FAQs

Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience combines immersive theatre, virtual reality, augmented reality, holograms and cutting-edge technology, all set to Jeff Wayne's iconic score; giving audiences the chance to live through the Martian invasion of 1898.

No, not at all! We have designed the experience to be understood and enjoyed by those who don’t know anything about The War of The Worlds.

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: Peak times only*

Thursday: 12:00 - 22:30

Friday: 12:00 - 23:00

Saturday: 10:30 - 23:00

Sunday: 10:30 - 21:00

Opening hours are subject to change.

*We're open Wednesday: 12:00 - 22:30 in peak times, half term, and school holidays.

Our address is:
56 Leadenhall Street
London
EC3A 2BJ
United Kingdom

By Tube - The closest tube station is Aldgate (Circle and Metropolitan Line). Aldgate East, Bank , Liverpool Street, Tower Hill and Tower Gateway stations are also nearby.

By Train - The closest overground station is Fenchurch Street. Liverpool Street and Cannon Street stations are also nearby.

By Bus - Bus Routes 25, N25 and N550 stop directly outside the venue at St Katharine Cree bus stop, eastbound from St Paul’s Cathedral or westbound from Whitechapel.

By Car - There is no designated parking at the venue. The closest NCP carpark is Whitechapel High Street, E1 7RA.

By Bike - There is cycle parking on Leadenhall Street and a Santander docking station at Jewry Street, Aldgate.

Your experience will last for around 1 hour 50 mins, including a 20 minute interval in The Red Weed Bar. We also have our very own steampunk themed bar - The Spirit of Man, where you can enjoy drinks and delicious meals before and after your experience.

Don’t worry, it’s a fun experience and most people don’t find it too scary. There are some surprises, shocks, and moments of suspense but it’s not too scary overall.

As this is an immersive experience, across two floors, we recommend you wear comfortable clothing and flat trainers or shoes. High heels, flip flops or similar are not suitable and our team reserve the right to refuse entry for health and safety reasons.

Children aged 10-15yrs will require parental consent via a waiver prior to admission and must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+ at all times.

The recommended minimum age is 10yrs. Please note that some scenes are very dark with loud noises, which some children may not enjoy. Children aged 10-15yrs will require parental consent via a waiver prior to admission and must be accompanied by an adult 18+ at all times. Under 18s must vacate the main bar area by 8pm.

Tickets cost £45 to £82. Save up to £24 per ticket by booking early, as prices increase with demand. Limited VIP tickets are available from £120.

Each ticket is subject to a £2.50 booking fee.

Step further into the story with our unique VIP package including food, drink, souvenirs and character interactions created specially to give you the very best and most memorable experience. A VIP Ticket includes:

• Custom moments added to your group's journey.
• A delicious handmade steampunk meal and house drink.
• An exclusive themed Red Weed Cocktail to enjoy during the interval.
• A souvenir printed photograph and programme of the show.
• A merch bundle worth over £25
• Reserved VIP area in The Spirit of Man after the show.

Our performances are priced according to demand, a bit like an airline. The earlier you book the less your tickets will cost, and you can save money by choosing less busy days. You’ll get the biggest discount if you book early, and we promise our ticket prices will never go down after they go on sale.

Each ticket is subject to a £2.50 booking fee.

You can currently book up to 12 tickets per order (subject to availability). If you would like to book more than 12 tickets please visit our Group Booking page.

The war of The Worlds is a great experience for groups. Groups of 10-12 save £5 per ticket using discount code GROUPS85W at checkout. For larger group bookings please visit our Group Bookings page.

We advise booking tickets in advance for your preferred date & time, as this will work out cheaper. There may be a limited number of tickets available at the venue for experiences taking place on the day but this is not guaranteed.

Yes, you can order any of the below with your tickets -

Ultimate Package - £40 Your ultimate night out includes a delicious handmade steampunk meal & house drink, the themed Red Weed Cocktail to enjoy during the interval, a printed souvenir photograph & programme of the show PLUS one item of merchandise up to the value of £10. Price per person.

Interval Cocktail - £10
Pre-order The exclusive themed Red Weed Cocktail to enjoy during the interval. This delicious cocktail includes a seasoned blend of fresh apple presse, prosecco, berries & our secret ingredient. For ages 18+. Price per person.

Meal & House Drink - £16
Enjoy a delicious handmade steampunk meal and a house beer/wine/spirit. Vegetarian & vegan options available. For ages 18+. Price per person.

