Welcome to this month’s round-up of Extraordinary Experiences across all experience sectors and around the globe.
We’re into October, which hails the start of spooky season. Halloween celebrations seem to get bigger, bolder, and more terrifying by the year, and we’re here for it. At Alton Towers you can enjoy a meal with a side of jump scares at its new ‘Dine With The Dead’ immersive dining experience, while Battersea Arts Centre has reimagined the true story of the uncovering of a disturbing discovery in a sealed chamber following a devastating fire on Friday the 13th.
Across the pond, heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne is the inspiration behind a new haunted house called The Prince of Darkness at Universal Studios that will see theme park goers journey through the surreal, twisted worlds that fuelled his music. Six Flags, meanwhile, has created a spine-chilling attraction inspired by The Blair Witch Project for those brave enough to venture into Black Hills forest…
Halloween aside, there’s plenty more on the experiential front this month to get your adrenaline pumping. Pitch black concert series In The Dark has created a new iteration of its format called Pulse, which will be touring grand venues including Southwark Cathedral and the Cutty Sark. With sleep masks creating a complete blackout, and the orchestra weaving silently through the space, attendees will experience the music in a completely new way.
In Oz, to mark its 25th anniversary, Lord of the Rings fans have the chance to experience composer Howard Shore’s original score being performed live in its entirety by world-class musicians alongside a screening of The Fellowship of the Ring. Immersive art is also on the menu this month, with Artechouse returning to Washington D.C. and the hotly-anticipated opening of Wake the Tiger’s first London venue: Absurd City, a trippy, self-guided, interactive walkthrough experience that happens to be the largest immersive art experience in Europe.
19. Je L’Aime
Opens: 9 October until 14 November 2026
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Theatre, Immersive Dining
From the creative team behind Souvenir comes Je l’aime. Part promenade theatre, part immersive dining experience inside a London home, you’ll join 19 other guests and be welcomed by hosts Liv and Vic. Meaning ‘I love him/her’ in French, not everything is as it seems at the house. Drawing on quantum mechanics, love, memory, culture, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing another person, Je l’aime is a thought-provoking exploration of how two people can share a life but experience it in entirely different ways.
Written by Tristan Bernays and directed by Sophie Larsmon, the two-hour experience is for people who are curious about how other people live, love and understand the world. Perfect for solo diners, friends or couples, the evening continues when the performance ends, and guests are invited to stay for another bottle of wine and share their thoughts on what the experience has sparked in them. While guests might be asked to pour wine or play music, they won’t be asked to become part of the performance. We’ve already booked our spot at the table…
18. Cosmic Crime & Dine
Opens: 30 October 2026
Location: Leicester, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Dining
For a Halloween night out with a difference head to the National Space Centre in Leicester, which is challenging wannabe investigators to put their true crime knowledge into practice. Guided by a retired Scotland Yard detective, guests will feel like they’ve stepped inside a live crime investigation in the space centre’s galleries, which will become the scene of an unfolding narrative. Called Cosmic Crime & Dine, the adults-only immersive experience combines forensic challenges, crime scene investigation and a three-course themed dinner beneath the rockets. To up the interaction, small groups are encouraged to share tables.
Beginning with a welcome drink, budding detectives will explore the National Space Centre after hours as the case begins to unfold around them. Each participant will be taught how real crimes are investigated via various forensic techniques, and will have a chance to analyse fingerprints, discover how witness descriptions are turned into Photofit images, investigate a crime scene, search for evidence, and follow a trail of clues as they attempt to crack the case. Between investigations, attendees will enjoy a themed three-course dinner before their theories and skills are put to the test as the case reaches its dramatic conclusion.
