Recently, Meow Wolf, the renowned art collective, took legal action against the UK-based immersive attraction Wake the Tiger, claiming the venue copied its intellectual property. Vince Kadlubek, co-founder of Meow Wolf, addressed the situation on LinkedIn (his post was subsequently taken down), sparking a broader conversation about experiential creativity and authenticity.
Whether you agree or disagree with the premise of the lawsuit, one thing is certain: there are breathtaking and groundbreaking creative works happening across Europe and Asia. The experiential industry is thriving worldwide, and while there are hundreds (if not thousands) of international XP activations, we’re rounding up some of our favorites. And for the record, we firmly believe it’s not “necessity” that’s the mother of invention — it’s “inspiration.”
Wake the Tiger: Bristol, UK
Wake the Tiger, which opened in the summer of 2022, is an immersive experience created by the visionary team behind Boomtown Fair. This one-of-a-kind “Amazement Park” takes visitors through 27 distinct spaces filled with interactive art installations and secret passageways, blending themes of nature, technology and human connection. Set in a transformed industrial space, it blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, offering a playground for those who crave extraordinary storytelling and creativity. It has quickly become a must-visit destination for fans of immersive experiences and adventure.
The Burnt City: London
The Burnt City by Punchdrunk is an expansive, immersive theater experience set in a massive space at Woolwich’s Carriageworks. Drawing on the tragic tales of the fall of Troy, it presents an intense, multi-sensory journey through a sprawling cityscape where audiences can freely explore. The show is renowned for its intricate design and haunting atmosphere, filled with eerie, dreamlike sequences that blur the lines between myth and reality. In typical Punchdrunk fashion, The Burnt City encourages participants to follow different characters and stories at their own pace, creating a personalized, non-linear experience.
Phantom Peak: London
Phantom Peak is an immersive, open-world adventure experience where visitors explore a fictional steampunk-inspired town. It combines interactive theater, scavenger hunts, mystery-solving, unique characters, and elaborate set designs. Guests engage with actors, uncover secrets and shape the storyline based on their choices. The experience offers multiple pathways and story arcs, ensuring a different journey each time. It’s a blend of entertainment, mystery and hands-on exploration designed for both individuals and groups.
Berlin Festival of Lights: Berlin
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, the Berlin Festival of Lights transforms iconic landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate and Berlin Cathedral into stunning canvases of light art. This year’s theme, “Celebrating Freedom,” brings powerful stories to life through dazzling projections and installations by local and global artists. It’s a must-see event that blends culture, technology and creativity while supporting emerging talent and underrepresented voices. Whether you’re strolling through the illuminated streets or joining a guided tour, Berlin is set to glow brighter than ever this fall.
Tim Burton’s Labyrinth: Berlin
Tim Burton’s Labyrinth immersive exhibition in Berlin takes visitors deep into the filmmaker’s surreal imagination. Featuring rooms themed after his famous films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Alice in Wonderland, the labyrinth combines original artworks with interactive elements like light, sound and scenography. Guests can explore the exhibit freely, choosing their own path through this mysterious experience. With life-sized figures and a variety of Tim Burton’s creations, this exhibition is a must-see for fans of his unique, darkly creative style.
Anemoia: Tokyo
Anemoia, a secretive immersive experience near Tokyo Station, takes Japanese aesthetics and reimagines them with cutting-edge tech for a truly unforgettable journey. This non-verbal adventure follows strange figures boarding a train to a mysterious place between life and death, searching for those they’ve lost. Once they step off the train, there’s no promise of returning to the real world. The experience is a collaboration between nine visionary artists from Japan and beyond, blending media art and performance in bold, innovative ways. With fashion by Junya Kawakami and Takeshi Kitazawa, Anemoia transforms art into an immersive narrative that blurs the lines between reality and imagination.
teamLab Borderless: Tokyo
teamLab Borderless: MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Tokyo offers a unique twist on immersive art experiences, standing out in a crowded genre. The museum’s interactive, shape-shifting installations form a continuous, borderless world, responding to visitors’ movements and creating a dynamic, ever-evolving environment. Notable pieces like Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People Gather and Bubble Universe showcase the interplay between art and technology, emphasizing the impact of digital interaction on perception. This cutting-edge space aligns with Azabudai Hills’ — a large-scale, mixed-use development in the city — broader futuristic vision, which includes luxury shopping, dining and hospitality experiences.
Krasota Dubai: Dubai
Krasota Dubai is an innovative dining concept located at the Address Downtown Hotel, blending haute cuisine with cutting-edge multimedia technology. This immersive gastro-theatre, led by Chef Vladimir Mukhin, offers a unique eight-course experience enhanced by AI-powered visual arts interacting with guests in real-time. Designed for an intimate audience of 20, the restaurant combines food, art and technology in a 360-degree setting to create an unforgettable sensory journey. Krasota is revolutionizing the dining experience by seamlessly merging gastronomy with performance art.
Hijinx Hotel: Sydney
Australia’s Hijinx Hotel offers a unique challenge-room experience rather than traditional accommodation, blending nostalgia with play. Located in a faux hotel setting, visitors can enjoy various immersive games inspired by 80s and 90s cult movies and board games like Twister and Tetris. Each room presents a fast-paced challenge, with highlights like a giant cereal bowl ball pit, a sinking Titanic-themed room and a neon polka dot universe. Guests can play through five, ten or all fifteen challenge rooms, each offering a different whimsical and physical game.
Darkfield: Melbourne, Australia
Darkfield offers immersive, sensory experiences in complete darkness, exploring psychological horror themes inside specially designed shipping containers. Each experience, such as Flight, Seance, Coma and Eulogy, plays on deep-seated fears and anxieties, from the terror of a plane crash to being trapped inside one’s body. The productions use high-end 3D sound design and realistic set pieces to blur the lines between reality and imagination, provoking strong emotional reactions. Darkfield’s unique ability to manipulate the senses leaves audiences contemplating the nature of fear and the boundaries between the physical and the imaginary world.
Lego Global Tour: Various locations
Lego is hitting the road on a global tour to promote the power of play, kicking things off at Paris’ immersive Superpower Studios. The tour is packed with playful, creative activations, like turning a library in China into the world’s most playable space, complete with zones themed around space exploration. In Japan, Lego’s taking over the food scene with a pop-up restaurant event that’s all about interactive fun. Down in Australia, they’re teaming up with Emma Watkins to revamp a dance studio using Lego bricks to inspire creativity through movement. Then it’s off to the Berlin Festival of Lights, where Lego installations will light up iconic spots like the Brandenburger Tor, all to remind us that play can help rebuild the world.
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