Our list of the experiences that we think will define the coming year continues with impactainment-meets-experiential dining, game show and video game-inspired themed attractions, and immersive EVERYWHERE.
This list was selected by the WXO team, from experiences submitted by our friends, followers, and members. Read our first drop, 27 Extraordinary Experiences Open Now, here.
We’ll be sharing more extraordinary experiences opening every month in 2023, in addition to our weekly Radar round-ups of Experience Economy news and trends.
So if you’re working on an Extraordinary Experience you’d like us to consider, please share it HERE.
We’d especially love to see entries from around the globe – while we love our home city of London, we know that extraordinary doesn’t just happen in big cities!
1. The Summer Palace
Opening: 12 January until 31 January 2023
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive
What better way to escape the January blues than by taking an immersive journey through time and space? If that floats your boat then head to The Summer Palace at Outernet’s flagship space, The Now Building on London’s Tottenham Court Road, featuring 23,000 square feet of floor-to-ceiling, 360-degree, 8K screens across four storeys.
The brainchild of Agustin Vidal Saavedra – XR creative lead at Dublin-based Glasseye Productions – the Summer Palace blends breath-taking Renaissance paintings in insane 8K resolution with animation, AI, particle simulations and 3D visuals, taking visitors on a journey through space and time via galaxies filled with exploding stars. The transcendent experience. runs throughout January and is open daily until 11.30pm.
2. Le Klub Extraordinaire
Opening: Jan & Feb 2023
Location: Across France
Experience sector: Immersive, Employee Experience
The Extraordinary Klub is taking its concept on tour around France this year. The brainchild of immersive hybrid space creators Neodigital, the interactive immersive experience helps attendees seeking a career move to gain a better understanding of who they are.
Under the artistic direction of Basile Bohard, through a series of interactive installations, AR games, scientific tests and projection mapping, visitors can gain confidence by improving their ‘soft skills’ and unearthing new talents with the overall goal of helping students and job seekers to develop a well-rounded CV and find a post well suited to their skills. Visitors are welcomed into the 45-minute experience by an actor playing the role of a guardian, while the personal profiles developed during the experience can be used in their job hunt.
3. Hidden Worlds
Opening: Early 2023 (Miami), with more locations opening throughout the year
Location: Miami, Boston, New York City, Washington DC & San Diego, US
Experience sector: Immersive, Experiential Dining
Following a successful four-week run in Miami last May, Daniel Hettwer, CEO of Hidden Worlds, is reviving his intimate underwater immersive dining experience in the city, which he’s dubbed “the world’s first impactainment attraction”. The event is moving from South Beach to Ampersand Studios in Edgewater.
Created in collaboration with the Islands of the Bahamas, Our Ocean, Our Future aims to bring awareness to marine conservation while diners tuck into a Bahamian-inspired, multicourse dinner alongside marine-themed cocktails by Bahamian mixologist Marv ‘Mr. Mix’ Cunningham. The experience, which will be rolled out across the US this year, features art installations by muralist Angelika Wallace-Whitfield and AI artist Seyhan Lee. Using large-scale projection mapping, a light show, immersive sound, actor engagement and physical artworks, everything – including the tables – comes to life.
4. Super Nintendo World
Opening: 17 Feb 2023
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood
Experience sector: Themed Attractions
Having made its debut at Universal Studios Japan last year, Super Nintendo World opens at Universal in Hollywood on 17 February, and expectations are high for its LA sister. Entering the theme park feels like stepping inside the colourful world of Super Mario Bros, with the park’s towering sets having been designed to look like familiar Mario environments.
The centrepiece attraction is Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, where attendees are kept entertained in the queue with Easter eggs and AR viewfinders. Meanwhile, an interactive adventure makes you the hero of the game, taking you on a quest to retrieve a golden mushroom stolen by Bowser Jr. Using a Power Band accessory, you can interact with the environment to earn coins and complete mini-games. The concept is due to be rolled out to Universal Orlando in 2025.
5. Xperience 2023 Ultimate Immersion Unconference
Opening: 20-23 Feb 2023
Location: Las Vegas, US
Experience sector: Live Events
A deep dive into how to become a customer experience pro, Xperience: The Ultimate Unconference offers attendees four days of CX magic. Taking place from 20-23 February in Las Vegas, think of Xperience 2023 as a professional and personal development opportunity (and transformative experience) where you’ll suspend reality for a few days with a tribe of like-minded people to give yourself an opportunity to discover, grow, challenge, refresh, rethink, and recommit.
