London has always loved a spectacle, but as Chris Johnson discovers, this spring the capital is glowing brighter than ever.
Across the city, a wave of immersive experiences is transforming vast spaces into worlds of light, sound and story. Here are the places where art bursts from the frame, music surrounds you and history unfolds on a monumental scale.
Sound and Vision
Leading the charge is a landmark new show dedicated to one of Britain’s most influential cultural icons. David Bowie: You’re Not Alone at Lightroom is a breathtaking 360-degree journey through the life and work of the iconic musician. Using thousands of hours of archive footage, rare interviews and never-before-seen material from the David Bowie Archive, the show surrounds visitors with towering projections that stretch across 11-metre-high walls and the floor beneath your feet. Bowie narrates the experience through his own words, guiding audiences through themed chapters exploring creativity, theatricality and the power of self-expression.
The hour-long production plays on a loop, so you can enter at any point and wander around the vast space as Bowie’s performances unfold on a grand scale. Highlights include rare, restored concert footage (including electrifying live moments that place you inside the crowd) alongside intimate reflections that reveal the artist behind the icon. Advanced spatial audio places visitors inside the music, creating a concert-like atmosphere that is both powerful and surprisingly personal. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or introducing younger visitors to Bowie’s world for the first time, it’s an unforgettable fusion of sound and vision.
Jump Into the Picture
Head west to Marble Arch for Frameless, the UK’s largest permanent immersive art experience. Spread across four vast galleries and covering 30,000 square feet, this multi-sensory playground reimagines masterpieces by artists including Rembrandt, Kandinsky, Klimt and Dali. Visitors can wander through Monet’s shimmering waterlily ponds, watch Van Gogh’s skies swirl overhead and step inside dramatic landscapes that ripple across walls and floors as carefully curated soundscapes fill the air.
Each gallery has its own character. In one, visitors step into dreamlike surrealist worlds where mirrors and projections bend reality; in another, sweeping landscapes and cityscapes surround you in shifting colour, from erupting volcanoes to rolling seas. Motion-responsive technology means children can influence elements of the visuals simply by moving through the space, encouraging playful interaction as well as many moments of wonder.
Dancing Queens
Music lovers will find another crowd-pleasing highlight at ABBA Voyage in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Housed in the purpose-built ABBA Arena, a 3,000-capacity venue just moments from Pudding Mill Lane station, this pioneering concert experience presents digital avatars of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida performing alongside a live 10-piece band. State-of-the-art projection and lighting technology blend seamlessly with choreography and staging to create a show that feels both futuristic and warmly nostalgic.
The arena’s layout offers a range of ways to enjoy the performance. Families can choose comfortable tiered seating with panoramic views or opt for the lively dance floor, where audiences are encouraged to sing and move along to hits such as Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia beneath dazzling cascades of light. With multiple performances each week, including matinees that suit younger visitors, ABBA Voyage makes it easy to plan a shared musical celebration. The surrounding Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park offers lots of open space for pre- or post-show exploration, helping turn the outing into a full day of entertainment.
Reign Reimagined
For travellers eager to journey even further back in time, Cleopatra: The Experience at Immerse LDN on the ExCeL London Waterfront transports visitors to ancient Egypt through cinematic projection and interactive storytelling. Spanning 3,000 square metres and nine interactive galleries, the experience combines vast digital environments, holograms and virtual reality to conjure temples, palaces and desert landscapes as Cleopatra’s story unfolds around you.
Families can step into a soaring 360-degree projection room, explore a free-roaming metaverse recreation of ancient Alexandria and encounter more than 20 original artefacts from the Hellenistic period. Dramatic video mapping recreates landmarks such as the Lighthouse of Alexandria, while immersive scenes chart Cleopatra’s rise to power and the intrigue of her reign. Developed in collaboration with historians, the experience balances spectacle with education.
Voyage of the Vikings
Finally, at Dock X in Canada Water, Vikings: The Immersive Experience plunges visitors into the age of Norse explorers through a blend of large-scale projection, physical sets and interactive installations. Guests begin in a life-size Norse forest known as the Forest of Time, stand beneath the mythic World Tree and board a Viking longship for a cinematic journey inspired by the saga of Queen Kraka and King Ragnar Lodbrok.
Dramatic visuals recreate voyages across stormy seas and mythic landscapes, while hands-on elements encourage children to explore replica artefacts, interactive displays and knot-tying stations. A virtual reality experience, including a junior version designed for younger adventurers, adds another layer of discovery. Blending archaeology, mythology and theatrical storytelling, the episodic experience allows families to progress at their own pace, creating a memorable adventure that feels both informative and exhilarating.
Together, these experiences showcase the vast range of stories that immersive technology can tell, from dancing inside one of David Bowie’s concerts to sailing with Viking warriors and wandering through ancient empires. They invite visitors not just to observe but to participate as well, turning a visit to London into a sequence of luminous, memory-making moments.
