22 Feb 2018
South by South Westworld as popular show comes to SXSW as immersive theme park experience
BY Tom Anstey
A fully-immersive theme park based on Westworld is coming to this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
The show – originally based on a 1973 film of the same name and recreated as a hit series for HBO last year – is a sci-fi western thriller taking place in a technologically advanced Wild West-themed amusement park populated by android hosts. In the show, Westworld theme park caters to high-paying guests, who may indulge in whatever activities they wish within the park, without fear of retaliation from the hosts. That is, until things go wrong.
Open to the public between 9 March and 11 March, the Westworld universe will be recreated at SXSW, with an 8,000sq m (87,000sq ft) area used for the pop-up. In the park, guests will be allocated either a white hat or a black hat, before being taken on a Delos shuttle to the park, where they will be left to do what they want for two hours with no orientation and multiple happenings taking place depending on their choices. During their time, visitors will be able to interact with a number of actors playing hosts, hunt for clues about the show’s second season and sample western-themed food and drinks in the show’s Coronado hotel and Mariposa Saloon.
In addition to offering the experience up to SXSW visitors, HBO has also teamed up with Delta Air Lines to offer a VIP group an immersive Westworld-themed flight taking them from Los Angeles to the experience in Texas on 9 March.
“Our roadshow experience offers an unparalleled, immersive world where you have the freedom to become who you’ve always wanted to be or who you never knew you were,” said a press release, hyping the event.
“Live Without Limits Weekend is an exclusive experience for SXSW attendees. For a limited time only, adventure to Westworld—in the real American West.”
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