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It’s immersive, it has dinosaurs and there are 20,000 square feet of it coming to ExCel London

Just when you were starting to feel a bit fossilised this summer (it’s this dry heat), the sound of gigantic T-Rex-sized feet thundering in the distance, slowly heading over to ExCel London, has definitely livened things up. That’s right, August 25 sees the launch of ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, a new immersive experience.

As you might imagine, any space that’s going to house hordes of life-size velociraptors, brachiosauruses and their scaly mates roaming around as though they own the place – and let’s be honest who’s going to argue with them – needs to be BIG, and it is: there’s 20,000 square feet of dinosaur-dodging site to navigate and plenty to do if dino parks are your vibe.

The exhibition coincides with the cinema release of the sixth (and last in the Jeff Goldblum-serving storyline) film in the blockbuster franchise: Jurassic World: Dominion but there’s plenty from earlier films to get up close and personal with, too. For starters, visitors will walk through the famous ‘Jurassic World’ gates… look how well that worked out eh? Alongside that, you’ll be able to have an up-close look at a velociraptor, crick your neck standing under a towering brachiosaurus and encounter the famous tyrannosaurus rex just to ramp up the fear factor. Whether the toilets are dino-proof was unconfirmed at time of going to press.

As light relief from the fearsome fire lizards, there’s also the chance to interact with new baby dinosaurs, including the rather cute ‘Bumpy’ from the animated series ‘Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous’. Fans also get an exclusive opportunity when playing Jurassic World Alive – the AR mobile game. Any players who visit the exhibition and open the game on their devices can locate an exclusive ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’ incubator as an in-game reward. Players with AR-enabled devices can then snap a picture or take a video of a dinosaur using the game’s AR feature and post it to their social media channels using the #JurassicWorldAlive hashtag.

So hop on the Elizabeth line down to Custom House. Just don’t blame us when the baby dinos eat some of your party. Don’t you people watch films?

‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL. From Aug 25, tickets from £13. For details and booking head here.

The 20,00sq ft site is being billed as “the closest you’ll ever come to living dinosaurs”

A brand new exhibition themed for the Jurassic Park film franchise is set to open at the ExCel centre in east London later this summer. It is being billed as “the closest you’ll ever come to living dinosaurs.”

Jurassic World: The Exhibition — named for the latest movie, which has just been released — will welcome visitors from August 25. The 20,00sq ft space is designed to mimic the fictional park, complete with its famous gates. Inside will be enormous, life-size models of dinosaurs, including a velociraptor, brachiosaurus, and tyrannosaurus rex, while much of the rest of the space will bring to life prehistoric environments. Elsewhere will be baby dinosaurs, and organisers say the entire thing is family-friendly.

Those using the Jurassic World Alive gaming app will also be able to unlock new features when playing it on site.

Michael Silver of Universal parks and resorts, who with Cityneon are behind the project, said: “What excites us about Jurassic World: The Exhibition is the opportunity to give fans a real-world, immersive experience based on the amazing adventures of the franchise and delivered to a location near them. Visitors will come face-to-face with life-sized dinosaurs and walk through richly themed environments, all inspired by the beloved global franchise .”

Chairman and CEO of Cityneon, Ron Tan added: “I am equally excited that we are launching Jurassic World: The Exhibition in the UK for the first time so soon after the theatrical release of Jurassic World: Dominion. Fans in London, stay tuned for a once in a lifetime experience and see your favourite dinosaurs come to life right in front of your eyes!”

The exhibition arrives in London after something of a world tour. It first launched in Melbourne and has since travelled across America — including stops in Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and Philadelphia — and through Seoul, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

The Jurassic Park franchise, based on a science fiction novel of the same name by Michael Crichton, first attracted widespread public attention when Steven Spielberg directed a 1993 film which shared its title with Crichton’s book. It starred Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sir Richard Attenborough. There have since been five sequels, including this year’s release.

Tickets start at £13, though under-twos go free with an accompanying adult. For more information, visit jurassicworldexhibition.com

In the inimitable words of Samuel L. Jackson’s Ray Arnold, hold onto your butts; Jurassic World: The Exhibition is coming to London. From August 25, prehistoric life will find a way once more, with dinosaurs from the cinematic blockbuster clawing their way out of the big screen to be viewed in all their needle-toothed, long-necked or water-rippling glory inside the sprawling ExCeL London. You’ll be able to channel your inner Alan Grant as you encounter life-sized dinosaurs up close, take in the amber-trapped specimens of Hammond Lab and even meet some baby dinos. Sign up to the waitlist now to be first in line for tickets.

