Sandbox VR has officially opened its largest venue globally and first ever UK site outside of London at Hammerson’s Bullring & Grand Central in Birmingham city centre.
The opening of Sandbox VR reflects Hammerson’s strategy to reinvigorate its assets through new brands, market firsts and experiential concepts to attract new visitors and diversify revenue streams. The selection of Bullring & Grand Central demonstrates the appeal and quality of Hammerson’s city centre estates to high-profile brands.
Sandbox VR’s new 13,000sq ft space will further strengthen Bullring & Grand Central’s leisure offer which will also see the arrival of bowling alley brand, Lane7 and interactive football concept, TOCA Social later this year.
Backed by celebrities including Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake and Will Smith, Sandbox VR provides an immersive full-body virtual reality experience. The new venue will house seven exclusively designed interactive worlds, including the newly launched epic fantasy game, “Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire” and a captivating replica of the Netflix phenomenon “Squid Game”, set to launch in early Autumn 2023. Sandbox VR’s unmatched immersive experiences are powered by a new generation of Hollywood motion capture cameras, 3D precision full-body trackers, custom hardware, and haptic feedback suits, enhancing the touch, vibration, and motion senses for the user.
Enhancing Sandbox VR’s ground-breaking gameplay, the brand’s much-loved robotic bartender ‘Toni’ adds a unique experience to Grand Central’s hospitality and leisure offer. Shaking, stirring and serving up to 80 drinks per hour, ‘Toni’ is the UK’s first robotic bartender and is a favourite amongst Sandbox VR guests. There is also a dedicated area that can be hired for private events from corporate functions to birthdays and celebrations with family and friends.
