London’s new entertainment district takes flight

ExCel London’s Damian Norman has unveiled the vision behind the UK’s “largest immersive entertainment district”.

Immerse LDN, which opened at London’s Royal Docks last August, will span more than 160,000sq ft once fully complete and is dedicated to showcasing immersive experiences and original productions across new purpose-built venue spaces.

Set to the backdrop of ExCel’s new waterfront development, it is home to The Formula 1 Exhibition and The Friends Experience, with Elvis Evolution set to follow in May and two further “chapters” set to be announced soon.

ExCel’s director of immersive events and entertainment Norman tells IQ: “Historically, ExCel as a business had just thought about exhibition space and was extremely good at that, but wanted to evolve the wider campus.

“I went to an immersive art experience in Hyde Park coming out of lockdown and was remarkably impressed, and that got me thinking about how technology was playing a part in the evolution of entertainment. Touring exhibitions used to be glass cases – folks would look at it and move on, and that’s what we were used to – but that started changing quite rapidly and Covid accelerated it, freeing creative minds to focus on that evolution.

“Weirdly, for an industry that’s driven by people being together, being shuttered for a couple of years probably made it the interesting space it is, because it allowed people to really think about what they were doing at a time when they weren’t distracted by anything else.”

“Once all five chapters are open, we’ll be at 2.5 million visitors a year”

Norman ran VOS Media, launching events such as the London Bike Show and The Rouleur Classic, for five years before selling the business to The Telegraph Media Group (TMG) in 2013. As part of the arrangement, he became MD of Telegraph Events, growing its events portfolio from five to 60 events in four years.

He went on to set up Live Mind Consultancy with clients including the International Boat Show and ExCel London, joining the latter permanently in 2019 after leading the venue’s successful bid to host electric motor racing series Formula E. The area’s improved transport links made it an attractive proposition.

“Part of the reason I joined was [to do with] the long-term evolution of the campus, because the Elizabeth Line was coming and that shifted the needle,” explains Norman. “It was very much put to me that, ‘Can you and the estate look at how we evolve long-term and be a meaningful entertainment space to capitalise on the transport?'”

Immerse LDN, which will also support the Mayor of London’s five year plan and multi-billion-pound regeneration programme for the Royal Docks, is aiming to bring together major IP in TV, film, music, art and gaming, as well as a variety of original productions.

“When we say we’re going to be the UK’s first immersive entertainment district, we mean it,” says Norman. “Once all five chapters are open, we’ll be at 2.5 million visitors a year. We’re going to become a major attraction for London and we want to get the best possible partners and create the best possible experience.”

“Will there be a point where music venues all over the world are bringing the greatest artists of all time back to life? I wouldn’t bet against it”

Elvis Evolution opens at the site in May in partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises and Authentic Brands Group, the custodians of the Elvis Presley estate.  The “multi-sensory” 110-minute production will take audiences through Presley’s life story and feature seminal performances with the help of cutting-edge technology and generative AI.

“Elvis is one of the most, if not the most, influential artists ever and his story is interesting full-stop,” notes Norman.

Elvis Evolution is the latest presentation from immersive entertainment specialist LR, whose portfolio includes the acclaimed Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience and Gunpowder Plot productions.

“These guys are going to be good custodians, because what a responsibility, and that weight of responsibility isn’t lost on us building this new destination,” says Norman. “We do as much due diligence as we can to pick the best in class, because the owners and operators that we work with are going to be what people associate with the best level.”

While comparisons with ABBA Voyage are inevitable, Norman stresses the 180-cap Elvis Evolution is a “very different” and “much more intimate” attraction. Nevertheless, he admits to being intrigued by the opportunities it could open up for other legendary artists.

“The thing about ABBA Voyage is that you preserve that artist at their best and get that A1 performance each time, and it will be very interesting to see how other people lean into the space,” he muses. “Will there be a point where you have live music venues all over the world bringing some of the greatest artists of all time back to life? I wouldn’t bet against it.

“It’s never going to replicate being at a live gig, and people should always support live music. But these are opportunities to bring artists back to life in a way that has never been seen before.”

• The second edition of ILMC’s Touring Entertainment LIVE (TEL) will bring together the world’s top show and exhibition producers, rights holders, venue operators, and promoters at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Wednesday 26 February for a day dedicated to the multibillion-dollar sector.

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