17. Submerge Project
Open now until 15 November 2026
Location: Washington D.C., US
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
Having been closed for a year, immersive art space Artechouse in Washington D.C. is back with a bang this month with its largest group exhibition to date. Called Submerge Project, the ambitious exhibition gives visitors the chance to journey through 14 immersive universes. The show was designed by 13 artist teams using Render Network Foundation’s cutting-edge, crowd-sourced computing power, which helps artists to create works at record speeds. Among the exhibits is Beyond the Render, a floor-to-ceiling canvas that uses 3D art and GPU technology to engulf guests in mirror rooms, display eye-poppingly bright landscapes, and project cosmic light shows at 18k resolution.
Visitors can interact with 18 futuristic installations in the surrounding galleries. The family-friendly experience invites art lovers to chat in real time with an AI penguin, hit the dance floor with animated flamingos that respond to movement, and trade places with a droid. Among the artists involved in the project are digital specialist David Ariew, whose 1685 piece by him and his wife, Chelsea Evenstar, features stained-glass window panels that pulse and ripple in sync with DJ Zedd’s orchestral 1685 score. After feasting on all that digital art you can swing by the XR Bar to unwind with a cocktail and process what you’ve just seen.
16. Classic Penguins
Opens: 22 October 2026 until 3 January 2027
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Theatre
This is the kind of show that has to be seen to be believed. A one-man extravaganza, Classic Penguins sees literature lover Garry Starr attempt to rescue the world’s greatest Penguin Classic novels from obscurity by performing each and every one of them, or attempting to, in flippers and various stages of undress. From Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, to Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, no literary treasure is safe from Starr’s absurd antics. Combining slapstick physical theatre, clowning around, and a healthy dose of pure nonsense, this is a literary education like no other, where audience members are frequently recruited to help bring the classics to life.
Expect a wild, unpredictable ride through some of literature’s finest works, where the line between brilliance and buffoonery is as barely there as Starr’s modesty. The show has received rave reviews and sell-out performances across Australia and at the Soho Theatre, Underbelly Boulevard and the Edinburgh Fringe. A celebration of storytelling in all its glorious guises, the performance was created by Francesca Moody Productions, the Olivier award-winning team behind Fleabag and Baby Reindeer. Time Out dubbed the 70-minute show ‘wildly original theatrical mayhem’, while The Guardian described is as: ‘a breakneck literary adventure through the world’s most iconic works of fiction’. We’re here for it.
15. Tenement at Thorpe Park Fright Nights
Open now until 1 November 2026
Location: Surrey UK
Experience Sector: Scare Attractions
Going bigger and scarier than ever for its annual Fright Nights extravaganza, new for this year at Thorpe Park is Tenement, a fully immersive, pitch-black scare maze created to mark Fright Nights’ 25th anniversary. Set in an abandoned building where the power has failed and the tenants have vanished, the brave souls who enter Tenement have to navigate the darkness using only a shared handheld torch that’s on the blink. As the light begins to fail adventurers must confront their fear of the dark as they navigate a maze of reflections, illusions and sensory scares while being hunted by creatures that only come out at night.
Tenement joins the Fright Nights line-up of scare mazes, scare zones, live entertainment and the chance to experience some of the theme park’s biggest and best coasters after dark. Its four previous scare mazes: DeadBeat, Stitches, Survival Games and Trailers, are all back for 2026. Purgatory Town also returns as Thorpe Park’s first speak-to-scare zone, with new inhabitants sharing their stories with guests. Lucifer’s Lair will feature a show from the Lord of Darkness, while The Crows will spread their feathered terror across the park. New for this year, the Rebel Ball takes over The Launch Pad with music, dance and fire-juggling.
14. Squid Game: The Experience
Opens: 16 October 2026
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
You’ve seen the show, now you have the chance to play its deadly games IRL, as Netflix smash Squid Game: The Experience lands in Jakarta. Opening this month at Agora Mall, Thamrin Nine, it’s the first immersive experience of its kind in Southeast Asia. Masterminded by leading experience creator Kingsmen Creatives in collaboration with SideQuest Worlds, the Jakarta edition will recreate the world of the popular series with interactive games, themed environments, photo opportunities, and themed food and drink, establishing Jakarta as a new regional hub for story-driven entertainment in the process.