Meal & Soft Drink - £13
Enjoy a delicious handmade steampunk meal and a soft drink. Vegetarian & vegan options available. Price per person.

Merch Bundle - £40
Make your experience one to remember by taking away a merch bundle full of our most popular items. These include a classic mug, poster, notebook, The Red Weed pen, magnet & keyring inside an exclusive tote bag. Price per person.

Souvenir Photograph - £15
Take away an incredible memory from your experience fighting the Martians with a souvenir printed photograph and programme of the show.

No, you can show the digital copies to the box office upon arrival.

When you book via our website, you should receive the tickets by email shortly afterwards. If you haven’t received any confirmation, please check your spam/junk folder in case it ends up in there. If you still can’t find it, please email us at [email protected].

Yes, you can purchase gift vouchers HERE. The Layered Reality™ gift voucher can be used as part or full payment to buy tickets and preorder food, drink and photos.

Our Flexible Exchange Policy lets you change your tickets anytime up until 5pm the day before your experience by paying an £8 exchange fee per ticket. Simply contact us and we’ll email you a gift voucher (minus the fee), so you can rebook when you're ready. Please note tickets are non-refundable.

Separate terms apply for Group Bookings.

Our Flexible Exchange Policy lets you change your tickets anytime up until 5pm the day before your experience by paying an £8 exchange fee per ticket. Simply contact us and we’ll email you a gift voucher (minus the fee), so you can rebook when you're ready. Please note tickets are non-refundable. In the event that the experience is temporarily closed due to force majeure, guests will be offered a gift voucher of the same value, to visit the experience upon re-opening.

Separate terms apply for Group Bookings. Please see here.

Vouchers can only be redeemed online via our website. You can use your Layered Reality™ voucher as part or full payment to buy tickets and preorder food, drink and photos. At the checkout when purchasing tickets, enter your unique gift voucher code and this will deduct the voucher amount from your order total. Only one voucher code can be used per order.

Our Flexible Exchange Policy lets you change your tickets anytime up until 5pm the day before your experience by paying an £8 exchange fee per ticket. Simply contact us and we’ll email you a gift voucher (minus the fee), so you can rebook when you're ready. Please note tickets are non-refundable.

Separate terms apply for Group Bookings. Please see here.

Please email Guest Services on [email protected] with the following information:

Name

16 digit Voucher Number

4 digit Pin

Show Name

Preferred show date/time

If the tickets cost more you will need to pay the outstanding amount using a debit/credit card.

Each performance is limited to 8-12 people.

We provide complimentary lockers to store any bags or loose articles and you will be given instructions on how to use them upon arrival. Please note, we will not be held responsible for any lost or stolen items.

We’re a completely cashless venue so you’ll need a payment card or contactless payment device to pay for food, drink and merchandise. We accept all major credit and debit cards types, including American Express.

Yes, we have two bars. The Spirit of Man Bar & Restaurant has a full range of cocktails, beers, wines, spirits, pizzas, burgers, salads, snacks & more. The Red Weed bar in the interval offers a selection of drinks & snacks including ice creams subject to availability and our signature Red Weed Cocktail.

No, table reservations are not required.

The VR headsets are designed to be universal and adjust for different head sizes.

If you normally wear glasses we recommend you wear them for this experience or use contact lenses. The Virtual Reality headsets are fully adjustable to accommodate glasses. Simply turn the wheel on the back to the left to loosen the headset fully so you can fit it over your glasses more easily, then turn the wheel to the right to tighten again.

Yes, our VR headsets are fully adjustable to accommodate glasses. Simply turn the wheel on the back to the left to loosen the headset fully so you can fit it over your glasses more easily, then turn the wheel to the right to tighten again.

Photos are permitted in the main bar and interval bar but there is no photography, videography or recording once inside the experience. Professional photos will be taken during the experience and you will have the opportunity to purchase these before leaving.

Yes, we have a full range of themed merchandise available to purchase at the venue.

Your family/friends are welcome to wait in The Spirit of Man bar whilst you’re inside the experience but remember, the experience lasts for 2 hours and it’s much more fun for all involved if you are able to join them.

For safety reasons, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart conditions, asthma, back or neck conditions, epilepsy, or any type of medical condition affecting the senses of smell, vision, or hearing. For further information, please view our full Access Guide.

