Entertainment

Paddington Bear immersive experience to open in London

Organisers said the show will ‘capture the hearts of the entire family’.
Organisers said the show will ‘capture the hearts of the entire family’. Organisers said the show will ‘capture the hearts of the entire family’.

Paddington Bear has inspired a new large-scale interactive experience in London.

The multi-sensory show will take up residence in County Hall on London’s Southbank later this year across 26,000 square feet.

It will feature “ground-breaking design, live performance and video to capture the hearts of the entire family”, organisers said.

The children’s book character, who famously arrived in London from the jungles of Peru, has been delighting fans for 65 years in more than 20 titles written by British author Michael Bond.

The Paddington Bear Experience
The Paddington Bear Experience The Paddington Bear Experience opens in 2023 (The Paddington Bear Experience/PA)

Speaking about The Paddington Bear Experience, organisers said: “Get ready to be thrown into the thick of the action as you embark on a mission to help Paddington and the Brown family prepare for a very special day.

“Step into the world of Paddington and become immersed in some of the most iconic locations, culminating in a Windsor Gardens extravaganza.”

The Paddington Bear Experience is written by Peaky Blinders: The Rise creator Katie Lyons, while Doctor Who: Time Fracture designer Rebecca Brower will design it.

The popularity of the series of Bond books about a duffel coat-wearing bear led to a live-action feature film, Paddington, in 2014, with a sequel released three years later.

The bear also appeared in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee sketch which saw him visit Buckingham Palace for afternoon tea, during which the monarch produced a marmalade sandwich from her handbag.

After the Queen’s death in September 2022, mourners left teddy bears and marmalade sandwiches among the floral tributes which amassed outside royal residences.

For tickets, visit paddingtonbearexperience.com