Entertainment,
September 04 2023
London is full of visionaries, eccentrics and tech-wizards shaping the city’s future. Be fashion-forward, see the past brought back to life and enter a virtual reality London has already created as we zoom through the capital’s futuristic places and activities for right now.
A virtual reality theme park, the OTHERWORLD London experience starts when you enter an immersion pod with a VR headset. In the headset is your new 3D environment – a jungle, desert or zombie apocalypse. The haptic pod adds heat, wind and rumbles to give you the sensation of being there. You’ll be able to see and hear your friends in your virtual world as you play together. OTHERWORLD in Hackney or Victoria is suitable for children aged 12+.
Pass the two giant cyberdogs guarding the entrance and ride down the escalator to an emporium of neon clothing. Kit yourself out in gear that transforms you into a vision of the future. Camden’s Cyberdog has been selling UV neon streetwear and rave clothing since the 1990s – think UFO necklaces, neon hairpieces and light-up jackets. It’s a Camden institution and great fun to explore.
This experimental technology restaurant, with locations in Covent Garden and Soho, you touch your interactive restaurant table to order sushi and play arcade games while you wait. The food at Inamo is pretty special, too. Order up Asian fusion dishes such as miso tilapia with shichimi okra fries then head to a games room, where huge wall projections add to the gaming experience.
This is one for future innovators. With exciting one-off exhibitions and an impressive permanent collection, The Design Museum walks you through the evolution of design icons that have shaped the world. These tech visionaries changed devices from analogue to digital – and took us with them. Past exhibitions have included Home Futures and the film sets of Stanley Kubrick. The building has a stunning atrium, and there’s a fantastic shop for stocking up on design goodies.
With ABBA Voyage tickets, you can have your own Back to the Future moment and see ABBA perform as young 3D versions of themselves. Created by the visual effects team behind Marvel and Star Wars, the digital 1979 Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid play the hits before your very eyes. Bop to ‘Dancing Queen’ with other Abba fans in the 3,000-capacity arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for a remarkable ABBA Voyage concert that pushes technical boundaries.
Step into the future with a stay at one of our top London hotels. We have locations across the capital including, Thistle Trafalgar Square, Thistle Marble Arch and Thistle Kensington Gardens.
