The Unsinkable ship has disembarked from Dock X, making room for the weather-beaten longships of the UK’s largest ever Viking immersive experience to sail into Canada Water. Taking over the former home of ‘The Legend of the Titanic’, Vikings: The Immersive Experience follows in its multisensory footsteps, bringing history to life with transformative sets, virtual reality, replica artefacts and interactive installations. Curious about this cinematic piece of history drenched in myth and magic, we headed over to experience it for ourselves. Here’s our review of Vikings: The Immersive Experience…
First impressions
Just a heads up that you’re going to want the audio guide for this one. It’s a handy tool to navigate the lore. There’s your classic information-filled placards, but, particularly in the first room, you need that little voice in your ears to spin the tale of a little girl and her wolf cub companion – and dial up the drama a notch. Playing out like a Grimm-reminiscent fairytale, the introductory video is an early sign that you can expect a fusion of history and myth, with the exhibition gleefully blurring the lines between fact and fiction with dramatic flair.
Entertainment is clearly at the heart of the exhibition, but the theatrical storytelling slant doesn’t feel like a rogue choice but rather follows the example of the Vikings themselves. Mythology was such a deeply embedded part of Viking life; it was not merely stories but worldviews, wielded like a weapon as it inspired their conquering, fearless mindset. It’s also one of the most juicy parts to delve into, I mean, a guardian wolf companion and a tree that spans space, time and existence itself? You have my attention – and not just because I’m fresh off a Loki series rewatch. I wonder if the Vikings would have known they would influence popular culture thousands of years later.
It would be easy to opt for flashy battle scenes and longships being tossed around by wild stormy waters, but we’ve already seen that on screen, and refreshingly, this steps off the beaten path to explore a more enchanting facet of the era.
Divine connection seems to be the name of the game in the time of the Vikings. First, there’s the sacred Yggdrasil tree, branching the nine worlds, and then Aslaug, a woman who is a bridge between the mythical realm of dragons and Valkyries, and the land of mortals. To be honest, the exhibition feels like the perfect stage to pitch a film about the intriguing character.
Trees, maps and knots
Entry to the main exhibition is revealed via a stone doorway, and you quickly find this experience not only immersive by name but immersive by nature – quite literally, nature. The sprawling space is transformed into a moss-covered forest, with twisted vines climbing tall trees, walls converted into rocky outcrops and ferns springing from the floors. Don’t worry about tripping hazards; these bursts of nature are restricted to island-like patches throughout, and underlit by a lava-like glow just for an extra, ethereal effect.
As you wander around on rune-stamped floors, you can read giant boards which give you the lowdown on the aforementioned World Tree and, the stars of this particular showcase, Queen Kráka and Ragnar Lodbrok. This is also where your audio guide comes into play, shedding some more light on certain topics, though I am guilty of forgetting it at times
There are plenty of interactive elements throughout, keeping it fun and engaging for the younger visitors. Though I confess it was also quite effective at ensuring the info stuck in my mind. You can press pause on the audio and spend a good few minutes tapping the screens of giant touchscreen maps, which reveal raids, battles, settlements and more depending on where you drag the timeline to. Those of you who need to put your hands to work can also find a wheel-shaped station to practice knots. I discovered seafaring was definitely knot in my future – or past likely. Also, make sure to look out for the sword in the tree if you fancy living out your own King Arthur-style moment (or attempting to).
If any of your questions remain unanswered, just ask Aslaug herself. There are multiple Siri-like stations found throughout, where you ask a question into a microphone and, after a second of pondering, an AI Aslaug will bestow some knowledge. We got a bit creative with our query, expecting a blunt no, but she surprised us. If you’re wondering, no, she doesn’t follow Secret London on Instagram, but she is curious how we share stories nowadays.
Digital wizardry
As is typical for an immersive exhibition, technology is used to add an extra dose of creative magic. The epic sagas and mystical tales of the Vikings work in their favour here, with a virtual reality experience that plunges you inside the story of Aslaug, from her beginnings as the disguised daughter of gods and mortals to becoming Queen Kráka by King Ragnar’s side. Knowingly set up under the branches of a large Yggdrasil tree, the VR headsets await on a circle of faux fur-covered tree stumps for you to pick up when you fancy.
If the virtual reality experience is the origin story, then the 360-degree show is the climactic sequel. You enter the immersive space through a fog-filled portal room called the ‘Mists of Time’, intended as a physical transition which cloaks the world around you to transport you to another dimension. It likely won’t be for everyone – and there’s the choice to walk through an ordinary door if so – but it works as an atmospheric scene setting device.
Inside, a large wooden longship sits in the middle of the screen-wrapped room, offering a fun way to watch the show unfold. Kids especially will enjoy the opportunity to clamber on board and channel their inner Viking. The show tells the story of Aslaug as she grows into her role as Queen Kráka and avenges King Ragnar’s eventual death. Inspired by Norse sagas and historical sources, it does have a way of sucking you in, even if only to witness the next vortex of magical embers swallow the room or see a mystical forest scene spiral into a red-soaked battleground. Soundtracked by folkloric music and battle cries, it’s not lacking in drama either.
Ultimately, Vikings: The Immersive Experience pairs cinematic mystique with real history to an engaging effect. It tries to tick all the boxes for everyone; there are maps, fact-spouting audio guides and artefact replicas for the history lovers, interactive displays for the younger crowds and visual tech-fuelled tales for those of us who can’t resist a good story, but education and entertainment are at its core, which admittedly might not suit the more ostentatious culture vultures.
Personally, the nature-inspired sets and digital landscapes were a highlight, leaning into a Game of Thrones-style aesthetic (no doubt as the books were inspired by Norse legend) and focusing on the untouched wilderness and mythical wonder of the era. It’s not often a journey into history feels so hauntingly otherworldly.
