and alliances shape the fate of the city. With puzzles to solve, clues to uncover, and dramatic staging, Wolf Gang is ideal for fans of immersive role-play games.
Realistic costumes, meticulous sets, and immersive special effects heighten the experience, with every detail plunging you deeper into the medieval atmosphere of Waloris. Unlike a classic escape game, you don’t always play in a team. Instead, you move around the crypt, interacting with other players (and even the dead), fully embodying your role in the game. Open to groups, companies, or private events, expect mystery, strategy, and thrills aplenty.
13. Banksy Limitless
Open now until 22 February 2026
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
You’re never too far from a Banksy artwork these days – especially if you happen to live in London or Bristol. But if you’d rather see all his works in one sitting than go on a treasure hunt to find them, then head to Banksy Limitless in South Kensington, where 250 of the elusive street artist’s works are on display. Inside you can get up close and personal with some of the provocateur’s most famous works, from certified originals and rare, one-of-a-kind pieces, to large-scale installations, digital works, photos, and sculptures.
Don’t miss the Infinity Room, Cinderella’s Carriage, and the Grin Reaper. There’s also the chance to admire reproduced works created especially for the show. Banksy Limitless brings street art to a genteel gallery setting in the heart of one of London’s most affluent districts, proving that works created from spray paint and stencils have as much right to be hung on gallery walls as those crafted from oils and acrylics. Look out for Banksy’s iconic Girl with Balloon and a depiction of a rat that was originally spotted in Shoreditch. You can even spray paint your own t-shirt with Banksy stencils to take home. Remember to exit via the gift shop.
12. Dendur Decoded
Open now
Location: Online
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
History buffs, your moment has come, as news reaches us that New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has launched a pair of virtual reality experiences that you can enjoy from the comfort of home. The museum’s Temple of Dendur and works from its Arts of Oceania galleries have been transformed into a free online VR experience. Created in collaboration with Atopia, Dendur Decoded and Oceania: A New Horizon of Space and Time allow global audiences to view these awe-inspiring works using a VR headset or on The Met’s website.
Both activations feature original storytelling and high-resolution 3D scans that allow virtual visitors to delve into the artworks through movement, sound, interaction, and play. From stepping inside the Temple of Dendur and poring over the Ceremonial House Ceiling from the Kwoma people of Papua New Guinea, to bringing the 17-foot Asmat bisj poles to eye level, these virtual experiences offer a rare chance to explore ancient works outside of New York. Atopia is helping museums to open up their collections to the world via virtual storytelling.
11. Frida Kahlo Immersive Dining Experience
Open now until 5 April 2026
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Dining
We can’t seem to get enough of Frida Kahlo. The monobrowed Mexican icon will be the subject of a major retrospective at the Tate Modern this summer. Ahead of the show,UN Woman Experiences has created a Frida Kahlo-themed immersive dining experience at Mestizo in Chelsea. Shining a light on the emotional, artistic, and cultural power behind Kahlo’s legacy, in addition to food the experience includes sensory installations, evocative aromas, and captivating visual projections that conjure key moments in the artist’s life.
Showcasing Frida’ influence on art, culture, and gender equality, the actor-guided experience delivers an intimate narrative that brings fans closer to Frida’s inner world. As part of the experience Mestizo will be whipping up a five-course tasting menu inspired by the food and drink she enjoyed at her wedding to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera in 1929. With a Tequila and mescal pairing option, the menu includes a pork pozole soup, cheese empanadas, chicken pipián with cactus, and a slice of ‘tres leches’ sponge cake that Kahlo and Rivera cut.
10. Moyseion
Open now
Location: Matera, Italy
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Hotels are upping their game to not only provide a comfortable night’s sleep for their guests, but to immerse them in the history and culture of their setting. None more so than Moyseion, a one-of-a-kind hotel-museum in the Italian city of Matera, which melds modern hospitality with immersive historical experiences. Breathing new life into the city’s craggy troglodyte cave dwellings, the hotel offers guests the chance to step back in time and live, eat, and experience history in the same limestone caves that have stood for centuries.
As you enter the hotel, the haunting sound of ancient Greek wind instrument the aulos fills the air. Guests are asked to don chitons (a tunic that ties at the shoulder) and are free to peruse ancient artifacts and murals in a carefully curated environment that evokes the past. Moyseion is the brainchild of local artist-turned hotelier Antonio Panetta, who wanted to blend archaeology, myth, and hospitality into a living work of art. The hotel’s 16 rooms, carved into the mountain, reflect periods of Matera’s history and feature high wooden beds.
