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Sky News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
From niche to a billion pound industry: How immersive events have taken over
While cinemas are struggling and London's West End has witnessed a significant escalation in ticket prices, creatives behind immersive experiences say their sector is experiencing "a gold rush moment". From shows built around obvious fan bases - such as Mamma Mia! The Party - to those working with established intellectual property, including Squid Game: The Experience, the UK has proven to be a world leader when it comes shows that make audiences feel part of the action, rather than just observers. Little Lion Entertainment are the team behind two shows currently running in the UK: Pac-Man Live in Manchester and the Crystal Maze Live in London. Its CEO Tom Lionetti told Sky News: "There has been a real boom in the experience economy… It kind of feels like a bit of a gold rush moment in this industry. "It's not nascent anymore, it really is a big industry and it's getting bigger. "West End theatre is incredibly expensive at the moment and even cinema can be expensive for what it is, so I think it's about caring about the experience … you've got to consider value for money these days." Their Crystal Maze show challenges ticketholders to climb through tunnels and collect crystals just like contestants on the '90s programme. And it's one of the longest-running immersive shows in the world, still going strong in London 15 years after the concept was first staged. "The genesis really was this idea of breaking the fourth wall," Lionetti says. "I was an actor and I come from a theatre background, but what we were really intrigued with was giving people agency so you become the star of the show." Last year, according to the Gensler Research Institute's 2025 Immersive Entertainment & Culture Industry Report, the global market for immersive entertainment was valued at £98bn - and it's projected to reach £351bn by 2030. Despite times being financially tough post-pandemic, while cinemas have been struggling to put bums on seats, the continued popularity of experience events could indicate consumers are being a little more choosy about what they spend their hard-earned wages on. Our eagerness to show off on social media could also account for some of what's driving the boom, as well as the isolating nature of how technology-dependant we've become. As Secret Cinema's senior creative director, Matt Costain, explains: "Whether it's competitive socialising or immersive experiences, people are look for something that offers them more… and this is an example of an activity where people can come together and have a sense of community." Secret Cinema - which combines live performance and film screenings - has been staging events for 15 years now. In that time, they've partnered with major studios from Marvel to Netflix. Their latest offering will run from August see them bring Grease's Rydell High to life. Costain says: "When we first started this was niche, film fans who wanted to dress up and keep a secret… but immersive has moved mainstream and we've found ourselves one of two or three companies who've been in it since the beginning. "Part of our job as artists is to help people remember that they really love to play." He jokes that those "who find it the most difficult to get started" are invariably the ones "at 11pm with their tie tied around their head and dancing on a table". While there are many shows working with established intellectual property (IP), there are also some hugely creative original works also being produced - Storehouse being one of those. For 16 weeks, attendees at Staged in Deptford, which was once the archival store for Rupert Murdoch's News International, will be guided through a story that takes place inside a 'digital memory palace' that supposedly houses every story, message, memory, and meme since the dawn of the internet. Produced by Sage & Jester, its lead producer Rosalyn Newbery explains: "You're not moving into a theatre with infrastructure, put it this way, we literally had to bring electricity to the venue, bring power to the venue, bring water to the venue, none of that was there for us… it's a big old job and there's a lot of detail that you can't take for granted." Over 7,000 crew worked more than 57,000 hours to build the set. Getting a show of this size and scale off the ground is a feat in itself. As creative director Sophie Larsmon says: "There are a lot of people trying to get these projects off the ground and there are a lot of projects that never see the light of day…because of the hoops that have to be jumped through for licensing and financing. "It takes huge amounts of creative effort, I've seen a lot of projects where quite late in the process the green light is taken away." While some creators might struggle to access support because the work doesn't fit into traditional cultural boxes, it is certainly an industry that's worth shining a spotlight on. As Larsom says: "The UK has always led the way in developing this form… I think people are cottoning on to the fact that this is a sector [that's] going to be a big revenue earner for the UK."
Scottish Sun
04-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
New immersive attraction to open in the UK with indoor racing track and ‘top secret' games
And the other indoor attractions to visit across the UK GAME ON New immersive attraction to open in the UK with indoor racing track and 'top secret' games Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A HUGE new indoor immersive attraction is set to open in a UK city - after success across Manchester and Dubai. Little Lion Entertainment, behind attractions such as Chaos Karts and Pac-Man Live Experience, revealed the plans for the new entertainment site in London. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A new indoor gaming attraction is opening in London Credit: supplied 3 Arcade Arena London will have both of the popular games inside Credit: chaoskarts New images of Arcade Arena London show both the go-karting and Pac-Man attraction inside. In the Pac-Man experience, players become Pac-Man themselves while walking around a life-sized maze. Becoming the yellow chomper, players will have to dodge ghosts and collect power pellets to win. And in Chaos Karts, guests live our a real live Mario Kart game with real go-karts on virtual tracks. Power ups and weapons such as laser guns and hammers are then given out to players to help them win. This is similar to the current Battle-Kart attraction in Sittingbourne, Kent. And Arcade Arena London will have a "top secret" third game as well. Little Lion Entertainment founder Tom Lionetti-Maguire said the attraction was "redefining the attractions industry and joining the gaps between live experiences and video games." He added: "This new venue will be the first of many new location announcements over the coming months, both within the UK and abroad as we embark on our ambitious growth plans. "Our London Arcade Arena will be our boldest, most electrifying venue yet, bringing both of our existing games to as prominent a location as you can get in London, and just wait until you see the third game we have in store!'. The perfect rainy day 'amazement' attraction in the UK - with secret doors, hidden portals and adults-only evenings The new London attraction is set to open sometime in 2026. Arcade Arena first opened in Manchester in 2023, followed by Dubai in 2024. And Little Lion Entertainment is also behind the popular Crystal Maze Live Experience. Guests can act out some of the difficult challenges from the TV show before heading into The Dome at the end. Here is what it is like to visit, as we tried it out for ourselves In the mean time, we've rounded up seven other indoor attractions you can visit across the UK when the weather is bad. And we went down to the indoor urban theme park in London - here's what to expect.