Following on from successful events in New York, Madrid, Seoul, London, Sydney, and Tokyo, the attraction covers more than 1,900 square meters with various themed zones. Inside players get to engage in a sequence of challenges and environments inspired by Squid Game, and enhanced with bold set designs, lighting, and sound effects. The experience is designed as a group activity, guiding players through a multi-room journey full games inspired by the series. The Jakarta edition includes exclusive merch and specially curated food and drink options created in partnership with local vendors to showcase regional Indonesian flavours.
13. Lord Of The Rings In Concert
Open now until 8 October 2026
Location: Sydney & Melbourne, Australia
Experience Sector: Concerts, Live Events
It’s hard to believe, but the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary epic The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring turns 25 this year, and to celebrate, composer Howard Shore’s glorious original score is being performed as it was intended: live in its entirety by world-class musicians alongside a screening of the film. Taking place in major cities across the globe, the concert series comes to Australia this month, where it will be performed in Sydney and Melbourne. The concert sets the score to Peter Jackson’s film, but allows the music to bear the narrative weight, creating a dramatic new live experience.
One of the most complex and comprehensive musical scores created for film, a full symphony orchestra, choir and soloists will perform Shore’s score live while the complete film is projected on screen. The score gives each character and journey its own distinct musical identity: the pastoral warmth of the Hobbits, the ethereal beauty of the Elves, the ancient power of the Dwarves, and the menacing force of Mordor are all brought vividly to life. The result is a bold fusion of film and live performance that allows audiences to experience the emotional depth, drama and grandeur of Middle-earth in a powerful new way.
12. Ozzy Osbourne Prince of Darkness
Open now until 1 November 2026
Location: Hollywood & Orlando, US
Experience Sector: Scare Attractions
Paying homage to one of heavy metal’s most beloved frontmen, Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood have launched an Ozzy Osbourne-themed haunted house as part of the theme park’s Halloween Horror Nights series. Called ‘Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness‘, the scare attraction is billed as ‘a decaying world ripped straight from Ozzy’s lyrics’. Inspired by his 13 solo albums, participants will journey through the dark, surreal, twisted worlds that fuelled his music and cemented his legacy as the Prince of Darkness.
“Ozzy never stopped pushing boundaries, and he loved anything that gave fans a new way to experience his music and the worlds he created,” his widow Sharon Osbourne said. “Halloween Horror Nights has done an incredible job bringing that spirit to life. Walking through these haunted houses, you’ll recognise so many moments inspired by his music and imagination,” she added. This year’s Halloween Horror Nights will also include haunted houses based on computer game Fortnite, the recently released award-winning film Sinners, the 1987 film Hellraiser, and the fifth and final season of Netflix smash Stranger Things.
11. In The Dark Pulse Tour
Opens: 30 October until 11 December 2026
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Audio
Founded by Andrea Cockerton in 2017, In The Dark reimagined what a concert could be, stripping everything back to the music, with events held in complete darkness to minimise distractions and heighten the aural experience. The next stage of its evolution is Pulse, which explores rhythm, movement and connection through an entirely new live experience. Featuring the same musicians and immersive approach as In The Dark, it offers a fresh journey into sound, as 30 live, unamplified musicians perform everywhere around you. During the 70-minute show seated participants are given sleep masks for full immersion and will experience the musicians and vocalists weaving silently among them in the pitch black.
There’s no stage or lighting of any kind. With sight removed entirely, the senses recalibrate, and the audience’s attention shifts wholly to the sound: a heightened, visceral, ever-changing, 360° wall of sound that moves, swells and recedes around every seat in the room. A more propulsive, rhythm-driven production than In The Dark, expect reworkings of songs by Nils Frahm, Kate Bush, José González, Mumford & Sons, and Sigur Rós at St John’s Hyde Park, Southwark Cathedral, St Andrew’s Holborn, and the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. Designed to carry sound, these ancient, high-ceilinged buildings become part of the performance itself, with the venue’s natural acoustics shaping the show as much as the musicians.
