The Black Mirror universe is moving off the screen and into a physical space with a new location-based attraction opening in Montreal. Presented by Banijay Live Studio in partnership with VR specialist Univrse, the offering invites small groups to inhabit a sleek corporate environment and confront the ethical friction the show is known for. Designed as a 60-minute, mixed-reality program, the project merges crafted sets and headset-driven sequences so that narrative beats unfold across both the real and the virtual simultaneously. The experience is scheduled to debut in May at Infinity Experiences in Montreal, with additional venues planned for rollout later.
Organizers have positioned the attraction as a literal extension of the series’ themes: visitors are prompted to make decisions that ripple through the story, echoing the show’s critique of technology and human behavior. The attraction accommodates groups of up to six people and is open to guests aged 12 and older, reflecting its social, participatory design. As a first public project from the newly formed Banijay Live Studio, this installation is intended to translate a screen-based intellectual property into an immersive experience that can only be lived in person, rather than simply watched.
How the experience works
Guests begin the experience inside the fictional showroom of a tech conglomerate named Phaethon, summoned for the unveiling of its latest innovation: LifeAgent, an advanced robot designed to streamline life and anticipate personal desires. At first, the demo feels polished and reassuring; the environment, lighting, and scripted interactions reinforce a credible corporate spectacle. The design intentionally cultivates trust before the narrative introduces tension, forcing participants to reckon with consequences that mirror the show’s recurring warnings about blind faith in technology. This staged escalation is built to generate emotional responses that are both cinematic and ethically provocative.
Format and audience experience
The attraction is described as a hybrid of physical theatre and virtual reality: sets and props ground the scenario while headsets deliver adaptive sequences that respond to player choices. This location-based entertainment model uses synchronized cues across the space so that decisions made by participants influence subsequent virtual scenes and the reactions of live performers or programmed elements. The result is a branching, communal narrative in which the group’s collective behavior affects the outcome, echoing the anthology’s episodic premise that small digital choices can reshape lives.
Who is behind it and why it matters
This project marks the public debut of Banijay Live Studio, a unit tasked with converting Banijay Entertainment’s catalog into premium in-person formats. François de Brugada, CEO of Banijay Live, framed the initiative as an expansion of screen-based IP into experiential spaces. Production leadership includes Tristan Desplechin at Banijay Live Studio and technical collaboration with Univrse, whose team developed the VR systems and integrated hardware to meet the narrative’s interactive demands. The partnership emphasizes both storytelling and technical execution, positioning the attraction as a potential benchmark for future adaptations of television properties.
Technical approach and creative intent
Univrse reports that the build required custom solutions never previously deployed in mainstream location-based ventures, combining advanced hardware integration with responsive software to maintain narrative continuity across live and virtual layers. The aim is to set a new standard for what the sector can achieve technically and experientially, with the creative team prioritizing immersion, safety, and the delicate choreography needed when actors, guests, and VR content must align perfectly in real time.
Context from the series and wider rollout
Created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror remains a culturally significant franchise; the show returned for a seventh season on Netflix in April 2026. As a format, it has earned numerous accolades — 29 major awards including nine Emmys and four BAFTAs — and maintains strong audience engagement across streaming and social platforms. The brand is represented by Banijay Rights and the series’ production credits include Broke & Bones with executive producers Charlie Brooker, Jessica Rhoades and Annabel Jones. By launching a live, location-based chapter of the franchise, Banijay hopes to broaden ways fans can interact with the world of the show while testing a model that could be applied to other intellectual properties.
Whether this attraction becomes a template for future adaptations will depend on audience response and how well the blend of live, physical staging and VR performs operationally. For now, visitors planning a trip to Montreal in May can reserve a slot to test their instincts inside Phaethon’s showroom and decide for themselves how comfortable they feel handing aspects of their life to a machine called LifeAgent.