During the event you’ll get to rub shoulders with over 60 maverick-minded experience designers and CX obsessives from around the globe, and take part immersive experiences and safaris around Vegas, then reflect on the shared experience during campfire conversations. Expect to make connections that will shape our shared future. Just don’t call it a conference…
6. Gameshow Studios
Opening: Feb 2023
Location: London, UK
Experience sector: Competitive Socializing
It looks like the gamification trend will be taken to new heights this year, as London is set to get a shiny new interactive game show experience that will take competitive socializing to the next level. Due to open in February, Gameshow Studios gives guests the chance to step into the hot seat as contestants in a series of game shows inspired by TV’s finest.
The experience will see teams of two to six convene in luxury booths around a ‘state-of-the-art gaming table’ where they can play a series of games that hark back to the golden age of quiz shows. Everyone gets a big buzzer for the fastest finger first rounds, which will test players’ general knowledge, memory and mental dexterity. You’ll also be able to have food and drink delivered to your table. Count us in!
7. Experience House 5
Opening: 18 March – 2 April 2023
Location: Marrakech, Morocco
Experience sector: Live Events
Taking place in Morocco from 18 March to 2 April, Experience House 5 is a retreat aimed at leaders in the experience design field seeking to create experiences that inspire awe and foster human connection. Located 20 minutes from Marrakech, it serves as a sandbox for creatives complete with a recording studio, amphitheatre, cinema, Turkish hammam, yoga shala, and multiple co-working spaces.
The majority activities during the retreat are attendee-led, from meditation sessions and acrobat classes to writing workshops. Like WXO Campfires, XH will host a number of ‘Fuego Talks’ where attendees will share their vision of how we gather and connect in a post-Covid world. For the hedonists among us, there are sunset parties on a volcano summit, extravagant Arabian dinners and, we’re promised, an “epic” closing party.
8. BBC Earth Experience
Opening: 30 March 2023
Location: London, UK
Experience sector: Immersive
National treasure Sir David Attenborough is to narrate a new immersive experience in London in March that takes inspiration from Van Gogh’s playbook. The BBC Earth Experience will take visitors on a 360-degree audio-visual journey via the latest, multi angle digital screen technology.
Habitats from the world’s seven continents will be projected onto the walls of the purpose-built Daikin Centre in London during the hour-long experience, with video footage from Attenborough’s Seven Worlds, One Planet series featuring throughout. Expect to see fireflies dancing in North America, snub-nosed monkeys huddling in Asia, and a face-off between hamsters fighting for food in Europe.
9. Monarca del Ring Lucha Libre Experience
Opening: March 2023
Location: Cancun, Mexico
Experience sector: Sports (Fan Experience)
Mexican wrestling fans are in for a treat, as a new live show masterminded by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is coming to Cancun. Called Monarca del Ring, the permanent fixture takes place in a mythical coliseum where the thousand-year-old battle of good against evil is staged by professional wrestlers through different fighting formats.
Putting the audience at the heart of the action, as they did with the gladiators in ancient Rome, each night viewers have the power to enthrone or eject the wrestlers through applause or boos and get to decide who deserves to be crowned the ‘Monarch of the Ring’. Created in collaboration with Cocolab, the Lucha Libre format will be enhanced with multimedia tech to create a unique experience with ringside commentary in English and Spanish.
10. House of Cannabis
Opening: Early/Q1 2023
Location: New York City, US
Experience sector: Immersive
Due to open on Broadway in New York in early 2023, the House of Cannabis bills itself as “the world’s first immersive destination exploring cannabis culture through a multi-sensory, transportive experience”. The brainchild of Las Vegas club owner Robert Frey, the 30,000-square-foot venue is set across three floors of gallery space that will feature rotating exhibits about the history of weed that incorporate high-tech design elements such as LED light shows and 4D effects.
The top floor will serve as an event space where lectures about cannabis programmes and social justice will be held. Cannabis photographer Chris Romaine, scent maker Victorine Deych and light designer Carlos Hano have all helped to bring the space to life. Disclaimer: you won’t be able to buy or smoke weed there.
11. Black Tomato x 007
Opening: March 2023
Location: Europe
Experience sector: Experiential Travel
Bond lovers are being given the chance to retrace the secret agent’s footsteps in glamourous locations throughout Europe thanks to experiential travel company Black Tomato, which has developed 60 private 007-inspired luxury travel experiences inspired by Bond’s globetrotting, in honour of the 60th anniversary of his silver screen debut.
