Superstar Adele is at the forefront of a new fashion that is dragging London: a night of virtual reality.
The singer has been seen enjoying regular nights at VR venues since the blocking rules for going out were relaxed. Other stars who stuck to the trend include fellow singer Skepta and broadcaster Jonathan Ross.
The success of the virtual exit is based on Otherworld, which specializes in virtual reality venues, which told City AM today that it has secured close to £ 3 million in venture capital to open new centers in London, Victoria and Birmingham.
The company also plans to open new spaces in Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow in the next twelve months and is understood to be looking for “franchise partners” in the US and Germany.
Its venues have proven to be so popular since closing that customers have to book their seats weeks in advance.
“We’ve seen overwhelming demand, despite the pandemic,” said Chris Adams, general manager and co-founder of the company. City AM
“People are looking for ever-increasing levels of immersion, but through social experiences they can enjoy it with friends and family.”
Adams said the company plans to use some of the £ 2.9 million it has secured from Edge Investments “to enrich our virtual reality experiences, which already integrate 360-degree effects of heat, wind and noise.”
Since opening its first location in Shoreditch, east London, in 2019, 50,000 people have passed through its doors, the company said.
Movie theater
In contrast to the success of virtual reality event companies, cinema seems to be one of the biggest victims of the pandemic. Cineworld revealed it fell to a record £ 2.2 billion loss in 2020 after closing its cinemas during the pandemic.
The troubled film chain went on to lose a huge pre-tax profit of £ 155.2 million in 2019 after revenue fell by 80% and revenue fell from £ 275 million to £ 54.4 million. dollars.
Shares fell to 14% at one stage, as he also warned that there were still “material uncertainties” about its ability to continue as an ongoing company, given the possibility of further disruptions to its sites and new releases. Movies.