The Sun
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
New immersive attraction to open in the UK with indoor racing track and ‘top secret' games
A HUGE new indoor immersive attraction is set to open in a UK city - after success across Manchester and Dubai. Little Lion Entertainment, behind attractions such as Chaos Karts and Pac-Man Live Experience, revealed the plans for the new entertainment site in London. 3 3 New images of Arcade Arena London show both the go-karting and Pac-Man attraction inside. In the Pac-Man experience, players become Pac-Man themselves while walking around a life-sized maze. Becoming the yellow chomper, players will have to dodge ghosts and collect power pellets to win. And in Chaos Karts, guests live our a real live Mario Kart game with real go-karts on virtual tracks. Power ups and weapons such as laser guns and hammers are then given out to players to help them win. This is similar to the current Battle-Kart attraction in Sittingbourne, Kent. And Arcade Arena London will have a "top secret" third game as well. Little Lion Entertainment founder Tom Lionetti-Maguire said the attraction was "redefining the attractions industry and joining the gaps between live experiences and video games." He added: "This new venue will be the first of many new location announcements over the coming months, both within the UK and abroad as we embark on our ambitious growth plans. "Our London Arcade Arena will be our boldest, most electrifying venue yet, bringing both of our existing games to as prominent a location as you can get in London, and just wait until you see the third game we have in store!'. The perfect rainy day 'amazement' attraction in the UK - with secret doors, hidden portals and adults-only evenings The new London attraction is set to open sometime in 2026. Arcade Arena first opened in Manchester in 2023, followed by Dubai in 2024. And Little Lion Entertainment is also behind the popular Crystal Maze Live Experience. Guests can act out some of the difficult challenges from the TV show before heading into The Dome at the end. Here is what it is like to visit, as we tried it out for ourselves In the mean time, we've rounded up seven other indoor attractions you can visit across the UK when the weather is bad. And we went down to the indoor urban theme park in London - here's what to expect. 3
The Irish Sun
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
New immersive attraction to open in the UK with indoor racing track and ‘top secret' games
A HUGE new indoor immersive attraction is set to open in a UK city - after success across Manchester and Dubai. Little Lion Entertainment, behind attractions such as Chaos Karts and Pac-Man Live Experience, revealed the plans for the new entertainment site in London. Advertisement 3 A new indoor gaming attraction is opening in London Credit: supplied 3 Arcade Arena London will have both of the popular games inside Credit: chaoskarts New images of Arcade Arena London show both the go-karting and Pac-Man attraction inside. In the Pac-Man experience, players become Pac-Man themselves while walking around a life-sized maze. Becoming the yellow chomper, players will have to dodge ghosts and collect power pellets to win. And in Mario Kart game with real go-karts on virtual tracks. Advertisement Read more on attractions Power ups and weapons such as laser guns and hammers are then given out to players to help them win. This is similar to the current And Arcade Arena London will have a "top secret" third game as well. Little Lion Entertainment founder Tom Lionetti-Maguire said the attraction was "redefining the attractions industry and joining the gaps between live experiences and video games." Advertisement Most read in News Travel He added: "This new venue will be the first of many new location announcements over the coming months, both within the UK and abroad as we embark on our ambitious growth plans. "Our London Arcade Arena will be our boldest, most electrifying venue yet, bringing both of our existing games to as prominent a location as you can get in London, and just wait until you see the third game we have in store!'. The perfect rainy day 'amazement' attraction in the UK - with secret doors, hidden portals and adults-only evenings The new London attraction is set to open sometime in 2026. Dubai in 2024. Advertisement And Little Lion Entertainment is also behind the popular Crystal Maze Live Experience. Guests can act out some of the difficult challenges from the TV show before heading into The Dome at the end. Here is In the mean time, we've rounded up Advertisement And we went down to the indoor urban theme park in London - here's what to expect. 3 The attraction will open in London next year Credit: Little Lion Entertainment
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience launches new London Tarot Hunt with £1,000 prize
The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience has launched a new game. The game involves hiding 20 unique Tarot cards across London, with one card holding a £1,000 grand prize. Clues to the Tarot Hunt can be found on the brand's Instagram page, where participants are encouraged to follow the signs, track down a card, and email the code on the back to claim a reward. The game taps into growing interest in the mystical among younger generations. New research shows that 77 per cent of 18–24-year-olds who have had a psychic reading say it came true, compared to 60 per cent of those aged 55 and over. Superstitions are also affecting everyday decisions—more than 2.6 million job offers in the UK have been turned down due to superstitious beliefs. Those aged 35–44 are the most likely to take Tarot readings seriously. To take part, watch the video on The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience Instagram: @thecrystalmaze, follow the clues to find a Tarot card hidden in London, and email the code on the back of the card to: crystalmazelive@ Neil Dolan, managing director at Little Lion Entertainment, which owns The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience, said: "With over two million job offers in the UK turned down due to superstition, it's clear that mystical beliefs still play a powerful role in people's lives. "That influence has inspired our latest experience, a brand-new tarot-themed game inside the Crystal Maze, where fate and intuition guide the way."
