Haribo, the world-renowned confectionery brand celebrated for its iconic gummy bears, is stepping into the realm of immersive entertainment with the launch of Haribo Happy World in Dubai. This new attraction, strategically located in Dubai Festival City, marks a significant milestone as the very first Haribo-themed immersive experience in the United Arab Emirates. The venture highlights Haribo’s innovative approach to extending its brand beyond traditional retail, creating an interactive environment where visitors can delve into the colorful, joyful universe that Haribo embodies.
As the global appetite for experiential attractions grows, Haribo’s entry into this space taps into a vibrant trend of brands merging storytelling, interactivity, and themed retail into one cohesive destination. This immersive experience is designed to engage visitors of all ages, offering a multisensory journey complete with interactive exhibits, themed snacks, and an extensive retail range. Complementing the indoor experience is a captivating light, laser, and water show on Festival Bay, along with a dedicated birthday room for group celebrations, enhancing the experience’s appeal as a family-friendly hotspot.
“For more than 100 years we bring moments of happiness through our delicious treats,” commented Kostas Vlachos, Haribo’s chief commercial officer for developing countries and Turkey. His words underscore the brand’s longstanding commitment to joy, which now extends into physical, immersive spaces. “With the opening of the new Haribo Happy World in Dubai, we are excited to bring moments of happiness to families from Dubai and visitors from all over the world.” This vision cements the attraction not just as a retail point, but as a cultural and experiential landmark.
Mohamed Mahmoud, founder and CEO of Ground Control Entertainment — the family entertainment company partnering with Haribo — echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the deeper mission behind the attraction: “Bringing Haribo Happy World to Dubai is more than just opening a store — it’s about sharing joy, imagination, and the timeless magic of childhood with families across the region.” This statement highlights the creative intent to build not just a brand showcase, but a destination that sparks imagination and nostalgia.
Haribo Happy World Dubai’s design exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to immersive entertainment, blending technology and storytelling to create a multi-dimensional brand universe. The use of interactive exhibits invites guests to engage actively with the environment, moving beyond passive consumption to participate in the narrative. This interactivity mirrors broader trends in immersive media, where audience agency and sensory engagement are pivotal to the experience’s success.
The integration of themed snacks and a retail range within the same space cleverly blurs the lines between entertainment and commerce, offering a seamless journey from discovery to purchase. Additionally, the inclusion of an outdoor multimedia show with light, lasers, and water effects ensures the attraction’s visibility and appeal extend beyond the building’s walls, contributing to Dubai Festival City’s nighttime vibrancy.
Comparatively, Haribo’s global footprint now includes a similar Happy World attraction in Jeju City, South Korea, signaling a thoughtful expansion strategy that localizes immersive content while maintaining a consistent brand identity. This approach aligns with contemporary immersive entertainment practices where regional installations cater to local audiences while celebrating universal brand stories.
Within the broader fulldome and immersive media communities, Haribo Happy World represents a notable case of branded immersive content designed to entertain and evoke emotional connection. Its launch in Dubai, a city recognized for pioneering in high-tech entertainment venues, reinforces the growing synergy between commercial brands and experiential media. This fits well alongside other family-centric immersive attractions and adds to the diverse portfolio of content available for dome venues and themed entertainment hubs worldwide.
As immersive technology continues to evolve, incorporating elements ranging from interactive storytelling to multisensory effects, experiences like Haribo Happy World set a benchmark for future brand-driven immersions. Their collaborations, such as with Ground Control Entertainment, illustrate how partnerships between established entertainment companies and global brands can result in innovative content that captivates wide-ranging audiences — from local visitors to international tourists.
In sum, Haribo’s leap into immersive experiential entertainment through Haribo Happy World in Dubai is a compelling example of how a beloved brand can translate itself into a living, breathing universe. By marrying interactive exhibits, retail, and spectacular audiovisual presentations, it crafts a multi-layered experience that delights the senses while connecting emotionally with families and individuals alike—an inspiring model for the future of immersive brand storytelling.
Originally reported by Bea Mitchell via blooloop.com on 2025-11-18 03:39:00.
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