Absurd City is the official name of the Wake the Tiger attraction coming to Westfield London this October as tickets officially go on sale today!
From the creators of Boomtown Fair and the world’s first Amazement Park® the first details of the brand new 80,000 sq.ft space have today been unleashed as Europe’s largest immersive art experience is only a couple of months away from opening its doors.
Subscriber pre-sale tickets are live as of 9am, with general sale open at 12pm today at london.wakethetiger.com
Following the phenomenal success of its flagship Bristol location, which has drawn over half a million global visitors since 2022, the London debut marks a massive leap forward in scale and creative ambition, expanding Bristol’s award-winning parallel world of Meridia into the heart of the capital.
Absurd City is a metropolis operating on completely different rules within a parallel universe to our own. Visitors (called Daytrippers) will travel through a portal into a vivid landscape and whilst most of the city’s secrets are under wraps at this early stage the creators have revealed there will be a total of four distinct distracts to explore.
As is the case with a Wake the Tiger attraction there will be unfolding stories, unexpected discoveries and secret passageways aplenty for you to explore.
It’s hard to summarise what the attraction is but it’s certainly something that is seen to be believed, the theming consists of a whole host of talented artists from around the country who come together to construct this piece of immersive genius.
Luke Mitchell, Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder at Wake The Tiger remarked:
“Whether you’re new to the world of Meridia or a seasoned Daytripper, the self-guided experience is designed to spark imagination regardless of age, ability or persuasion. It’s trippy, it’s weird and it’s waiting for us all to jump right in.”
To mark today’s ticket launch Absurd City will venture into the real world as a double decker bus and accompanying taxi will make their way across London before arriving at Westfield Square.
From Wednesday 22 July until Tuesday 28 July, the free public installation will offer Londoners their first physical glimpse into the new world, with the Absurd City vehicles becoming an interactive photo booth for curious passersby, friends and families.
As a certified B Corporation, Wake The Tiger blends counter-culture art and world-class storytelling with a deep commitment to environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
“We believe culture and storytelling have the unique power to reshape how we see our future,” says Graham MacVoy, CEO and Co-Founder at Wake The Tiger. “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. Today is the first chance for people to secure their place inside an experience designed to inspire positive change today that transforms tomorrow.”
“There is no blueprint for Absurd City,” adds Luke Mitchell, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder. “It’s been a beautifully chaotic process driven by some of the UK’s finest underground artists, robotic experts and makers. We’ve built a cosmic, eccentric and deeply human playground that we can’t wait for London to explore.”
Jacinta Rowsell, Managing Director, Customer & Retail Operations, Northern Europe at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, commented:
“Absurd City is exactly the kind of bold, culture-defining experience we want people to discover at Westfield London. 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’re incredibly excited that Westfield London will become the home of ABSURD CITY.”
The experience will officially open on Thursday 15th October at Westfield London, Ariel Way, London W12 7GF.
We were kindly given a very exclusive tour of Absurd City during its construction phase and it’s coming on leaps and bounds. The creativity never ceases to amaze me and we even managed to have a quick chat with Creative Director Luke Mitchell to discuss how the project came to be.
Check out the video below:
