The creators of Boomtown music festival have officially opened a new permanent immersive attraction in West London which is home to an extraordinary parallel world.
Taking over a massive 80,000-square-foot anchor space formerly occupied by KidZania at Westfield London, Absurd City has officially opened today, Thursday 15 October. Following the viral success of its flagship Bristol location, which has drawn over half a million global visitors in under five years, the new venue marks an acceleration of scale and creative ambition. The project expands Bristol’s award-winning parallel world of ‘Meridia’ right into the heart of the UK capital, in the White City district.
Entering the Portal
From the moment visitors find the unmissable ‘Absurd City’ fascia within the Westfield shopping centre, the narrative is established with meticulous attention to detail. The experience begins as guests ascend a series of escalators from what appears to be an unkempt store unit, which gradually transitions into an intergalactic airport terminal complete with a partially docked aircraft fuselage ready for passengers, immediately establishing the surreal tone of the venue.
This tongue-in-cheek arrival sequence sets the tone for the story that follows. Guests are officially designated as Daytrippers, invited to travel through a portal into an expansive cityscape governed by an authority keeping tight control on its fictional residents. Visitors however are encouraged to journey through five distinct districts, each characterised by meticulous artistic detail, sculptural design, and tactile installations. Overhead, a virtual dome envelops the urban sprawl for protection and enforces the reassuring corporate mantra that ‘everything is fine’ within its boundaries.
Beyond the storyline, every corner of the attraction is packed with interactive elements, encouraging visitors to explore at their own pace without rigid scheduling or linear bottlenecks. The creative direction leans heavily into playful absurdity, combining tactile mechanics with environmental storytelling that rewards inquisitive participants of all ages and abilities. Alongside visual artistry, the sensory landscape is augmented by carefully engineered scent distribution throughout the various zones, enhancing the narrative progression from district to district.
Exploring the Districts
The first area featured within the sprawling layout is Bloom Street, a satirical take on commercial and financial districts that serves as a primary visual anchor for the ground floor. With its over-saturated urban aesthetic and ironic corporate iconography, the zone is sure to emerge as a favourite for visitors looking for playful photography backdrops and witty commentary on modern consumerism. At the other side of the City lies Imaginopolis, a vibrant district where high-contrast colour palettes and kitsch design dominate the visual field, offering a stark contrast to the utilitarian themes found elsewhere.
Transitioning between these distinct areas relies on a network of secret entrances, hidden hallways, and winding tunnels, reinforcing the labyrinthine nature of the city and encouraging guests to retrace their steps to uncover missed details.
When visitors complete their exploration of the core walkthrough, which includes a stunning audio visual finale, they emerge into the Wundergound Bar and Kitchen. This adjoining hospitality space provides an extensive array of food and beverage options, ranging from handcrafted bagels and wholesome salad bowls to familiar menu staples including burgers, hot dogs, and pizzas designed to cater to diverse family demographics.
A notable highlight within the bar area is the cocktail menu, which draws direct inspiration from the various zones of the city. Among these, the Bloomstar Martini with its hints of lychee, orange blossom and Lambrusco is highly recommended, crafted to reflect the ironic consumerist satire of Bloom Street.
Ethical vision
Speaking on the launch of the capital venue, Luke Mitchell, Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder at Wake The Tiger, has offered insight into the collaborative ethos driving the project forward. He noted that the experience was built without a traditional creative blueprint, relying instead on a chaotic yet purposeful collaboration involving underground artists, roboticists, and independent fabricators.
“There is no blueprint for Absurd City,” Mitchell shares. “It’s been a beautifully chaotic process driven by some of the UK’s finest underground artists, robotic experts and makers. We have built a cosmic, eccentric and deeply human playground that we cannot wait for London to explore.”
By bringing counter-culture aesthetics into a mainstream shopping destination, the creative team has created a fun introduction to artist-driven environments, without the restrictions of a museum, by delivering a public venue suitable for all ages and (most) tastes.
Beyond the fun storyline there is a deeper message which has been playfully introduced throughout the various environments, in a way that will be easily absorbed by visitors. This is acknowledged by Wake The Tiger’s status as a certified B Corporation, integrating sustainability into its operational model both before and after the exit barrier. Rather than treating the gift shop as a conventional souvenir afterthought, Absurd City has taken great care with its merchandise sourcing to ensure it ethically aligns with the messages preceding it.
Over ninety per cent of products available in the exit store are manufactured from sustainable, recycled, or upcycled materials, or are produced in direct collaboration with community-focused enterprises, such as fashion items created from upcycled marine life jackets. To further enhance family visits, parents can purchase a dedicated passport-style map complete with interactive stickers for £6.50, providing children with an engaging secondary activity within the City, giving adults extra time to appreciate the intricate details of the environment.
Graham MacVoy, CEO and Co-founder at Wake The Tiger, emphasised the broader cultural mission underpinning the multimillion-pound installation, noting the capacity for experiential storytelling to foster community connection and challenge prevailing conventions.
“We believe culture and storytelling have the unique power to reshape how we see our future,” MacVoy remarked. “Absurd City is an invitation to rediscover hope and community through a creative lens. We are here to challenge convention, spark curiosity and prove that a different kind of world is possible and worth building together.”
The definition of Retailtainment
The opening of Absurd City at Westfield London arrives at a time where retail landlords are increasingly turning to unique experiential leisure to drive customer spend and increase dwell times. While many midway-style attractions operate purely as commercial tenants seeking passive footfall, the sheer scale and conceptual depth of Absurd City means it is a worthy standalone leisure destination in its own right, and set to become a ‘must visit’ for the capital.
Jacinta Rowsell, Managing Director, Customer and Retail Operations, Northern Europe at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, welcomed the arrival of the attraction, highlighting its alignment with the venue’s long-term strategic vision for cultural engagement and experiential retail curation.
“Absurd City is exactly the kind of bold, culture-defining experience we want people to discover at Westfield London,” Rowsell commented. “From the moment Wake The Tiger shared their vision with us, we knew this was going to be something special – an immersive world that blurs the boundaries between art, storytelling and live experience on an extraordinary scale. We are incredibly excited that Westfield London has become the home of Absurd City.”
As Absurd City opens its doors, Wake The Tiger has established a fresh benchmark for large-scale retailtainment design. Whether visiting for the intricate artistic set design, the satirical storytelling, or the culinary offerings at the Wunderground, visitors now have access to a permanent portal into the extraordinary right in the heart of West London.
Tickets are available now for daytrippers ready to step across the threshold to Absurd City at london.wakethetiger.com.
