Hundreds of festive fun seekers headed to the latest opening on Oxford Street this weekend.
Activate – the fast-growing immersive leisure brand transforming competitive socialising – launched its newest UK venue in a prime Oxford Street location, moments from Marble Arch. The state-of-the-art experience features 12 high-energy game rooms, inviting groups of two to five players to jump, climb, solve and score their way through a thrilling, real-world gaming adventure.
Blending the buzz of video games with physical activity, Activate offers a completely new style of gameplay. Participants enter immersive, futuristic rooms filled with lasers, grids, hoops, portals and interactive challenges, where speed, teamwork and skill are key to progressing.
Guests are already raving about the brand, with 5-star TripAdvisor reviews calling Activate: “Best games ever, so exciting and challenging and fun.” The Oxford Street opening marks the next major milestone in Activate's ambitious growth strategy.
It will be closely followed by Activate Vauxhall opening on 13 December, featuring 12 game rooms in two fully refurbished railway arches next to Vauxhall Station, and Activate Westfield White City opening 20 December, with 12 immersive rooms in one of London's busiest retail and leisure hubs. Rich Beese, co-owner of We Do Play, the experiential group leading Activate's UK expansion, said: “We're thrilled to bring Activate to one of the most iconic shopping streets in the world.
“This is just the start, with Vauxhall and Westfield White City launching before Christmas, Londoners will soon have three incredible places to play. The demand for experiences that get people moving, laughing and competing together has never been stronger, and Activate delivers that in an unforgettable way.”
The latest openings continue the momentum of Activate's UK launch. The brand's first UK site opened in London in December 2024 and quickly became one of the city's hottest attractions. By the end of October, more than 125,000 visitors had taken part in the action, driving a wave of positive feedback.
Activate at the O2 now boasts a top-tier TripAdvisor ranking, #6 must-visit attraction in London, and glowing five-star reviews across the board. This summer, the UK's second Activate opened at Newcastle's Metrocentre, welcoming thousands of game players in its first month of opening.
Originally launched in Canada in 2017, Activate has expanded rapidly, now with 60 locations across Canada, the US, and Dubai. On social media, the brand has gone viral, racking up over 750 million views worldwide.
As Activate continues to redefine modern leisure, We Do Play – creators behind hit experiential concepts including Flip Out and Boom Battle Bar – plans to bring the brand to even more major UK destinations next year.