Created in collaboration with EON Productions, the inaugural trip will see 007 fans embark on a European adventure that begins in London and takes in numerous glitzy locations, from Château de Chantilly, which featured in A View to a Kill, and Lake Como in Italy, where guests can waterski along the Moltrasio shoreline like Bond in Licence To Kill, to the pretty Italian towns of Bellagio and Varenna, which appeared in Casino Royale. Be sure to order your Martinis shaken, not stirred.
12. Space Tourism Conference
Opening: 28 April 2023
Location: Los Angeles, US
Experience sector: Experiential Travel
Keen on building the ‘space experience economy’, this intergalactic event, which takes place at the Renaissance Hotel in LA on 28 April, is targeted at the cross-section of industries comprising space tourism, taking in: aerospace, media, entertainment, architecture, design, advertising, marketing, finance, tech, science, manufacturing and the arts.
With Morgan Stanley estimating that the global space industry could generate revenue of more than $1 trillion in 2040, space tourism is set to be big business, and the STC aims to bring together brilliant minds at the cutting-edge of the civilian space travel sector. Attendees can expect concrete, actionable information, real-world use cases and stellar deal-making. The event also offers an inside track to the growth areas in space tourism, including earth-based outer space-themed experiences.
13. All Systems Are Go
Opening: April 2023
Location: Florida, US
Experience sector: Museums & Attractions
To help make space travel easier for children to understand, the Kennedy Space Center‘s visitor centre is due to launch an immersive ‘edutainment’ experience in April featuring Peanuts characters. All Systems Are Go, starring Snoopy, Charlie Brown and friends is the brainchild of production company Monlove.
Taking place in the 300-seat Universe Theater, which has been decked out with Dolby Atmos sound and dozens of laser projectors in preparation, the live experience will feature an original orchestral score. The goal is to tell the story of NASA in an accessible and entertaining way. Using AR and smartphones, visitors can interact with the environment and discover space-themed elements while the Peanuts characters narrate the history of NASA and discuss the Artemis missions.
14. Museum Of Sex
Opening: Spring/Q2 2023
Location: Florida, US
Experience sector: Museums & Attractions
A sister site to the wildly popular Manhattan original, Miami is to get its own Museum of Sex this year, which seeks to preserve, present and celebrate the cultural significance of human sexuality. Designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, the new outpost will house everything from “sexy” robot sculptures to a 40-foot-wide mermaid tank.
Due to open this spring, the museum will occupy a 32,000-square-foot converted warehouse in Miami’s Allapattah neighbourhood, and will boast a gift shop and bar. Its opening gamibt will include photographs of the human body taken by women and an exhibition called Modern Sex: 100 Years of Design and Decency, which will examine how the promotion and perception of sexual health products has changed since the 1920s.
15. Harry Potter L’Exposition
Opening: 2023
Location: Paris, France
Experience sector: Museums & Attractions
If you like your wizardry with a side dish of Parisian chic then you’ll be pleased to hear that Harry Potter: The Exhibition, the most comprehensive touring show out there about the Wizarding World, featuring authentic props and original costumes, is coming to Paris this year to continue its European tour.
Masterminded by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment in partnership with Imagine Exhibitions and EMC Presents, the event opens at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on 21 April. Taking visitors behind-the-scenes, the exhibition uses the latest innovations in immersive design tech to celebrate the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films through magical environments and installations that honour the characters and settings created by J.K. Rowling. You can also catch the show in Vienna and parts of Latin America and Asia Pacific this year.
16. Rumble in the Jungle Rematch
Opening: 2023
Location: London, UK
Experience sector: Immersive, Sports (Fan Experience)
If you were too young to have tuned into Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s iconic Rumble in the Jungle clash in 1974 – or weren’t even born – fear not, as the epic boxing match is being brought back to life as an immersive experience. Launching in 2023 (dates are still TBC), Rumble in the Jungle Rematch will transport audiences back to 1974 Zaire, combining theatre, sport and tech to evoke the sights, sounds and smells of the capital Kinshasa.
The Zaire 74 music festival, featuring heavyweights like James Brown and BB King, will also be reimagined. Taking place in London, the limited run production is being staged by start-up Rematch, in partnership with Muhammad Ali Enterprises, with investment from Immersive Everywhere.
17. The College of Extraordinary Experiences
Opening: Sept 2023
Location: TBC
Experience sector: Live Events
A finishing school of sorts for experience designers, at the College of Extraordinary Experiences people from all corners of the world come together for five days to explore the latest developments in experience design. The college was born from a desire to change how professional networking and learning take place and create an environment where experience design can be taught in a hands-on way.
