18 Immersive Experiences in Madrid: The Sensory Side of Culture

Developed in collaboration with experts from Harvard University, this virtual reality expedition allows visitors to explore the Giza Plateau and access areas of the necropolis that are off-limits to the general public.

The immersive tour takes visitors 4,500 years back in time to witness the funeral rites and embalming of Pharaoh Khufu. The activity is designed for the curious, archaeology enthusiasts, and families with children over 10 years old (minimum height of 1.30 m).

Here, you enter barefoot, feeling everything with every step. The tower of La Casa Encendida hosts an installation by Brazilian artist Bruno Leitão, who seeks a “foundation” (honoring the title of his creation)—that is, “a downward movement that explores that which sustains and, at the same time, conditions all forms of knowledge.” The materials in the installation serve as connections between subject and matter, between memory and reason, between sensation and thought.

The Odyssey is the new experience that MAD Artes Digitales is presenting in Hall 16 at Matadero: a journey beyond the epic poem, through five immersive rooms and guided by Homer himself, with whom we’ll delve into Mycenaean Greece.

Recommended for ages 5 and up, the experience moves away from the “look but don’t touch” approach and turns us into the protagonists of the adventure, thanks to technologies such as virtual reality, the metaverse, and 360° projections. Thus, we’ll be able to meet the gods of Olympus, venture into the city of Troy inside the mythical wooden horse, or face the hypnotic song of the sirens. And before our odyssey comes to an end (where a hologram of Homer bids us farewell), we’ll be able to return home to the island of Ithaca, crowned as true epic heroes.

At LEGENDS The Home of Football, you experience soccer from the inside: a PlayStation area to play FIFA, virtual reality to immerse yourself in plays like the “goal of the century,” and rooms that take you on a tour of the world’s greatest stadiums or the history of the sport, featuring moments like the impromptu match during the Christmas Truce.

The tour is rounded out with a 4D cinema-style experience: moving seats, surround sound, and effects that accompany a journey through the great tournaments. Here, you don’t just watch—you feel it.

“Smithsonian Among the Stars” offers a virtual reality expedition that transforms real astronomical data and images from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, NASA, and the ESA into a space journey through which you can move with complete freedom. The adventure begins at the summit of Mount Hopkins, where the astronaut and virtual guide Astro welcomes you before setting off into the cosmos aboard telescopes such as the Hubble or the James Webb.

The journey allows visitors to get close to the Sun to hear its vibrations, explore the lava volcanoes of the diamond planet Janssen, gaze at the supernova of the red supergiant star Betelgeuse, or peer into the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of the Milky Way.

When we say that Madrid has it all, we’re referring to things like this: a museum that explores light through artistic installations, reflections, effects, and installations. An immersive space where, room by room, you can immerse yourself in light art.

An immersive art gallery? A fabulous social media sensation? The ultimate way to relive your childhood? IKONO is all that and more: it’s art, photography, and experience. It’s the perfect experiential space to share with friends or family.

The IKONO concept, which revolves around four elements—color, light, textures, and volumes—unfolds across twelve rooms, spread over three floors, that bring dreamlike landscapes—such as bamboo forests—and fantasies—such as a ball pit—to life indoors.

Imagine walking into a theater where there is no “fourth wall.” That’s exactly what happens at The Jury Experience, where you play an active role in the experience. From your seat, you’ll serve as a juror in a complex court case, deciding whether the defendant is innocent or guilty.

From crimes that began with a love triangle to high-stakes thefts or AI errors with fatal consequences, each case will challenge us to confront our own principles in complex moral dilemmas. Forensic evidence, testimonies… Are you good at reading between the lines? Put yourself to the test in this immersive theater experience.

An immersive experience for the little ones, who will step into a laboratory that’s absolutely crazy but also educational: Chaos Lab will open its doors this November with a variety of instructors (and the charismatic Doctor Splat) who will teach them basic scientific concepts through games, activities, experiments… and lots of fun.

BuzzAttack feels like literally stepping onto a TV show: screens everywhere, spotlights, a giant wheel, and a set that replicates a real TV studio down to the last detail. Everything is designed to create a fully immersive experience, from the AI-generated host to the quick challenges, the buttons, and the sounds of the studio itself.

This is the immersive experience for all of us who once wanted to be astronauts or imagined ourselves as Matthew McConaughey in *Interstellar*. “Luna: A Journey to the Moon” takes place in a virtual space and immerses participants in the Apollo 11 odyssey—that is, the moon landing on July 20, 1969, when man first set foot on the surface of the Moon.

A place where anything is possible: becoming a giant, disappearing, playing with gravity, and more. And it’s not magic—it’s science, specifically the visual tricks used by magicians, which this museum applies in a highly educational way to surprise us at each of its interactive installations.

Spark Island is a leisure center that combines the classic escape room with much more immersive activities. On one hand, it features an escape room that breaks away from tradition with challenges that are highly interactive; on the other, it boasts a huge virtual reality room full of secrets. It’s the perfect place to go with friends or to enjoy a fun team-building activity.

You’re sure to recognize songs like “Money, Money” or “Mein Herr,” musical theater classics from the show *Cabaret*. Although Madrid has hosted various adaptations of this musical (and how could we forget the film starring Liza Minnelli?), this year brings a version that goes a step further, offering what you’d expect but in a constantly evolving setting—that of the Kit Kat Club itself (the show’s original venue)—where the performers interact with the audience as they become part of the show.

Imageen offers a tour of the city’s most iconic monuments using virtual reality headsets instead of a traditional guide (though a guide does accompany you for your safety). For about 90 minutes, figures like Felipe V or Manuela Malasaña share surprising trivia while everyday Madrid transforms before your eyes. An experience that blends culture, technology, and an urban stroll with a healthy dose of history.

40 minutes with a pair of virtual reality goggles; 40 minutes immersed in exploring the Titanic in the depths of the Atlantic. This virtual reality experience uncovers personal stories drawn from the testimonies of some of the survivors, in addition to recreating the ship’s interior.

Everything here is pastel-colored, grand, and spectacular. Sweet Space Museum is a place of pure entertainment for the little ones, with a central theme of all things sweet, candy, “kawaii,” and the cutest of the cute. A series of rooms themed by different artists will amaze you at every turn. Plus, the museum has just launched its own virtual reality experience.

The simplest way to define OXO is as follows: “a gamer’s paradise.” Inside, you’ll find vintage arcade machines and state-of-the-art video games to try out, reminisce about, and be amazed by.