Each month we share our edit of the experiences opening around the globe that we think are truly extraordinary. Here’s what we think is worth checking out in November 2023.
If you’re working on an Extraordinary Experience you’d like us to consider for a future edition, please share it HERE!
18. Da Vinci: Genius
Opens: 30 November
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Experience Sector: Museums & Attractions, Immersive Art
Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the greatest geniuses of all time. His innovations and inventions are legendary, seamlessly combining science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art long before it was seen as revolutionary. Immerse yourself in the work and thought world of Leonardo da Vinci, rediscovering his masterpieces such as the ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’ and gaining new insights through interactive technology and floor-to-ceiling projections. You can also view the contemporary world through da Vinci’s eyes by interacting with the latest AI technology.
17. Queensland Holocaust Museum
Open: now
Location: Queensland, Australia
Experience Sector: Museums & Attractions
Recognised as “an invention to change the world”, the world’s first live and digital Holocaust museum has launched to a global audience. The online Queensland Holocaust Museum is a visually engaging, interactive, digitally intelligent, and immersive experience that brings the story of the Holocaust to life. Self-guided and easily accessible from laptop or PC, the online resource is designed for diverse audiences, anywhere and anytime.
The live Queensland Holocaust Museum has also opened in Brisbane, where elements of both the live and digital experiences are cleverly designed to engage and expand audiences. Adam Mortimer, Strategy and Creative Project Lead at Designteam in collaboration with A-Live, says, “Our teams have worked to reimagine the museum experience. We have used the elements of dimension and discovered powerful new ways to include more than 200 pieces of factual material, historical footage, and interviews with six survivors whose stories are compelling eye-witness accounts. Designed to balance understanding and engagement and to achieve resonance, we drew inspiration from a wide range of inputs; architecture, culture, literature, music, and art, and matched these elements to the latest immersive digital technologies.”
16. Velvet Pines
Opens: 9 November until 23 December
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
The magnificent minds at Swamp Motel are back in the Big Smoke this autumn with a 1970s-inspired après ski immersive dining experience and we’re here for it. Taking place in a secret warehouse close to London Bridge, Velvet Pines will combine cutting-edge immersive design with a decadent menu of French delights and full throttle cabaret. The warehouse has been transformed into an alpine ski resort that’s been hit by a power-zapping snowstorm.
Devised by MasterChef finalist Omar Foster, the menu includes après ski classics like tartiflette alongside twists on classics, like duck miso Bourguignon. Paced to allow diners time to enjoy the cabaret and surprise interactions, the food, cocktails and entertainment act as a counter to the increasingly fraught goings on outside, where the extreme weather and a mysterious prowling yeti make escape impossible during the three-and-a-half hour experience.
15. Cirque Du Soleil: Echo
Opens: 5 November until 21 January 2024
Location: Atlanta, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Our favourite troop of contortionists Cirque du Soleil are back with a bang this November with a new show in Atlanta called Echo, which combines poetry, stagecraft, daring acrobatics and technology to explore the symbiotic relationship between humans and the animal kingdom. The show centres on female protagonist Future, who discovers that her choices have the potential to influence the world, and that through human connection we have the power to create a better world for man and beast.
Marking Cirque du Soleil’s 20th Big Top show, Echo brings bold new visuals and a unique aesthetic on tour. Packed with vibrant characters, inspiring music, light projections and never-before-seen acrobatic feats, Echo invites audiences on a journey through a universe of colour and wonder. Show director Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar wants the audience to leave feeling empowered.
14. Darkfield
Opens: 23 November until 21 January 2024
Location: Sydney, Australia
Experience Sector: Audio, Immersive Entertainment
Buckle up, as a pair of chilling new multi-sensory audio experiences exploring the depths of human perception have landed in Sydney. Branded under the Darkfield banner, the experiences take place inside purpose-built shipping containers in Barangaroo and use binaural audio, sensory deprivation and sensory effects to place the audience at the centre of a narrative.
Pushing the boundaries of human consciousness, among the new 360-degree audio journeys is Coma, where audiences find themselves in a bunk bed embarking on a journey into the realm of dreams. With the aid of cutting-edge tech and intricate sound design, participants will be left questioning the boundaries of their own minds. Eulogy, meanwhile, thrusts guests into an industrial hotel-inspired labyrinth, creating an intense voyage into the depths of human consciousness that challenges conceptions of the psyche.
13. Space Explorers: The Infinite
Opens: 15 November until mid-January 2024
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Space Explorers: The Infinite is an hour-long VR experience created by Felix & Paul Studios in collaboration with TIME Studios and NASA, in which visitors are invited to join the ranks of Canadian astronauts and explore space via a virtual world inspired by NASA missions. The experience features the first-ever spacewalk filmed in 3D and 360-degree VR outside the International Space Station, giving visitors a rare chance to see the Earth from a perspective only a handful of astronauts have been lucky enough to enjoy.
Visitors to the Rocky Mountaineer Station will also witness the Artemis I lift off on an immersive wall formed of five giant screens and will be privy to a cutting-edge virtual tour of the International Space Station. Space nuts will get to learn about life aboard the ISS, interact with the real-life crew, and take in stunning views of our blue planet from above.