The Sanctuary of Waters is a multilevel spa dedicated to the goddess Demeter inspired by the Hellenistic thermal complexes that were common in the ancient world. Perhaps the best aspect of the hotel is its people, made up of a crack team of archaeologists, historians, musicians and dancers, who share their knowledge and passion with guests. The devil is in the detail here, and everything from the ancient music and recreated dances to the carefully curated food menu based on historic recipes has been designed to enhance the guest experience, allowing them to become part of history rather than mere observers.
9. Volcano Express
Open now
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
If the idea of getting dangerously close to molten lava thrills you then this white hot experience in Reykjavik is for you. Driven by cutting-edge, multi-dimensional cinematic technology, Volcano Express takes visitors on an immersive journey through Iceland’s volcanic landscapes and the powerful processes that shape them. Taking place at the Harpa Concert Hall, the 15-minute spectacle allows you to soar above Iceland’s volcanos and plunge deep into the Earth where eruptions ignite, magma surges, and landscapes transform.
Combining real eruption footage with computer-generated visual effects, guests can feel the heat, wind, movements, and tremors of a volcano, including specific temperature fluctuations and seismic activity. CGI shots in the show take viewers up into space and deep into the ground. The goal is to educate visitors about Iceland’s volcanic landscape in a captivating and entertaining way, catering to both tourists and locals. The show operates on sustainable geothermal energy, reflecting Iceland’s commitment to environmental values.
8. Planetarium Go!
Open now until 1 March 2026
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
If you’re a stargazer then head to Battersea this month to experience Planetarium Go! an immersive pop-up that invites audiences to gawp at the wonders of the universe. Inside a large spherical dome, visitors are surrounded by a 360º screen, where astronomy and science films come to life, creating a memorable voyage through space and time. From distant galaxies and planets to extraordinary cosmic phenomena, each projection is designed to spark curiosity, imagination, and a sense of discovery. The experience includes a series of short films that let you explore the wonders of the universe up close.
Teaching aspiring astronomers about the science behind the stars through immersive storytelling and beautiful visuals, Planetarium Go! caters to audiences of all ages. The goal is to fire up and inspire the next generation of space and STEM enthusiasts by breaking down complex science and astronomy concepts through five different storytelling sessions that make use of high-resolution projection technology. Its founder hopes to create a cultural hub suitable for hosting conferences, speeches, and concerts.
7. I Am Artificial Intelligence
Open now until 5 April 2026
Location: Bilbao Spain
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
With AI now an inescapable part of modern day living, those keen to learn more about it can head to this immersive exhibition in Bilbao that invites you to cross the threshold between the human and the artificial. I Am Artificial Intelligence takes visitors on a journey into a mind that learns, thinks, and evolves via 360-degree projections, interactive installations and immersive spaces that blend art, science and emotion. Inside AI is presented as a mirror to our decisions, habits and fears, and will make you see technology in a new light.
In the Immersive Room you’ll feel information flowing and wrapping around you. In the Kinect Area, meanwhile, sensors react to movement to create artworks in real time. There’s also a VR experience that allows you to step inside the mind of AI and discover how machines think, and a Cinema Room that shows the visual magic AI can create when given free rein. From the origins of human intelligence to the neural networks that are transforming our world today, the exhibition asks you what place AI has in your life, and what place you want it to have in the future. It will leave you with more questions than answers but that’s the point.
6. Brassroots District LA ’74
Open now until 28 March 2026
Location: Los Angeles, US
Experience Sector: Music, Live Events
Encouraging music lovers to lose themselves in the sights, sounds and soul of 1970s Los Angeles, Brassroots District: LA ’74 is a kooky new immersive theatre and live concert experience where funk grooves and bold ambition collide. You’re not just watching the show, you’re part of it. When you enter the experience the story unfolds all around you as the music takes over. Allowing you to time travel, it catapults you back to the moment when LA’s hottest rising band drops their debut album on a night that could change everything.
As live funk fills the room from a nine-piece band, lead singers Copper and Ursa navigate love and sudden stardom while hustlers, activists, fans, and journalists collide around them. With immersive storytelling, a no-phones rule, and an authentic ‘70s atmosphere, this theatrical concert experience blurs the line between audience and performance, pulling everyone into the hedonistic magic of a pivotal night in music history. Taking place at Catch One, expect vintage photo moments, 1970s dress up, and a soulful afterparty.
5. Of The Oak
Open now until 15 March 2026
Location: Yorkshire, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast are inviting you to step inside the Chapel in Yorkshire to discover Of the Oak, an immersive sound and video experience. Projected on a giant floor-to-ceiling screen, Of the Oak brings the Chapel to life, revealing the inner workings and interconnectivity of an oak tree and its surroundings, and the invisible networks that sustains one of nature’s greatest ecosystems. Visitors are invited to listen to the audio meditations and learn about the oak’s ecosystem and its role in sustaining biodiversity.
