Page 45 - RLIJune2026

SPECIAL FEATURE - IMMERSIVE ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES EXAMPLES OF IMMERSIVE ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES AROUND THE WORLD

1

1. Candy Hall of Fame,
Chicago, Illinois, US
2. Minecraft
Experience Villager
Rescue, Mandai
Wildlife Reserve,
Singapore

2

Stepping into the Story Back in November, Netflix revealed the second location of its im- ded reality (XR) solutions, in October celebrated the opening of the

mersive entertainment/retail concept. Netflix House has opened Fantasy Box, a new multi-purpose cultural venue at MGM Macau,
at the Galleria Dallas, a MetLife Investment Management property. It a five-star hotel in China. This 1,400sq m venue has been created to
came hot on the heels of the first-ever Netflix House, which opened in highlight both international and Chinese culture while championing
The immersive attractions and experiences industry places visitors at the centre of engaging November at King of Prussia shopping centre in the Philadelphia the local Macau arts community. As part of this development, MGM
stories, activities and adventures. Spanning theme parks, immersive theatre, escape rooms, suburb of King of Prussia. A third location is scheduled to open in collaborated with Disguise to design and deliver a collection of 10
museums, virtual reality and location-based entertainment, the sector combines creativity and 2027, at BLVD on the Las Vegas Strip. Spanning more than 100,000sq customisable content styles for Fantasy Box’s 7m high curved LED
technology to deliver memorable, participatory experiences that drive audience engagement. ft, Netflix House Dallas is designed as an entertainment destination wall. With this project, MGM extends its long-standing collabora-
tion with Disguise, which provides the technology currently used at
where fans can “explore, taste, play and shop” their favourite shows
Here, RLI highlights some of the most unique examples of this in action. and movies in real life. Visitors can enter the venue through the mall Cotai Spectacle and Cotai Theatre in Macau. Since launching, Fan-
on the second floor, or from the mall parking lot through the iconic tasy Box has already hosted significant events, such as the immersive
nlike traditional forms of entertain- growth. Audiences increasingly value experiences Red Envelope entrance, a nod to the company’s DVD-by-mail origins. art experience Brilliant Stars - The Civilisation of Ancient Shy and
ment, where audiences are prima- over material possessions, particularly younger Visitors can dine at Netflix Bites, a casual, full-service restaurant ser- cAITM Lab 2.0 - Is It Your Gazethat Meets Mine, or Mine that Seeks
rily observers, immersive experien- generations seeking entertainment that is memora- ving comfort food and cocktails - but with entertaining twists playing Yours? as part of the 4th Art Macao festival.
U ces encourage active participation, ble, social and participatory. As a result, businesses on popular Netflix shows and movies. The space also features a retail Unveiled at the end of April, the Minecraft Experience: Villager
allowing guests to influence, explore and engage across entertainment, tourism, culture, retail, hos- shop called Netflix Shop, which features exclusive Netflix-branded lo- Rescue is being hosted at Green Canvas in the Mandai Wildlife Re-
with the environment around them. The industry pitality and education are investing in immersive cal merchandise, along with collectibles, apparel, lifestyle pieces and serve from 24 April to 13 September, marking its debut in Asia. After
spans a broad range of sectors, including theme formats to attract visitors, increase dwell time and more inspired by popular shows on Netflix. successful events in Dallas, London and Toronto, the immersive and
parks, immersive theatre, escape rooms, museu- enhance customer engagement. Opening in summer 2027, the Candy Hall of Fame is coming to interactive experience invites visitors of all ages to journey through
ms, visitor attractions, cultural experiences, vir- The industry is also evolving beyond entertain- the Magnificent Mile and the 60,000sq ft attraction will bring exhi- eight rooms to save a village from a zombie siege. Whether families,
tual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed ment alone. Immersive experiences are increasingly bits, a candy store and a restaurant to three floors of a long-vacant seasoned Minecrafters, or first-time players, everyone will explore,
reality (MR), interactive exhibitions and loca- being used for learning, training, brand activation, Michigan Avenue space. The Candy Hall of Fame Experience, loca- craft and work together in this one-hour story-driven adventure
tion-based entertainment. wellbeing and cultural engagement. Museums and ted on the third-through-fifth floors of 830 N. Michigan Ave., will filled with action, creativity and teamwork. Minecraft Experience:
At its core, the industry combines creative heritage organisations use immersive technologies bring together the history of the candy industry and the experience Villager Rescue brings an engaging indoor adventure to the Man-
storytelling, technology, design and experiential to bring history to life, while brands create experien- will be a permanent home for the Candy Hall of Fame, which has dai Wildlife Reserve allowing visitors to enjoy wildlife exploration,
production to create memorable and emotio- tial marketing campaigns that allow consumers to never had a physical location until now despite being around since immersive play and family entertainment in a single visit. Minecraft
nally engaging experiences. Advances in digital interact directly with products and stories. 1971. The Candy Hall of Fame, established by the National Confec- Experience: Villager Rescue combines immersive large-scale projec-
technologies, including VR, AR, artificial intelli- As technology continues to advance and consu- tionery Sales Association, honours the people behind well-known tions, theatrical sets, motion-tracking gameplay and storytelling.
gence, projection mapping, motion tracking and mer expectations evolve, the immersive attractions candy brands. The Candy Hall of Fame will include a 20,000sq ft re- FRAMELESS is an immersive art experience that blends master-
interactive media, have expanded the possibilities and experiences industry is expected to grow fur- tail space on the third floor stocked with a wide range of candy, bran- pieces from some of the world’s most iconic artists with state-of-the-
for immersive experiences, enabling operators to ther, creating new opportunities for innovation, co- ded merchandise and products tied to Chicago-area candy makers. art projection, audio and spatial technology. The exhibition opens
create increasingly sophisticated and personalised llaboration and audience engagement. Its ability to The upper floors will house the Hall of Fame itself plus hands-on ex- at Logomo in Turku from 8 June to 30 August 2026, offering visitors
visitor journeys. blend the physical and the digital worlds, positions it Netflix House hibits and other ticketed attractions designed to teach visitors more the chance to step inside the world of art in a way never before seen
Philadelphia,
Consumer demand for unique and shareable ex- as one of the most dynamic and rapidly developing King of Prussia, about how the confectionery industry works. in Finland. The exhibition features works by artists such as Claude
periences has been a significant driver of industry sectors within the global experience economy. Pennsylvania, US Disguise, a global leader in media server technology and exten- Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí and Rem-

44 R e t ai l & L e i s ur e I n t e r n a t i o n al J un e 2026 June 2026 Retail & Leisure International 45
44 Retail & Leisure International June 2026