12. Disney 100: The Exhibition
Opens: Now until 21 January 2024
Location: London
Experience Sector: Museums, Film
The Walt Disney Archives has opened its vault of treasures in London, showcasing over 250 artefacts, costumes, props and memorabilia in the biggest exhibition the company’s archives has ever put together. Taking place at ExCel, Disney 100 is spread across ten themed galleries showcasing film classics from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to Encanto (2021), including the Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel. Marking Disney’s centenary, the exhibition will travel the world over the next five years.
Among the nostalgic jewels you’ll chance upon are the glass slippers from Cinderella, the St Paul’s Cathedral snow globe from Mary Poppins (which comes complete with bird projections) and the leather wallet used to create the sound of the dwarfs’ squeaky shoes in Snow White. The show includes several interactive elements and a copy of PL Travers’ novel, Mary Poppins in the Park, alongside a handwritten note to Walt Disney by the author. It’s practically perfect in every way.
11. Astra Lumina
Opens: 24 November
Location: New York, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
Brace yourself, as this winter Astra Lumina will light up the Big Apple and Seattle, adding two destinations to the Lumina Enchanted Night Walk series in the US. Masterminded by experience specialist Moment Factory and live entertainment platform Fever, the experience invites stargazers of all ages on a nocturnal journey through botanical gardens to discover the illuminating wonder of the stars.
In New York, Astra Lumina will work its magic at Queens Botanical Garden. Through high tech projections, lighting and music, astral energy transforms the natural surroundings into a celestial garden glowing with falling stars in multiple forms. As the night unfolds, these orbs regenerate, rise and reunite in the night sky. On the West coast, the Seattle Chinese Garden at South Seattle College provides an urban oasis for the experience, while the South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula will play host to the LA voyage.
10. Monet & Friends Alive
Opens: Open now until 7 January 2024
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
Leading immersive experience firm Grande Experiences has launched its latest initiative, Monet & Friends Alive, at ICONSIAM, a luxury shopping centre on the bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. The experience makes use of 3,500 images to present the best of Impressionist art from the 19th century, bringing the works of big name artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot and Edgar Degas to life.
Designed to optimise visitor circulation, each area of the venue was meticulously thought out, from the main digital gallery to interactive rooms and locations for the perfect photo opp. Aside from the main gallery, the exhibition includes a water lily garden, a Japanese bridge, a themed café, a water lily mirror room and an artist studio. With over 1,000 square metres of space, the installations require 60 projectors and 20 computer servers to operate.
9. Vanished Worlds
Opens: Open now
Location: Paris, France
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
The National Museum of Natural History of Paris is inviting dinosaur lover to delve deep into the past and explore life on earth 3.5 billion years ago, where they’ll meet animal and plant species in immersive paleo-landscapes. This ambitious new virtual reality experience allows visitors to witness each major stage in the evolution of the planet since its origins. Accompanied by virtual guide Charlie and her robot Darwin, the 45-minute journey spans from 3.5 billion years ago to the future world of 2200, and includes unique audio experiences to heighten the feeling of time travel.
Featuring immense centipedes, marine reptiles and dozens of dinosaurs, the interactive experience takes attendees from the bottom of the ocean to tropical forests as they travel through the landscapes of major geological periods, including the rise of animal life in the Cambrian period 520 million years ago, and the dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period 67 million years ago.
8. Horizons Of Khufu
Opens: Open now
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
If you’re partial to a spot of Egyptology then hotfoot it to Westfield Stratford in London to enjoy an immersive journey through space and time. Visitors will be whisked on an expedition to discover the Great Pyramid of Giza and will be free to explore spaces previously closed to the public. During the experience you’ll be transported 4,500 years back in time to attend the funeral of King Khufu, which promises to be an affecting journey into the heart of Egyptian culture.
Along with a virtual guide, visitors are transformed into giant avatars, and get to walk the Giza Plateau and get up close and personal with the Sphinx before a dusk visit to the pyramids. Based on architectural, scientific and historical data, the experience is the result of several years of research in partnership with Peter Der Manuelian, professor of Egyptology, and his team at Harvard University.
7. Arte Museum
Opens: 29 November
Location: Las Vegas, US
Experience Sector: Museums, Immersive Art
Korean digital design company, d’strict, is due to open an immersive exhibition space called Arte Museum on the Las Vegas Strip. The $25 million space covers an area of 30,000 square metres, where exhibits centre around the theme of ‘eternal nature’, reinterpreting various elements and spaces in nature as immersive media art. Brought to life through the fusion of various digital media technologies and visual creativity, the artworks allow visitors to experience nature unconstrained by time and space.
In addition to the authentic natural scenes, guests will also journey through fantastical, dreamlike landscapes. Arte Museum is a global exhibition brand that launched its first venue in Jeju, South Korea, in September 2020. Since its inception, the concept has extended its reach to major cities around the globe, including Chengdu and Hong Kong, attracting over five million visitors.
