Immersive entertainment experiences are gaining ground in Spain
Spain is establishing immersive leisure as a new gateway to its destinations, where digital museums, historic sites, repurposed industrial spaces, family-friendly activities, and virtual reality experiences are turning a cultural visit into an interactive experience. In cities such as Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville, this technology is integrated with heritage, art, history, and entertainment, aiming to attract audiences seeking emotion, learning, surprise, and shared memories. The key to this expansion lies not only in the screen but in building narratives that are able to immerse visitors. The most consistent proposals turn sound, light, scale, play, and interaction into narrative tools, so that each route acquires its own rhythm, one that is closer to immersion than to contemplation. Valencia offers a particularly rich proposal of this phenomenon. Bombas Gens Centre d’Arts Digitals, located in Marxalenes in the refurbished halls of an old factory, will host The Last Days of Pompeii from October, which combines 360º projections, virtual reality, interactive spaces, and historical artifacts to recreate daily life in Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius.
This city also features La Luz de San Nicolás, where the heritage of the Church of San Nicolás is reinterpreted through video mapping, interactive totems, and a light installation. At the Hemisfèric, in the City of Arts and Sciences, The Fulldome Journey has premiered, an immersive audiovisual experience centered around the world of mathematics. The proposal, recommended for all audiences aged 12 and above, combines science, art, geometry, and sound in an immersive experience. Madrid further expands the provision with different formats. MAD Madrid Artes Digitales, in Matadero, explores audiovisual projections, augmented-virtual reality, and holography. Meanwhile, the Nomad Immersive Museum presents El Greco, Velázquez, Goya: The Immortal Triad, a visual and sound interpretation of Spanish painting; while F1® Arcade Madrid turns the passion for Formula 1 into an experience combining competition, skill levels, individual or team races, VIP areas, gastronomy, and events such as watch parties for the Grand Prix races. Barcelona offers proposals where identity, creativity, and participation go hand in hand. White Rabbit – The Off Museum explores Catalan traditions, neighborhood festivals, the trencadís technique, San Juan, and contemporary culture through ten interactive rooms created by local artists. Balloon Story Barcelona transforms balloons into fantasy spaces for people of all ages, while the Gaudí Year promotes night sessions, escape rooms, and other gamified proposals centered around the city’s architectural heritage.
This trend also extends to Seville, with Eclipse and its virtual reality expeditions. This city is also home to the Museum of Illusions, an interactive experience featuring optical illusions, holograms, rotating rooms, and mirrors. In addition, there are historically themed proposals such as The firstcircumnavigation of the Earth, at the Nao Victoria Center, where audiovisual presentations, exhibits, and facsimiles recount the voyage of the Nao Victoria. Spain is thus shaping a diverse and immersive program, designed to enhance travel experiences and revitalize the relationship between culture and visitors.