Sign up for the waitlist now to be one of the first to get tickets before they open to the public on Thursday, June 23, at 12pm!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a real Jurassic World experience without some whopping wooden gates to wander through. You’ll no doubt be humming the iconic tune in your head as they open dramatically to reveal the expansive space of ExCel London transformed into a prehistoric wilderness; floors appear dappled with sunlight that has shone through a tangle of branches, while ferns and leafy branches will sprout from every corner, giving the illusion that you have truly stepped into the millennia-old forests of the Jurassic period. Look out for glinting teeth or beady yellow eyes gleaming among the shrubbery – you might be doing the viewing but chances are there’s a scaly-something watching you right back.

Sign up to the waitlist now to be first in line to explore this wondrous world of dinosaurs.

On your exploratory stroll through Jurassic World: The Exhibition you’ll discover all manner of roarsome dinosaur delights. Gaze up at the treetop-munching Brachiosaurus – one of the largest creatures to ever roam the earth – get close (as you dare) to the clever girls of the raptor paddock and pay a visit to the Tyrannosaurus Rex where you’ll hear that rumbling roar and witness that bone-crushing grin with your own two eyes. Each incredible roaring and moving dinosaur has been re-created with fascinating detail, so you can take in every scale, pointed talon and jagged horn up close with none of the realism lost.

It’s not all chomping jaws and deadly glares, there’s some adorable wide-eyed residents that are sure to delight visitors of all ages. You can snap a selfie with a baby raptor, pterodactyl or even the beloved Bumpy (an Ankylosaurus) from Camp Cretaceous. Plus, you may even get to peek at the tiny Parasaurolophus babies in their incubator.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition is a must for fans of the epic film franchise. Not only can you put yourself in the mud-splattered boots of Owen Grady (or if you fancy a challenge, the slightly more precarious white heels of Claire Deering) as you immerse yourself in interactive scenes inspired by the hit films, but you can also see where it all started: Hammond Creation Lab. Inside, you’ll find out how geneticists discovered the secret to bringing these prehistoric creatures back to life – hint: it all comes down to a certain mosquito that was entombed in amber all those years ago. Be sure to sign up to the waitlist now to be first in line to discover this world of dinosaurs right on your doorstep.

Meet the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar. Tickets to Jurassic World: The Exhibition go on sale on Thursday, June 23, at 12pm, but you can get exclusive access to presale tickets by signing up to the waitlist here.

Ancient Egypt is migrating its way to the Golden (Gate) City — minus the pyramids, Saharan desert sands, River Nile and blazing summer heat.

San Francisco’s de Young Museum announced this week that it will host the touring “Ramses the Great and the Gold of Pharaohs” exhibition from Aug. 20 to Feb. 12, transporting museum goers back 3,200 years. This is the first new exhibition dedicated to Egyptian king Ramses II in 30 years, and the first to be presented in San Francisco.

More than 180 newly discovered gold and silver treasures including royal statues, sarcophagi, masks, jewelry and ornate golden tomb objects will be on display — most of which have never left Egypt before.

Ramses the Great was the third king of the 19th dynasty of ancient Egypt and reigned from 1279 to 1190 BCE, the second longest reign in Egyptian history. He erected more monuments and statues than any other pharaoh and is considered the “height” of Egypt’s power and glory.

The troves of work and art come from royal tombs of the 12th dynasty, about 600 to 700 years before Ramses II and of the 21st and 22nd dynasties, about 200 to 300 years after him.

Thomas P. Campbell, director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco said these “rarely seen” treasures are on an international tour and will soon return to Egyptian museums and they will likely not travel again for decades. The exhibition is currently on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science until June 19.

“Ramses II is considered to be the greatest king ever to rule Egypt,” says Egypt’s secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr Mostafa Waziri. “This exhibition will illuminate the pivotal moments that earned the great pharaoh his place in history, while bringing visitors face-to-face with absolutely stunning Egyptian artifacts.”

