A London-based immersive art exhibition dedicated to Vincent van Gogh has been labelled a significant disappointment, leaving at least one visitor feeling both short-changed and sorrowful. The show, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, was recently named the second most disappointing attraction in London in an analysis of TripAdvisor data conducted by Private Tours England.
A Low-Key Entrance Sets the Tone
The experience, created by the company Fever Up, first opened in the capital in 2021. A visit on a Monday evening began inauspiciously on Shoreditch's Commercial Street, where the entrance was so discreet it was easily missed. Inside, a dim and cramped hallway hosted a ticket checker, a setting that felt jarringly at odds with the £25 per person entry fee.
Any hopes that the budget had been diverted into the exhibition itself were quickly dashed. The display comprised two main rooms. The first functioned as a basic gallery, featuring printed reproductions of the artist's famous works alongside brief biographical notes. While this section was the highlight for the visitor, they noted that the same information could be gleaned from Wikipedia or by viewing original Van Gogh works for free at London institutions like the National Gallery or The Courtauld.
The 'Immersive' Main Event Fails to Deliver
The second room, billed as the core immersive experience, proved even more underwhelming. The large space was almost empty, save for a few deckchairs and a bench. On the walls, computer-animated versions of Van Gogh's paintings were projected, with swirls gently moving and petals fluttering. For this critic, the promised immersion never materialised. The effect was reportedly potent enough to induce nausea in one colleague who spent too long gazing at the undulating images.
The entire visit lasted just 30 minutes, culminating in a profound sense of being ripped off. This feeling was compounded by a reflective sadness prompted by the exhibition's notes on Van Gogh's tragic final years, marked by mental health struggles and his eventual suicide. The journalist mused that the only consolation was that the tormented painter never had to endure an evening at this particular tribute to his work.
Exhibition Moves On From Capital
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience closed in London in the autumn of 2025. It has since toured to other UK cities including Belfast, Bristol, York, and Leicester. The show's proliferation followed a trend sparked when a character from the Netflix series Emily in Paris visited a similar exhibition, prompting numerous companies to launch comparable ventures across Europe and the US.
The experience drew a parallel with the fate of 3D cinema, which director James Cameron once predicted was the future but which has since seen a steep decline in releases. Similarly, this high-tech take on art appreciation left this viewer convinced it added nothing of value and, in fact, diminished the power of the original masterpieces.
