Inside Absurd City: Wake The Tiger Immersive Experience

By Ellen Smith · 29 Oct 2026

The EVC Magazine was invited to a sneak preview of Absurd City, Wake The Tiger’s new Immersive experience at Westfield London. Ellen Smith went along find out more.

Stated to be the largest immersive art experience in Europe, Absurd City fills an 80,000 sq. ft. space and expands Meridia, the parallel world first created at Wake The Tiger’s Bristol venue. For schools, it’s an opportunity for students to be involved in the story and learn about climate change and overconsumption as they go through each district.

The Organiser promise an immersive experience, and it certainly is. The visit begins in an interdimensional departure lounge, where we became “Interdimensional Daytrippers” to Absurd City, a parallel future set 70 years from now. The experience invites students to solve puzzles, play games and crack the codes, while an underground resistance is working to uncover the hidden truth to help save the city.

“Everything is fine”

The first stop: Bloom Street, a bright, interactive high street covered with billboards advertising various products. When a citywide power cut plunges the street into temporary darkness, Absurd City’s representatives (real life inhabitants) insist that “everything is fine”. It sets the tone for the rest of the visit, where climate change and corporate control run throughout.

At the centre of it all is REX, the canine avatar who manages the distribution of power across Absurd City. Each district holds different clues that students use to understand REX’s role and how they can help save the city. The more you explore and look through the hidden doors the more clues and interactive puzzles you will find.

The journey ends in the city's control room, home to its central power source, where students find out whether they have managed to help save the city through clues and challenges.

Educational

The interactive experience aims to engage students with topics, particularly focused on media literacy and circular economy. You’re encouraged to think about issues that affect sustainability and the economy.

Lucy Jarjoura, Chief Commercial Officer at Wake The Tiger, who has curated the education curriculum for ABSURD CITY says

"We want children of all ages to be able to approach difficult topics like the consumer economy and media literacy with curiosity rather than fear. Our aim is to help them better understand the world they live in by comparing it to a parallel world many years in the future. The visit is designed to instil hope and for any learning to stay with them long after they leave.”

Sustainability

The underlying theme throughout the experience is the climate crisis and its negative impacts. Lots of the materials used to create the installations have come from recycled materials that have been upcycled. The Reclaimia district is built entirely from recycled waste as part of their commitment to operating as sustainably and ethically as possible.

Educational Visits to Wake The Tiger

This is a self-guided experience, which means that teachers can make the experience relevant to your students and your own curriculum. Schools will also have access to:

• Access to a dedicated learning hub, a private space with a screen used for workshops.
• Free lesson plans to support learning
• A dedicated host

Wake The Tiger offers a free pre-visit for one teacher ahead of the visit, which is a great opportunity to complete your own pre visit checks, risk assessment and plan how the experience fits with your learning objectives.

Find out more London.wakethetiger.com/school-trips