Although treasures from Ramses the Great’s tomb in the Valley of Kings will not be present, as it was plundered in ancient times, the exhibition makes use of artifacts from other royal tombs like archaeological sites Dahshur and Tanis.

On view for the first time, the grand installation also includes newly discovered animal mummies like small cats, lion cubs and a mongoose from the Saqqara necropolis.

Drone photography, immersive video, multimedia production and photomurals re-create the life and accomplishments of Ramses the Great, including his monumental building projects and triumph at the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittite Empire.

The exhibition offers a virtual reality component called “Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris,” which will be installed in the museum’s Piazzoni Murals Room and available for an extra charge.

“Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” is one of the most remarkable exhibitions to ever tour the globe, and it is a true honor for it to visit the great city of San Francisco and the de Young museum. We encourage patrons from across the region, and the country, to make it a point to come and see this splendid display,” Waziri said.

The new de Young exhibition follows the popular “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” display back in 2009, which featured over 130 objects from the tomb of King Tut. Tut reigned in the 18th Egyptian dynasty and Ramses the Great followed directly after.

Tickets go on sale July 6, but museum members can purchase as early as June 22. For more information, visit https://deyoung.famsf.org/.

The de Young Museum will be the exclusive West Coast venue for the international touring exhibition “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs,” the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco announced Monday, June 6.

The show, which opens Aug. 20 and runs through Feb. 12, is the first new exhibition dedicated to Egyptian ruler Ramses II in 30 years and is the first to be presented in San Francisco. Tickets go on sale for museum members June 22, with tickets made available to the general public starting July 6.

“ ‘Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs’ reveals the power and splendor of ancient Egypt, and expands on the history conveyed within our own ancient art collections,” FAMSF Director and CEO Thomas P. Campbell said in a statement. “Once the exhibition completes its international tour, these objects will return to Egyptian museums and will likely not travel again for decades.”

Although Ramses’ tomb in the Valley of the Kings was plundered during ancient times, the exhibition is able to make use of artifacts from other royal tombs including ones in Dahshur and Tanis to suggest the kind of pieces that would have been included in Ramses’ burial. The exhibition is slated to showcase more than 180 objects including jewelry, royal statuary, artworks, precious gold and silver items, sarcophagi and masks, many of which are newly discovered and have never left Egypt.

Recently discovered animal mummies from the Saqqara necropolis will also be on view for the first time, among them small cats, lion cubs and a mongoose.

Renée Dreyfus, the newly endowed George and Judy Marcus Distinguished Curator, and curator in charge of ancient art at FAMSF, called the pieces part of an unrivaled trove and “jumped at the chance to have the museum acquire the exhibition.”

“Ramses the Great is regarded as as the most celebrated and most powerful pharaoh of the new kingdom,” said Dreyfus, who has worked for the museums for 45 years. “That was Egypt’s golden age, and that meant that he was overseeing a very wealthy and powerful empire. The exquisite sculpture and the great architecture, the monumental temples that he built to himself and to the gods, were meant for the ages.”

“Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” comes to San Francisco in partnership with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt and is produced by World Heritage Exhibitions, a subsidiary of Cityneon Holdings.

Ramses II, the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, was considered a distinguished military leader with his many campaigns across the African continent. He’s renowned for his large-scale building projects, which included the Ramesseum temple complex at Qurna, the Abu Simbel temple complex near the Egypt-Sudan border, and a series of monuments to himself built across Sudan’s Nubian region. He also has the distinction of being one of the longest-ruling kings of Egypt, with a 67-year reign.

In popular culture, he is thought to be the ruler depicted in the Old Testament story of Moses and the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt.

In addition to the artifacts, Dreyfus notes the exhibition’s use of technology. Drone photography, immersive video and photo murals will be utilized to show Ramses’ epic building projects and illustrate the story of his triumph at the chariot Battle of Kadesh. A virtual reality component, “Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris,” will also be installed in the museum’s Piazzoni Murals Room (viewable for an additional charge) and includes cinematic motion chairs that take visitors through the Abu Simbel and Nefertari’s Tomb monuments.

“How are you going to show the scale of the monuments and the bigger-than-life image that Ramses presented?” Dreyfus asked. “You do that with photo blowups, videos and multimedia presentations.”

“Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Opens Aug. 20. On view through Feb. 12. $20-$40. Additional charge for “Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris” to be announced. De Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, S.F. 415-750-3600. deyoung.famsf.org

Cityneon, a Singapore-based experience entertainment company, is looking to shore up its balance sheet for organic and inorganic growth opportunities via multiple funding options, Group CEO Ron Tan said.

Among the opportunities it could opt for is the acquisition of additional intellectual properties (IPs) in both the global blockbuster and original artefact categories, Tan said. Bolt-on targets could also include companies that can help strengthen its ability to create an immersive experience.

The acquisitions of additional IPs, as well as more events backed by a growing number of exhibition sets, will require an estimated capital expenditure of USD 100m in 2023. This means the company will need to explore debt and equity funding options, in both the private and public markets, to shore up its balance sheet to support its growth plans, Tan said.

According to two sources familiar with the matter, Cityneon is exploring a re-listing on Singapore Exchange (SGX).It has discussed with investment banks, including Morgan Stanley, about the potential re-listing, which may take place in 2H23, the first source said.

Morgan Stanley did not respond to requests for comment.

An IPO is part of the company’s growth journey, but not a destination, Tan said. What Cityneon needs to do is to stay IPO-ready so that it can seize the window of opportunity, the executive said. Advisors have approached Cityneon with proposals, and Hong Kong, Singapore and the US are on Cityneon’s radar, but the company has no fixed timeline yet for a re-listing exercise, he added.

There are also alternative sources of funding in the private market despite the volatility in public markets, the CEO noted.

Cityneon launched a private placement round in 4Q20 that may pave the way for a re-listing in Hong Kong as Johnson Ko – its major shareholder – is an experienced financier there, Mergermarket
reported in December2020.

It subsequently announced the closing of the SGD 235m (USD 169m) funding round in April 2021 from existing and new investors, including EDBI, Pavilion Capital, Doha Venture Capital and Seatown Holdings. EDBI is the investment arm of Singapore’s Economic Development Board, while Pavilion Capital and Seatown Holdings are backed by Singapore’s state investor Temasek.

That funding round valued Cityneon at over SGD 1bn, Tan said. It has since acquired additional studio IPs, diversified into original artefact IP vertical and expanded into new locations such as Qatar and China’s Wuxi.

Cityneon was taken private in 1Q19 through an SGD 318m offer by a consortium led by Ko and Tan. Later in the same year, it received investments from China-based private equity firm CITIC Capital, EDBI and Pavilion Capital.

IP Management

Cityneon used to focus on interior architecture and conventional exhibition operations, but it has transformed itself as an IP management business via a number of acquisitions.

Through its subsidiary, Victory Hill Exhibitions, which the company acquired in 2015, Cityneon has secured multi-year licensing rights for immersive walk-through events based on films such as Marvel’s Avengers, Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games, Hasbro’s Transformers, and Warner Bros’ DC Comics and Wizarding World.

During the pandemic, it made its foray into historical artefacts IP exhibitions via its subsidiary, World Heritage Exhibitions, which it acquired in 2021. One example of its diversification into this category is the debut of the Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru in Florida in October 2021 to include around 200 rare artefacts, with support from the Peruvian government, Tan said.

The company also announced the acquisition of Tennessee-based animatronic and interactive character creator Animax Designs in January 2020. Animax makes the dinosaurs in Cityneon’s Jurassic World: The Exhibition touring sets, Tan said.

The company currently has a total of 12 movie studio and historical artefact IP partnerships and it will likely announce two additional artefact IPs later this year, he added.

While the company can only take the original set of historical artefacts on a global tour, it can create multiple exhibition sets of each studio IP for exhibitions across different locations concurrently, the executive said. This year, the company is expected to have a total of 17 such exhibition sets, and by 2023, the number is expected to increase to 25 or more, with each set being able to support two to three events in a year, he said.

Diverse Geographic Presence

Since its privatization, Cityneon has been operating mostly in a pandemic environment, but its global reach has helped it withstand the COVID-19 disruptions, Tan said.

In 2020, the Chinese market bounced back quickly from the health crisis and Cityneon managed to remotely reopen its Jurassic World: The Exhibition in Chengdu in July 2020, and thereafter in other parts of China. This helped cushion the impact from disruptions elsewhere, Tan said.