10. A Statue For Liberty: Bartholdi’s Dream
Open now until 31 January 2027
Location: Paris, France
Experience Sector: VR, Immersive Learning
You’ve likely seen her before, but probably don’t know the story behind the creation of famous New York landmark, the Statue of Liberty. Bringing that story to life at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris this month is a virtual reality experience running in tandem with an exhibition shining a light on the statue’s creator, Auguste Bartholdi. Called ‘A Statue for Liberty, Bartholdi’s Dream’, the VR experience spans 700 square metres in the Amont Gallery. When they don their headsets, visitors are transported to one of the 19th century’s most ambitious artistic and technological projects that remains a universal symbol of liberty to this day.
Created from detailed historical re-enactments by GEDEON and Vive Arts, you’ll follow in the footsteps of visionary sculptor Auguste Bartholdi from Versailles in 1865, where the republican thinker Édouard Laboulaye gives him the idea of creating a monument to Franco-American friendship, to the excitement of the World’s Fair in Philadelphia, and the Gaget, Gauthier & Cie workshop in Paris, where almost six hundred craftsmen spent years working on the creation of the copper colossus envisioned by Bartholdi. The experience profiles the people who helped turn Bartholdi’s dream into reality, including Gustave Eiffel and Joseph Pulitzer. It ends in New York Bay in 1886, where the statue was erected and inaugurated.
9. Room 13
Opens: 16 October until 1 November 2026
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Scare Attractions
It wouldn’t be spooky season without a slew of new scary experiences coming to town, and we love the sound of this one in London, inspired by real-life events. In the days following a devastating fire at Battersea Arts Centre on Friday 13 March 2015, a team of builders uncovered a sealed chamber in the original stone structure. When they opened the chamber, what they found was so disturbing that the renovation came to an immediate halt. 11 years later, the door to Room 13 is being opened again. The spine-chilling, 35-minute production blurs the lines between local history and imagined unreality, and promises to shock and thrill.
Devised by experiential theatre company Immersive Octopus and Tom Maller, director of Peaky Blinders: The Rise, Room 13 combines rich storytelling with special effects, live performers, immersive design and ample jump scares. Attendees are summoned to meet the Circle of the Veil, a secret society of paranormal investigators, to uncover the truth behind a series of unexplained sinister encounters in the building. Crossing the threshold into Room 13, you’ll work with your fellow investigators to solve its riddle and face the darkness at its heart. Expect prolonged periods of darkness, sudden loud noises, flashing lights and smoke.
8. Carnegie Hall Well-Being Concerts
Opens: 9 October until 13 February 2027
Location: New York, US
Experience Sector: Concerts, Live Events
We could all use a little light relief right now and New York musical Mecca Carnegie Hall is here to help. Inspired by evidence that music helps people heal and thrive, the iconic venue has devised a series of Well-Being Concerts that combine world-class musical performances with elements of self-care and mindfulness. Each concert creates an immersive, nurturing space in which audiences and performers enjoy the restorative benefits of music, create shared experiences, and explore tools for wellbeing that last long after the show ends.
On 9 October trumpeter Sean Jones invites listeners to embrace the unexpected and experience jazz as a living conversation through improvisation, storytelling, and shared reflection. In this intimate performance, relationships between audience, artist, and space are reimagined as Jones leads an ensemble of talented young musicians in an experience focused on human connection, presence, and the transformative power of listening. The following night Tony award–winning Matt Doyle encourages listeners to chill out on cushions and connect and reflect in an intimate journey through music, memory, and self-discovery.
7. Aardman Larger Than Life
Opens: 14 October until 4 January 2027
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
The cheeky works of stop-motion animation studio Aardman seem to be everywhere at the moment, with dedicated shows at the Young V&A in London and M Shed in Bristol. Now Lightroom in London’s King’s Cross is in on the act, and will be running a new immersive film dedicated to the studio and its characters this month on its powerful digital projectors. Called Larger Than Life: Starring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun and More, the film marks Aardman’s 50thanniversary with a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic British studio. Viewers will be let in on the whole creative process, from pitch to finished masterpiece.
