A new interactive gaming venue, Activate, is set to open in Basingstoke, offering visitors a high-tech experience described as feeling like a scene from a Mission Impossible film. The facility will be located on the upper level of Festival Place, taking over three units next to the Starbucks.
Operated by the leisure group We Do Play, the venue features interactive rooms where groups of two to five players complete physical and mental challenges using lasers, grids, hoops, and portals. This will be the sixth UK location for the brand, which originated in Canada in 2017.
The attraction is open to anyone aged 6 and older, though adults must remain at the facility for any children between the ages of 6 and 13. Its arrival at the shopping centre is part of a broader shift toward experience-led leisure, following the success of the existing Flip Out trampoline park, which has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors since opening in 2018.
Local leaders have welcomed the new addition as a sign of the town centre’s positive direction. According to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Councillor Leader Paul Harvey described the opening as part of solid progress made by the management company Estama, which has recently overseen the filling of 21 empty units and increased visitor numbers.
Vicky Hickson, Centre Director at Festival Place, stated that the investment represents a strong vote of confidence in the area and is expected to attract significant new footfall. The move aligns with wider trends in the UK, where data shows a growing demand for competitive socialising experiences that encourage people to spend more time in their local town centres.
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