This year as China battles a new wave of COVID-19 infections, the company has sent most of the exhibition sets in China to Tokyo, London and other locations, while the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. exhibition, which opened in southern China’s Sanya late last year, is still ongoing.

Cityneon is able to weather the storm also because of its lower cost base, Tan said. While the company needs to invest in exhibition sets, the unit cost has declined thanks to the economies of scale. Besides, it does not take the execution risks in most of the events and instead work with local partners such as media and real estate companies. These partners take care of the venue, logistics, marketing and other matters while paying an upfront fee to and sharing the ticket sales with Cityneon, Tan explained.

In April this year, the company recorded its best-performing month, driven by the pent-up demand and the easing of COVID restrictions in various markets. In Paris, where the Machu Picchu exhibition was launched a month ago, it has already recorded close to 100,000 visitors, he added.

Today, the company generates 70% of its revenue from ticket sales and the rest from ancillary areas including virtual reality (VR) experience, merchandises, photographs and sponsorships, Tan said.

As an example of VR experience, visitors to the Machu Picchu exhibition can pay extra fees for a virtual walk-through of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is enabled by the VR motion chairs that are equipped with multi-sensory stimulation features, and the visual data of the site was gathered by the company using drones, the executive said.

*This article was first published by Mergermarket.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues with
MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION

Cityneon Holdings, a global experience entertainment company, has announced an update to one of its most popular travelling IP experiences.

The firm has revealed that MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION will premiere at Grandscape in The Colony, at Dallas this summer.

The original experience, MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N., debuted in New York in July 2014 and has since been transported to 25 cities including Las Vegas, London and Paris, featuring in 13 countries around the world. It will soon be showcased to the Japanese audience in Tokyo.

A wider universe

Millions of fans have already experienced the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with Cityneon’s immersive exhibition, which, for the first time, will be updated to reflect highlights from all four phases of the MCU. New series and films including Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Black Widow and more will be explored in the new MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION experience.

Group CEO and chairman Ron Tan says: “This immersive Super Hero experience is going to be bigger and better. After impressing global audiences with our award-winning experience, MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N., we are confident that we will delight even more visitors with this brand-new, upgraded Super Hero experience, MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION, coming to our friends in Dallas this summer.”

Paquin Entertainment Group producer Justin Paquin adds: “We are thrilled to launch the World Premiere in Dallas where families will be amazed and entertained as they are immersed in an experience that is unlike anything they have done before.”

An original experience

The refreshed exhibition will consist of seven sections for guests to experience through an MCU-inspired high-energy facility.

Visitors will be able to examine and interact with popular characters, weapons, vehicles and technologies from the Avengers series. Other experiences developed by Cityneon include real-world science exhibits, and experience interactive challenges and simulations. In addition, guests will be able to get up-close with original costumes and props, located in the fictional environments where the epic stories take place.

More information on MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION, which debuts in Texas, can be found on the official website.

Earlier this month Cityneon announced Avatar: The Experience, set to open at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay to coincide with the upcoming film sequel.

Cityneon and Paquin Entertainment Group have announced the launch city for the world premiere of MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION set to open this Summer at Grandscape in The Colony, just north of Downtown Dallas.

MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N., which made its debut in New York in July 2014, and has showcased the Avengers worldwide in 25 cities (13 countries) including Paris, London, Las Vegas and soon Tokyo, has attracted millions of fans by allowing them to experience the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through an immersive exhibition. Now, this experience has been updated to reflect key moments from all four phases of the MCU, including Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Black Widow and more.

“This immersive superhero experience is going to be bigger and better,” says Ron Tan, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Cityneon Holdings. “After impressing global audiences with our award-winning experience, MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N., we are confident that we will delight even more visitors with this brand-new, upgraded superhero experience, MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION, coming to our friends in Dallas this summer.”

Justin Paquin, Producer, Paquin Entertainment Group, also shared, “We are thrilled to launch the World Premiere in Dallas where families will be amazed and entertained as they are immersed in an experience that is unlike anything they have done before.”

The exhibition consists of seven segments where guests will experience the MCU in a journey through this high-energy facility. Here, they can explore characters, discover the weapons, vehicles and technologies of the Avengers, learn real-world science, and experience interactive challenges and simulations. In addition, guests will get an up-close look at original costumes, props and film footage straight from the big screen while surrounded by the landscapes and worlds where these stories take place.