An Aardman superfan’s delight, you can step inside Wallace’s invention shed and see the very first sketches of Wallace and Gromit. Expect towering sets, tiny props, oodles of footage of beloved characters like Morph and Shaun the Sheep, and never-before-seen archive material and original animations specifically designed for Lightroom. Cutting-edge projections across Lightroom’s floor and 11-metre-tall walls show how Aardman’s films are created one tiny hand-crafted movement at a time. The 50-minute, looping, 360° immersive experience reveals the creativity, humour and craftsmanship that takes place behind the scenes.
6. Dine With The Dead at Scarefest
Open now until 1 November 2026
Location: Staffordshire, UK
Experience Sector: Scare Attractions
If you don’t mind your dining companions lacking a pulse then head to Alton Towers this month for a dinner with a difference. As part of the theme park’s Scare Fest activities, new for this year is immersive story-driven experience Dine with the Dead. A first of its kind for Alton Towers, the experience invites guests to a twisted dinner party hosted by Lord Vincent and Lady Lucinda Vile, as they celebrate 300 years of toxic matrimony. What begins as an elegant reception soon becomes something far more sinister, as guests meet the mysterious Vile family and some of their most eccentric acquaintances.
The immersive dining experience is formed of three sections: the cocktail party, the three-course meal, and the afterparty, with the scares ramping up with each course. Intrepid diners will enjoy spooky performances, eerie encounters and live entertainment around the dinner table as they take an active role in how the evening’s chilling events unfold. “Dine with the Dead will bring something completely different to the Scarefest 2026 line-up, immersing families in a spine-tingling story where they are not simply watching the spookiness unfold, they are right at the heart of it,” said Alton Towers’ VP, Howard Ebison.
5. Meow Wolf Los Angeles
Opens soon
Location: Los Angeles, US
Experience Sector: Immersive Art
It’s never too long before immersive art collective Meow Wolf bring us something shiny, new and exciting, and their soon-to-open gallery space in Los Angeles is no exception. New for LA, Meow Wolf has hooked up with animation studio Titmouse, which will produce and direct animations for its LA show. The brains behind Beavis and Butt-Head will also consult on the LA venue’s visual and narrative design. The partnership will include the co-development of an original animated series based on Meow Wolf’s universe, which we can’t wait to see.
Located at the Cinemark complex at Howard Hughes Los Angeles, Meow Wolf’s LA exhibition will be its largest and most ambitious yet. Helping to bring its vision to life will be 39 LA-based artists. After making a big splash in Los Angeles, Meow Wolf will take a bite out of the Big Apple with its New York opening. Tailoring each location to its setting, the LA line-up is its buzziest yet, and includes the likes of pop artist Alake Shilling, surreal sculptor David Altmejd, multimedia maestro Jen Stark, and street art sensation Lauren YS, also known as ‘Squidlicker’. Expect diverse works ranging from painting and ceramics to installation and digital art.
4. Freddie Mercury: Splendid Things
Opens : 24 October until 17 January 2027
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Fashion
With its Coco Chanel and Marie Antoinette deep dives, the V&A has established itself as the go-to place for narrative storytelling focused on fashion. The latest icon under the spotlight at the museum is pop sensation Freddie Mercury, who needs no introduction. The Queen frontman was known for his flamboyant outfits and outlandish performances, and this free exhibition goes to town with the theme to honour what would have been his 80th birthday. Mannequins created for the trail will be posed to capture his captivating stage presence, while accessories and personal items will offer an insight into the man behind the myth.
Featuring eight show-stopping outfits from the ‘70s and ‘80s, the trail, created with the help of Mary Austin, Mercury’s former fiancée, long-time friend, and confidante, showcases his career through costumes and accessories featured in iconic music videos and performances. Among the outfits are Freddie’s signature crown and cloak designed by Diana Moseley; a striking monochrome outfit that featured on the cover of Queen’s debut album; and the catsuit designed by Wendy de Smet that featured in the Bohemian Rhapsody video. The show’s title is inspired by this 1978 quote by Mercury: “I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead a Victorian life surrounded by exquisite clutter”.
