Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition Review
I’ve always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt. I remember learning about the pyramids in school, being fascinated by exhibitions in museums, and the feeling of awe when I finally travelled to Egypt for Christmas a couple of years ago. So I was happy to be invited to the preview of Tutankhamun: The Immersive Experience.
The exhibition made its London debut on 28th March after captivating over 1.8 million visitors in twelve cities across three continents. It’s an immersive journeyusing cutting edge technology, rich historical narrative and creatively designed galleries to explore ancient Egypt and the myths and mysteries surrounding Pharaoh Tutankhamun as never before. And when they say immersive they truly mean it- there’s projections, Virtual Reality experiences, a world-premiere hologram, and an interactive metaverse. Created in collaboration with Egyptologists and historians, the exhibition is set over a vast 26,909 square foot space at Immerse London and has been designed with children, families, schools and history enthusiasts in mind, as well as those interested in ground-breaking technology.
The first couple of rooms have information boards, artefacts and replicas but it’s King Tut’s death mask that‘a a highlight. Moving into the next room is where the immersive experience begins as you head into one of Europe’s largest immersive video mapping rooms featuring 360-degree projections at 8 metres in height. I took a seat at the far end but it really doesn’t matter where you sit as you’ll be looking around as the brilliant projections change. Throughout this 30-minute immersive movie, we see Egypt’s landscapes, cultural heritage and the life of Tutankhamun. The time flew by and some of the projections such as pyramids and sphinx at night or golden rays coming have stayed with me nearly a week later. The specifically composed score stood out for me in both moments of calm and drama. I also liked the moment of the discovery of the tomb is described in a recorded interview of Howard Carter, the famous British archaeologist, which added authenticity.
The mummification and afterlife process has always been of interest and the experiences for these parts do not disappoint. It was fun to do the Virtual Reality Experience where I awoke as Tutankhamun and journeyed through passages of The Book of the Dead. Next, I experienced the world-premiere hologram which explains the full mummification process of Tutankhamun. Although I’d heard about mummification process before, it was still educational.
Last but certainly not least is the Interactive Digital Metaverse room. Whilst waiting in line we heard a couple of squeals. Once given a headset, you’ll enter the freeroaming Valley of the Kings, exploring Howard Carter’s basecamp, and reliving the monumental moment of the 1922 discovery. Everyone in the experience together has the avatar of Carter’s head. When the experience ended, we couldn’t believe how much we wanted to pick up items like lamps. Don’t miss this as it was my favourite activity. I came out laughing and smiling.
If you’re ever wondered what you’d look like as a Pharaoh, now’s your time to find out. At the end of the experience, you can capture a memento of the day with a photograph in the AI photobooth where you’ll be transformed into a citizen of ancient Egypt. Sadly, I didn’t look great as a Pharaoh.
I’m someone who reads and experiences everything in museums and exhibitions and this was no exception. From walking in til leaving I was there about two hours. I found it both educational and fun, and a clever way to understand more about Egypt.
Tutankhamun: The Immersive Experience will run for a strictly limited 14 weeks, closing on 29th June 2025. Adult tickets will be priced from £20, children from £15.50. The experience is located at Immerse LDN, London’s newest immersive entertainment district at Excel London Waterfront.
Address: Immerse LDN at Excel London Waterfront, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tutankhamunexhibition
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Written by Caitlin Neal