Marvel Studios’ Iron Man was released in 2008 and lead the way for the next 22 films that culminated in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

Marvel superhero fans will have the chance to experience their favorite crime fighters in person this summer. Cityneon and Paquin Entertainment Group have scheduled the world premiere of Marvel Avengers Station: Evolution this summer at Grandscape in The Colony, just north of downtown Dallas, the group announced on Tuesday, April 19.

“This immersive superhero experience is going to be bigger and better,” says Ron Tan, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Cityneon Holdings in a news release. “After impressing global audiences with our award-winning experience, Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., we are confident that we will delight even more visitors with this brand-new, upgraded super hero experience, Marvel Avengers Station: Evolution, coming to our friends in Dallas this summer.”

Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. made its debut in New York in July 2014 and has showcased the Avengers worldwide in 13 countries and 25 cities including Paris, London, and Las Vegas. The exhibit has attracted millions of fans by allowing them to experience the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through the exhibit, according to a news release. For the first time, the experience will reflect key moments from all four phases of the MCU, including WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Black Widow and more.

The exhibit will have seven segments that guests can journey though the “high-energy facility.” Guests can explore their favorite characters, discover weapons, vehicles and technologies of the Avengers, learn inspiring real-world science and interactive challenges and simulations. Fans will get the chance to see original costumes, props, and film footage while being surrounded by the landscapes and worlds where the stories took place.

“We are thrilled to launch the world premiere in Dallas where families will be amazed and entertained as they are immersed in an experience that is unlike anything they have done before,” Justin Paquin, Paquin Entertainment Group producer, said in the release.

Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but fans can register for pre-sale access at their website.

The botanical world of AVATAR will be brought to life in Singapore

Cityneon Holdings, a global experience entertainment company, has announced a new film IP-based experience that will open to guests later this year in Singapore.

Debuting at Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest, Avatar: The Experience is a new immersive walkthrough event based on the hit film. The unique AVATAR attraction will be the result of a collaboration between Cityneon Holdings, Disney Location-Based Experiences, and James Cameron and Jon Landau’s Lightstorm Entertainment.

Top-grossing film

Executive chairman and group CEO for Cityneon, Ron Tan, says: “It is an honour to present Avatar: The Experience with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board and Gardens by the Bay. We are excited to contribute to the inspiring creative culture of Singapore.

“The iconic Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, one of Asia’s most popular horticultural attractions, becomes the perfect scenic location. We look forward to welcoming guests to this carefully-curated event.”

Kathy Franklin, Lightstorm Entertainment’s president of franchise development adds: “The opening of Avatar: The Experience in Singapore is a unique opportunity to continue expanding the global reach and impact of AVATAR, the highest-grossing film of all time. As the first of our four AVATAR sequels comes to theatres this December, this is the perfect time – and the perfect place – to explore and celebrate the wonders of Pandora in an all-new way.”

“A unique opportunity”

The new experience will be found at Cloud Forest, known for its iconic waterfalls, spiralling pathways and a soaring contemporary greenhouse.

Gardens by the Bay CEO Felix Loh says: “Over the years, Gardens by the Bay has emerged as a foremost icon for Singapore. Many visitors associate the aesthetic of Gardens by the Bay with the stunning environments from the film AVATAR. Even more remarkable is the shared appreciation for the natural world that surrounds us. This collaborative opportunity serves as a one-of-a-kind event and adds to the significance of our 10th-anniversary celebrations.”

Avatar: The Experience will invite visitors to connect with the alien world of Pandora. Guests will discover its bioluminescent environments with a selection of mystical creatures and flora, whilst discovering the culture of its indigenous people, the Na’vi.

Ashlynn Loo of the Singapore Tourist Board says the organisation is thrilled that Singapore will be the debut venue for Avatar: The Experience: “As we prepare to welcome more visitors, such innovative and immersive experiences are a timely addition to our calendar of vibrant leisure events and reinforce our destination attractiveness.

“The experience also demonstrates the industry’s confidence in Singapore’s strong fundamentals as a leisure destination and is testament to our exemplary track record in delivering high-quality experiences.”

Further details about the experience will be released soon. More information will be found in the coming months on the official Avatar: The Experience website.

Cityneon was recently awarded by the Advanced Imaging Society for its work on Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor, which was given the “Best Use of VR” accolade.