6. Mondoir
Opens: Open now
Location: Dubai, UAE
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
Daring new digital gallery Mondoir is shaking up the art scene in Dubai. Headed up by NFT art collector Amir Soleymani, the latest show at the galley is Infinite, a solo exhibition by renowned Arabic calligrapher Diaa Allam, which fuses digital art with calligraphy and blockchain technology. Allam creates 3D, flat and motion calligraphy that challenges us to rethink the meaning of art.
In the show each physical piece is presented alongside its digital counterpart, blurring the lines between the tangible and the virtual. Grouped into themes of Space, Sea and Life, in the exhibition Allam explores the commonality between nature, humanity and creation. Via three never-seen before artworks, the exhibition takes visitors through the artist’s evolutionary exploration of calligraphy, celebrating age-old art traditions while embracing the future.
5. Ocean Odyssey
Opens: Open now until 7 January
Location: Paris, France
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Atelier des Lumières in Paris is taking visitors on a deep dive beneath the ocean this autumn to showcase incredible photos by Brian Skerry, who has worked for National Geographic since 1998, and has been an eleven-time award winner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. A consultant to numerous ocean conservation foundations, Skerry’s primary purpose is to produce visual stories that celebrate the beauty of marine life and encourage its preservation.
Created by Culturespaces Digital in collaboration with the Spectre Lab studio, Ocean Odyssey is an immersive experience that explores the wonders of the underwater world via warm, cool and cold seas photographed by Skerry taken over four decades. Countless wildlife species are featured in the show, from tiny reef creatures and sea turtles to killer whales, dolphins, sharks and seals. These quiet moments captured by Skerry celebrate the sea’s hidden treasures while highlighting the environmental problems that threaten them.
4. Japan: Myths To Manga
Opens: Open now until 8 September 2024
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Japanese art is front and centre at a new exhibition at the Young V&A that takes visitors on an atmospheric trip through Japan to explore how the country’s landscape and folklore have influenced Japanese art, technology and design spanning everything from art and animation to robots, fashion and film. Marking the first major show at the recently revamped gallery, Myths to Manga is divided into four themed areas: Sky, Sea, Forest and City.
Featuring over 150 objects ranging from the 15th century to the present day, from Hokusai and Hiroshige prints to Sylvanian Families, Transformers and a Hello Kitty rice cooker, the show includes an installation of 1,000 paper cranes made by schoolchildren and sent from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan. Interactive activities include origami and manga stations, a sensory forest, and Taiko Drums created by contemporary artist Noritaka Tatehana.
3. Wondrous Space
Opens: Opens 4 November
Location: Philadelphia, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Learning
Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute will be taking visitors to infinity and beyond this November with the launch of a new US$8.5 million exhibition called Wondrous Space. Spanning two stories and 7,500 square feet, visitors can interact with NASA artefacts including two rovers from Carnegie Mellon University and a 10-foot rocket engine from Kennedy Space Center, and enjoy immersive experiences focused on the evolution of space exploration.
The first floor features space travel-themed simulations, while the upper level looks at the future of life and careers in space, showcasing innovative tools, technology and leaders in the industry. Boasting interactive displays to state-of-the-art simulations, the exhibition was devised by MDSX, a firm known for its work in theme parks and live entertainment, alongside the museum’s chief astronomer, Derrick Pitts, whose goal is to showcase the ground-breaking technologies shaping the future of space exploration and inspire a new generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
2. World Of Frozen
Opens: Opens 20 November
Location: Hong Kong
Experience Sector: Theme Parks
The world’s first Frozen-themed land is due to open at Hong Kong Disneyland this month. Inspired by Disney’s Frozen and Frozen 2 films, World of Frozen will transport fans to a reimagining of Arendelle via an “enchanting immersive experience” where they’re free to roam around Anna and Elsa’s favourite haunts. Making use of cutting-edge technology, World of Frozen boasts two main attractions: Frozen Ever After – a boat ride that takes guests to Elsa’s ice palace on the North Mountain, and Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs – the world’s first Frozen-themed rollercoaster that zooms through the Arendelle forest.
Fans can also swing by the Northern Delights sweet shop and the Golden Crocus Inn (named after the national symbol of Arendelle) for a good feed, while Tick Tock Toys will sell souvenirs and collectibles. The experience puts attendees in the heart of the action, allowing them to play a role in the narrative.
1. Midleton Distillery Experience
Opens: Open now
Location: County Cork, Ireland
Experience Sector: Food and Beverage
Whisky fans are in for a treat as a new immersive distillery experience has just opened in County Cork. The brainchild of Jameson maker Irish Distillers, the Midleton Distillery Experience has capacity for 200,000 visitors and features whiskey tours and tastings incorporating the brands within Irish Distillers’ whiskey portfolio, which include Jameson, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, Powers, The Spot Whiskeys, Method and Madness and Knappogue Castle.
There’s also an immersive auditorium as well as shopping, a bar and a café. New York-based Ralph Appelbaum Associates led the design of the redevelopment of the site, which dates back to 1794, conserving and restoring its existing structures and features, while the construction was carried out by PJ Hegarty & Sons. Targeted at both seasoned whiskey enthusiasts and novices, the experience takes visitors beyond the dram and deep into the stories of the brands, its makers, and the heritage and craftsmanship behind them.
