Theatre News

Paddington Bear Experience announces London dates and details

The famous bear heads to London County Hall!

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Paddington Bear, artwork supplied by the production

Further details have been announced for the large-scale interactive show The Paddington Bear Experience, which opens later this year.

The multi-sensory interactive experience is inspired by Paddington Bear, the beloved children’s character, created by author Michael Bond in 1958. The piece incorporates live performance and video and will take place across 26,000 square ft at London’s County Hall on the South Bank.

The show will open to the public on 31 May 2024, with tickets on sale from 4 March at 10am.

Participants will embark on a mission to help Paddington and the Brown family prepare for a special day, becoming immersed in some of the iconic locations from the Paddington stories. The experience culminates in a Windsor Gardens extravaganza, while themed food, beverage, and retail will be available.

From tomorrow, “Mr Gruber’s Shop” will open at the venue, inspired by the enchanting antique store in the Paddington stories. You can see photos from the store here:

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Mr Gruber’s Shop, © Harry Johnson

It is presented by the Path Entertainment Group and the Copyrights Group in partnership with Lionsgate, Copyrights’ agent for experiences. Further details are to be confirmed.

The Paddington Bear Experience will be directed by Immersive Octopus, written by Katie Lyons, designed by Rebecca Brower, with costume design by Stewart J Charlesworth, lighting design by Terry Cook, sound design by Luke Swaffield for Autograph, and video design by Novak.

The show will run alongside Witness for the Prosecution, which has been playing at London’s County Hall since 2017 and has extended its run into 2024. The immersive piece is different from the Paddington musical, which was announced as being in development late last year.