Activate, an immersive leisure brand that merges the excitement of video gaming with energetic, physical challenges, is rapidly expanding its footprint in London. Since its debut at The O2 last December, which attracted over 125,000 visitors, Activate is setting a new standard for social entertainment by offering a unique blend of interactive gaming and physical activity. This innovative approach to socialising appeals to a wide demographic spectrum, from families and friends to corporate teams, all seeking dynamic, engaging experiences beyond traditional leisure activities.
The brand’s ambitious growth continues with three new venues opening in London before Christmas: Oxford Street, Vauxhall, and Westfield White City. These venues promise immersive environments where small groups navigate through a series of game rooms filled with lasers, grids, hoops, and portals, encouraging both mental acuity and physical agility. This leap forward in immersive social gaming goes beyond conventional arcade or VR experiences by integrating physical movement into the core gameplay, fostering connection through active participation.
Rich Beese, co-founder of We Do Play—the experiential group behind Activate—articulates the company’s vision: “With Activate, we wanted to create an experience that gets people moving, thinking, and connecting — all while having the most fun. What started as a Gen Z craze has quickly grown into something everyone wants to try.” This encapsulates the brand’s core mission: to combine social bonding with active fun, transforming leisure time into a vibrant, inclusive event.
He further highlights the London audience’s embrace of the concept: “London has embraced Activate like nowhere else. Our O2 venue has become the most popular Activate in the world, and the demand for new experiences has been incredible. Opening in three iconic London locations before Christmas marks a major milestone in our mission to make immersive, active fun part of everyday social life.” This rapid acceptance underscores the evolving landscape of social entertainment where immersive physical experiences are becoming mainstream.
Activate’s growth trajectory demonstrates a significant evolution in immersive leisure, signaling a shift toward holistic, embodied engagement over passive consumption. The integration of physical movement with interactive gaming points to a future where entertainment leverages full-body involvement, enhancing cognitive and social interactions simultaneously. This approach marks a creative breakthrough by embracing not only cutting-edge technology but also human dynamics—teamwork, problem-solving, and kinesthetic energy—as integral components of the experience.
What sets Activate apart is the intricate design of its game rooms that demand collaboration, agility, and strategic thinking, mirroring advancements seen in immersive media where narrative, space, and participant agency merge fluidly. This participatory model shares synergy with fulldome content creators who strive to envelop their audiences in environments where presence and interaction catalyze deeper engagement. Much like fulldome experiences that blend astronomy or storytelling with immersive visuals and sound, Activate transforms physical space into an interactive playground of light, sound, and movement.
Within the broader fulldome and immersive media ecosystem, Activate’s expansion exemplifies a popular trend toward spatial storytelling and active participation. These elements resonate strongly with dome festivals and touring immersive exhibits that emphasize multisensory engagement and social interactivity. While Activate is more rooted in physical game design than cinematic storytelling, its commitment to creating shared, active experiences parallels the underlying goals of planetarium and immersive media venues that seek to captivate and educate audiences simultaneously.
We Do Play’s success with Activate also highlights the growing appetite for experiential leisure driven by innovation and social connectivity. Their portfolio, including Flip Out and Putt Putt Social, demonstrates a consistent commitment to reimagining recreation through immersion and interaction. As Activate continues to grow its UK presence, it will likely inspire further experimentation within immersive media circles—pushing creators to explore how physicality, technology, and social play can dynamically intersect to enrich human connection and entertainment.
In conclusion, Activate’s bold expansion and innovative design not only revolutionize social gaming but also offer compelling insights for the fulldome community and immersive media professionals. By rethinking how spaces can foster active, social, and immersive engagement, Activate contributes to a vibrant future where entertainment becomes a fully embodied, shared adventure. This synthesis of technology, physicality, and social interaction heralds exciting possibilities for immersive experiences across sectors and audiences worldwide.
Originally reported by Charlotte Coates via www.retaildestination.co.uk on 2025-12-24 03:09:00.
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