Yes, there are alternative routes for guests who do not wish to participate in certain physical activities. All of these routes include stairs.

Unfortunately our experience is not wheelchair accessible. For further information, please view our full Access Guide.

If you require an essential companion we’ll convert one of your existing tickets into an Essential Companion Ticket free of charge to make it easier for you to see a show. Just click ‘yes’ when you book online to request a free Companion Ticket, ensuring that you have at least 2 tickets in your basket for the discount to be applied.

A free Essential Companion ticket is only available for Standard performances (not VIP performances). This offer cannot be used with any other offers or discount codes. T&C's apply.

Yes, due to the nature of the technology and motion simulators, some guests may experience motion sickness however, the scenes are typically less than 10mins in duration. If this affects you, we recommend taking travel sickness tablets before you attend. If you feel unwell during the experience we recommend you shut your eyes or remove the VR headset if necessary.

This experience is not suitable for guests who are pregnant.

Yes, you can wear your hearing aids inside the experience. Please let our team know if you require additional support when using the VR headsets.

Join thousands of members now by signing up to our mailing list HERE.
Benefits include:
✓ Early booking access to our next show.
✓ Discounts for new experiences.
✓ Dedicated member experiences.
✓ Referral rewards for you and your friends.

Click HERE to view our current vacancies.

If you or someone you know would be interested in working for us, please send a CV/Spotlight, headshots and covering letter detailing your training and previous experience to [email protected].

Yes we are. You can follow us on these platforms:

Facebook: @layeredrealityuk
Facebook @thewaroftheworldsimmersive
Instagram: @thewaroftheworldsimmersive
Twitter: @layeredrealuk
LinkedIn: @layeredrealityuk

For announcements about future locations, please join our mailing list HERE.

We can offer exclusive timeslots. Depending on the size of the group there may be an additional charge.

Yes, we can hold tickets provisionally for one week.

We advise groups to arrive at least 30 mins before the first timeslot. This will give your group plenty of time to get checked-in and store belongings in the lockers (these are free to use). If you have booked a package which includes drinks upon arrival we recommend 1 hour before the first time-slot to enjoy our themed bar.

The experience is 1 hour 50 minutes including a 20 minute interval.

The interval bar forms part of the experience so you will not be able to leave during the interval.

Yes. Our small kitchen is run by an external caterer and therefore to guarantee you availability and a smooth efficient service we ask for groups to pre-order their meals in advance. Food pre-orders are required at least two weeks prior to the event date or within 24 hours if a booking is made within two weeks of the event date. Pre-booked food relates to a specific group booking and cannot be transferred to a different/future booking.

It is only possible to serve food to groups after they have been through the experience. Due to the size of our kitchen our food service is staggered for group bookings. Food will be served to each of the groups exiting the experience.

We don't have private rooms for hospitality. Your group will have reserved tables to themselves in the main bar.

A standard 10% service charge is included on the silver, gold, and platinum packages.

See here for terms and conditions.

Packages are available for group sizes of 12 - 150.

Between 30 minutes to 1 hour for arrival/check-in/pre experience drinks.
1 hour 50 minutes for the experience itself. Add on an additional 10 minutes for each timeslot you have booked. Between 1 hour 30 mins to 2 hours for dinner and drinks afterwards.

Our food service is staggered for group bookings. Food will be served to each of the groups exiting the experience.

Please refer to our booking T&C's for the most recent information regarding our cancellation policy

The War of The Worlds is not a 'jump-scare' attraction, but the actors may make physical contact with guests as part of the experience. If you would prefer to avoid any contact, please let our team know when you arrive.

Throughout the experience, all guests are expected to behave appropriately and safely. This includes refraining from abusive language, disruptive behaviour or touching any actors/other guests. We’re all here to have fun, right?!

If you arrive outside of your booked entrance slot, you are not guaranteed entry. Whilst we will do our best to accommodate latecomers who arrive after their timed entrance slot, please note this may not always be possible. Please do make yourself known to a member of staff upon arrival and they will do their best to assist you.

We want you to feel comfortable so you are welcome to dress up or dress down, whatever you prefer - though we do recommended comfortable shoes for going round the experience in.

Our venue is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible. You can find more information in our Access Guide.

We are a cashless venue, so only accept payment by card.

We are open Wednesdays to Sundays.

If you are interested in a group booking Monday or Tuesday please get in touch on [email protected] and we can advise on rates.