Whether you have kids to entertain or geeky desires of your own to satisfy, there are plenty of options to keep you busy. With mind-expanding options that explore the relationship between video games and modern warfare, as well as plenty of ways to explore your 1980s sci-fi nostalgia, there’s something for everyone.
Pokémon Go Spring into Spring (everywhere, free)
Pokémon Go fans exploring London this weekend will be able to catch two new 7th Generation Pokémon for the first time.
The return of Pokémon Go’s annual Spring into Spring event will see fans able to access the butterfly-themed Cutiefly and its evolved (but still very cute) version Ribombee for the first time. Fans will also be eligible for an array of very generous egg-based bonuses, as well as the chance to catch 12 existing Pokémon featuring highly collectable cherry blossom costumes to commemorate the start of Easter.
Find out more here
Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination (Science Museum, free)
This new immersive experience from the Science Muesem will give fans the chance to check out classic memorabilia, such as Darth Vader’s helmet from the original Star Wars, a perfect replica of the xenomorph from the first Alien movie, a set of armour from the original Iron Man, and a metal urn from the aftermath of World War Two’s Hiroshima atom bomb .
Spread over 1,100m2, an artificial intelligence of alien origin, featuring its own custom-built language, will guide sci-fi fans around an unknown planet. The exhibition hopes to touch on how sci-fi creators throughout history have created imaginary worlds “to better understand their own”.
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Van Gogh VR exhibition (Spitalfields, £22.40, £14 children)
It’s Van Gogh as you’ve never seen him before: virtually. This spectacular exhibit invites visitors to step into immersive renderings of the great artist’s work. Via VR headsets, you’ll be able to walk alongside Van Gogh and explore the inspiration behind iconic images, such as Vincent’s Bedroom at Arles and Starry Night Over the Rhône. Even better, you get to see the paintings brought to life around you. Not to be missed.
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Frameless digital art gallery (Marble Arch, £23+)
It’s art, without boundaries. This unconventional gallery is spread across four spaces and features digitised works of art that are immersive and spread across four different spaces, each of which is dedicated to a different artistic element.
There’s Colour in Motion (which features artworks by Van Gogh, Monet, and Seurat), The World Around Us, which focuses on landscapes (and features work by Canaletto and Cezanne), and even The Art of Abstraction, with Klimt and Kandinsky taking centre stage.
Step inside and watch their work in glorious 3D.
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War of the Worlds Immersive Experience (Leadenhall Street, £45+)
HG Wells’s book is brought to brilliant life in this immersive adaptation by the composer Jeff Wayne. The show takes you all the way back to 1898, when the Martians invaded Earth and very nearly took it over.
The experience is a blend of live acting, VR, and 5D effects that takes you from the steampunk bar The Spirit of Man to the Royal Observatory, wider London, and even Mars.
Even the café is brilliant, with a Martian tripod and fab pizza. Wars of the Worlds is a place to take the kids — or alternately, if you’re a fan, just go and soak in the atmosphere.
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Sandbox VR (Covent Garden, prices vary)
This exciting new venue is the ultimate in VR gaming — and features endorsements from celebs including Katy Perry and Will Smith.
With venues soon to open in Birmingham and Dublin (plus a Squid Game experience coming soon), it’s one of the best places in London to strap on a headset and play games, such as zombie shooter Deadwood Valley, or (for the less strong of stomach) Star Trek: Discovery.
Find out more here
War Games (Imperial War Museum, free)
This thoughtful exhibition encourages viewers to look at video games in a whole new way: as a medium for expressing our views on conflict.
Featuring interviews with psychologists, historians, and video game designers, the show explores the intertwined histories of gaming and war: did you know, for instance, that the US army uses Xbox controllers to control its drones? Or that touch-screen technology was first developed by the military? It’s fascinating, sobering and, of course, timely.
Find out more here
myCityHunt — The Treasure Hunt for your Smartphone (Leadenhall Street , £11.99)
The whole of London becomes your virtual playing field in this GPS-based treasure hunt. Armed with nothing but your smartphone, you and your team will follow in the footsteps of famous explorers such as James Cook and Charles Darwin, collecting virtual treasures and traversing some of the city’s most famous landmarks while racing against the clock and competing against other teams.