The show makes use of LiDAR scanning, ground-penetrating radar, CT-scanned soil samples, and thousands of photographs to create a digital double of Kew Gardens’ towering Lucombe Oak. The large-scale video installation is accompanied by a surround-sound audio environment composed from 24-hour recordings made by sound artist James Bulley and arborists at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex that fills the Chapel with the living soundscape of the oak. This is nature but not as you know it…
4. Squid Game Shibuya
Open now until 20 July 2026
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Netflix hit Squid Game seems to be taking over the world. The latest iteration of its real-world immersive experience has rocked up in Shibuya in Tokyo, where fans will get the chance to take part in the show’s death-defying games, minus the life-or-death stakes. Having blazed a trail everywhere from Madrid and Seoul to LA and Sydney, the Japan version has taken over the third floor of Shibuya Fukuras with a series of six games and immersive sets fans can take part in. On entry visitors need to scan their face to register as a player and enjoy the games.
Among the challenges from the show on offer are: Tug of War, Marble Game and the iconic Red Light, Green Light game. At the end of the six challenges, which take around 90 minutes to complete, a winner will be chosen. Fans of the show can also hang out at a special café featuring Squid Game-inspired dishes. There are also plenty of photo zones, and Yonghee’s Playground, which includes a shop where you can get your hands on exclusive merch. VIP ticket holders are given access to the VIP room from the show where they can enjoy a drink.
3. Pierre Huyghe: Liminals
Open now until 8 March 2026
Location: Berlin, Germany
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
As unsettling as it is thought-provoking, Liminals is a new exhibition by French artist Pierre Huyghe at Halle am Berghain that delves into uncertainty using quantum experiments. Marking the artist’s first solo show at a Berlin institution, the large-scale environment encompasses film, sound, vibration and light. Described by Huyghe as a ‘modern myth,’ the film follows the emergence of a faceless, human-like figure that moves through shifting states and exists at the threshold of the knowable. The installation uses the principles of quantum physics to create a world where time is elastic, forms shift, and meaning resists definition.
The film is set in a realm outside of time and space, where there’s no beginning or end, or inside or outside, in which every moment is a maybe. Visitors witness the figure’s attempts to exist, communicate and escape a single state of reality. There’s a dissolution of boundaries between inner and outer realms, and between living and non-living matter. Vibration and sound play an important role in the work, and Huyghe used a series of experimental methods to create a dense sonic experience where viewers encounter the uncertainty of existence.
2. Arbora Lumina & Enlightenment By Eonarium
Open now until 28 February (Arbora) and 15 March (Enlightenment)
Location: Normandy and Edinburgh
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Winter is a hotbed for light shows and these two caught our eye this month. Arbora Lumina in Normandy is the brainchild of Moment Factory. Taking place at Domaine d’Harcourt, it invites visitors to see the ancient château and its arboretum in a new light, literally. Inspired by the diversity of the domaine’s botanical riches, the light and sound show celebrates its textures, colours and layers of depth. Homage is paid to moss, bark, sap, stone and flowers along an enchanting 1km trail that fuses the real and the imagined with wit and wonder.
Also lighting up our lives this month is audio-visual experience Enlightenment by Eonarium in Edinburgh. Inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the experience is currently illuminating the University of Edinburgh’s historic McEwan Hall with a captivating mix of 3D video mapping and classical music. Created by Zurich-based collective Projektil, the experience is divided into spring, summer, autumn and winter in ode to Vivaldi’s masterpiece, with kaleidoscopic visuals projected across the hall’s interior and the Four Seasons given a contemporary remix.
1. Wednesday: Eve Of The Outcasts
Open now
Location: Philadelphia, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Wednesday fans are about to have all their gothic dreams come true as an IRL experience has just launched at Netflix House in Philly. Giving you the chance to step inside her twisted universe, Wednesday: Eve of the Outcasts invites visitors into Nevermore Academy for a carnival that blends the eerie with the enchanting. Put in charge of hosting the Eve of the Outcasts Festival, Wednesday has put her own dark spin on things. It’s less popcorn, Ferris wheels, and face painting, and more cursed carnival games and unsettling surprises.
Inside you’re free to roam the festival grounds and hallowed halls of Nevermore. Fans can test their mettle in challenges like Piranha Pursuit and Feeding Time Frenzy. You can creep through iconic Nevermore locations, from Wednesday and Enid’s dual-personality dorm room to Principal Weems’s office and the biology lab. On the way you can text clues back and forth with Thing to unravel the secrets hidden throughout the grounds. It’s another example of how brands like Netflix are blurring the boundaries between real and imagined worlds.