3. Blair Witch: No Signal
Open now until 1 November 2026
Location: Illinois & Pennsylvania, US
Experience Sector: Scare Attractions
Going hard on Halloween this year, American theme park Six Flags has unveiled a terrifying line-up of horror IPs themed around the Final Destination and The Blair Witch Project films. Blair Witch: No Signal will land at Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest and Dorney Park’s Halloween Haunt. Brave participants will venture deep into the Black Hills Forest, which seems to close in on itself. In near-total darkness they’ll have to navigate spooky settings such as winding trails, abandoned camps, eerie ritual sites, and the infamous Rustin Parr House. “Guests won’t just watch these stories unfold, they’ll step inside them,” a Six Flags spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, new haunted maze Final Destination: Death’s Playground opens at Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Magic Mountain. With pulse-pounding scares, innovative thrills, and spine-chilling shows, Dorney Park leaves no tomb unearthed and no fear untouched. Coast to coast, Six Flags theme parks will offer a total of 448 Halloween-themed experiences at its Fright Fest, Halloween Haunt, HalloWeekends, SCarowinds, Knott’s Scary Farm, and Festival del Terror events. Also new for this year is Jason: Blood Reign, a scare maze inspired by Jason Voorhees from popular slasher flick Friday the 13th.
2. Galaxy Robot Park
Open now
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Experience Sector: Themed Attractions
While fears of AI getting out of control abound, the bots you’ll encounter at the shiny new Galaxy Robot Park near Seoul in South Korea are of the friendly kind. Billed as ‘the world’s first robot-centred cultural complex’, the 16,500-square-foot attraction was developed by Seoul-based entertainment company Galaxy Corporation. Galaxy Robot Park features bots that can box, hug, create portraits, make ice cream and play the piano – naturally. The park also includes a robot operated café, remote control robot dogs, and a ‘Robot Arena’ where humanoid robots, made by China’s Unitree Robotics, dance to K-pop hits.
Galaxy Corporation has bold ambitions to expand the concept into major markets around the world, including Dubai, Japan and the US, and plans to open a Galaxy Robot Arena in Dubai by the end of this year. “The fact that 20,000 people visited the park before the official opening demonstrates the potential for robots to go beyond industry and become a new form of entertainment,” said Choi Yong-ho, CEO of Galaxy Corporation. “The next step is the combination of content and physical AI. Galaxy Robot Park is the beginning of a new era of global entertainment,” he added. The firm’s next move is to create robot pop idols capable of going on world tours.
1. Wake The Tiger: Absurd City
Opens: 15 October 2026
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive Entertainment
It’s been a long time coming, but Wake The Tiger’s new London attraction – Absurd City – will finally open its doors this month at Westfield London shopping centre. Spanning 80,000-square-feet, the experience is described as a place ‘where logic breaks down, a parallel world connects, and reality refuses to behave’. The largest immersive art experience in Europe, Absurd City is a self-guided, interactive walkthrough experience suitable for all ages and abilities. Visitors, known as ‘day trippers’, travel through a portal into a vast, vivid cityscape with four districts filled with unfolding stories, secret passageways and art installations.
Created by the team behind the Boomtown music festival, Wake The Tiger’s first location, Dream Factory, launched in Bristol in 2022 and has welcomed over half a million visitors from 70 countries since it opened. It features immersive environments including underwater worlds, mechanical chambers, hidden passageways and ice caves. “There is no blueprint for Absurd City,” said Wake The Tiger’s co-founder, Luke Mitchell. “We’ve built a cosmic, eccentric and deeply human playground that we can’t wait for London to explore. It’s trippy, it’s weird and it’s waiting for us all to jump right in.” We’re on the first train to Westfield…