The emphasis here is on co-creation, rapid prototyping and being able to see both the big picture and the granular details that make up an experience. Part of the magic of the college is what happens after the experience, as connections turn into friendships, projects and collaborative efforts across the globe. Keep an eye on the college’s website for details on this year’s event.
18. Immersive Gamebox
Opening: 2023 (various dates)
Location: Multiple locations globally
Experience Sector: Competitive Socializing
If the adage ‘those that play together stay together’ is to be believed, then it’s time you hoofed it with your nearest and dearest to Immersive Gambox, a growing global phenomenon with locations in the UK, US, Germany and the UAE.As the name implies, the games take place in a series of small rooms and don’t require any bulky VR gear to get stuck into, just a light visor.
Making use of cutting-edge motion tracking, projection mapping, touch screen and surround sound tech, once inside, you can choose from a selection of games suitable for different age groups, from Angry Birds to Squid Game. We like the sound of Psychedelic Mansion, where you get to join a top-secret CIA training programme that tests your suitability for a career in international espionage.
19. Toca Social Dallas
Opening: 2023
Location: Texas, US
Experience Sector: Competitive Socializing
Dallas-based footie fans are in luck, as competitive socializing experience Toca Social is due to open within the Dallas Design District this year offering three floors of football, food and fantastic views. A sister site to the London original, which opened in the O2 last August, the Dallas venue will boast 34 Toca boxes where groups can enjoy a kickabout via gamified video-screens.
Slated to open in early 2023, the first floor of the venue will house the Toca boxes, the main bar and a dessert bar called Sweet Finish, while the second floor will be home to a 5,000 square-foot outdoor patio with “bonkers” views of downtown, making it a shoo-in as a corporate entertainment hub. Head up to the third floor to enjoy a cocktail at the venue’s ‘experience bar’ and drink in the views.
20. Jaguar Bolera
Opening: 2023 (dates TBC)
Location: North Carolina, US
Experience Sector: Competitive Socializing
South Carolina is to get a 21,000 square foot ‘eatertainment’ venue called Jaguar Bolera this year. The brainchild of restaurateur Robert Thompson, the Raleigh Iron Works venue channels the spirit of a “Southern grandma on her way to the social club”.
Perfect for people with short attention spans, while you’re there you can enjoy a game of duckpin bowling, nail your favourite karaoke song, hit a bulls-eye on the dartboard, then indulge in a spot of “naughty needlepoint” (we’re as intrigued as you are…) Food and drink are equally important as the entertainment, with Southern soul food and wood-fired dishes given top billing, only with a Mexican twist – nachos dipped in gravy anyone?
21. Madison Square Garden Sphere
Opening: 2023
Location: Las Vegas, US
Experience Sector: Live Events
The future of entertainment, it seems, is spherical, as news reaches us that a giant dome with capacity for 20,000 spectators is due to open at The Venetian in Las Vegas this year. The cutting-edge Madison Square Garden Sphere will be home to the world’s highest-resolution LED screen, boasting over 170 million pixels and a resolution of 16K x 16K.
The $1.86 billion event space, which is being billed as “the largest spherical structure in the world”, will feature a 160,000-square-foot display plane that surrounds the audience. The Sphere, which will have an exterior LED display, Holoplot sound system and 4D elements including wind, scent and vibrating seats, will be used for a host of events, from immersive experiences and live performances to custom-made attractions.
22. Lost
Opening: 2023
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: Immersive
With UK high streets facing immense competition from online retailers, the bricks-and-mortar casualties have been plentiful, turning shopping centres into ghost towns. Keen to make the most of the abandoned spaces, Secret Cinema founder Fabien Riggall is set to transform Croydon’s historic Allders building into an arts and entertainment space this year.
The aim is to reimagine the exhibition and distribution of physical experiences by designing a new format of entertainment in order to build a new subculture uniting local and international artists. The new venue, called Lost, will see the former department store transformed into a multidisciplinary venue and community hub celebrating art and entertainment. Riggall hopes the project will generate thousands of job opportunities, turning disused high streets and shopping centres into “magical environments” that bring people together.
23. The World Experience Summit
Opening: Summer 2023
Location: London, UK
Experience Sector: All, Live Events
The secret’s out… the WXO will be holding the first-ever World Experience Summit in 2023, uniting experience designers and WXO Members from around the world in our mission to connect and inspire the pioneers of the Experience Economy. More details coming soon – for now, subscribe to our newsletter or apply to join the WXO to be kept in the loop.
More Extraordinary Experiences coming soon. To submit your Extraordinary Experience, fill out our form here.
