Sometimes, it takes an octopus headdress to feel at home.
Photo by iggii
By this point, it is almost a redundant statement. However, it is still worth mentioning: Immersive experiences aren’t fully perceived by the guests as such if the design focuses only on what happens around the audience, not within them. So what connects and truly transports the audience into a themed or branded moment, marking the shift from observer to participant?
There is a way to strengthen that shift from outside to inside the event in audience-centric experiences by establishing the encoding of the moment and making it a memorable transition. It is a small ritual that may seem less significant, to the point where many creators and hosts forget one of the things that can be done without the use of expensive technology to elevate the minds and emotions of both the audience and the team to another level of living a shared story.
A small ritual
A wealth of experiences remains with us as both small and big memorable moments. Not all of them are part of the systems of elegantly designed attractions or shows, but they are no less part of the mosaic of memories that shape who we are and, to a large extent, how we behave. One ritual is common across them.
Dressing up for the role and the experience.
The judo or karate practitioner changing into their gi before going into the dojo. The heavy metal fan putting on their battle vest before the concert. The dark folk or pagan audience spending hours changing into characters and creatures before going to the music festival. Same with the Renaissance fair hosts and enactors taking in the attire and behaviour from times past. The artist going on stage. The theme park cast and crew becoming part of the attraction, supporting the storylines shared and cherished long after the guests’ departure. The list continues across retail, leisure, theatre and more.
Not animatronics. Not AI. But living people who add just a little of what they are to the historical or fantastical environments they make come to life.
They all dress for the change, a significant part of their transition into the time and space they are about to bring to life. Through this ritual, they enter their role and help suspend disbelief by becoming part of a living story populated by living characters. Not animatronics. Not AI. But living people who add just a little of what they are to the historical or fantastical environments they make come to life.
Inhabitants of themed environments
Examples are aplenty. One place where attraction meets cultural heritage is Den Gamle By (The Old Town) in Aarhus, Denmark, where hosts of all ages bring buildings and time zones from the 1860s to the 1970s to life. Here, guests will meet people of various genders and ages, combining curation with in-character hosting in a unique, unscripted but directed way that leaves room for the team to use their own personality to portray characters that are more than part of an exhibition. They bring the places to life, making people feel welcomed and immersed across time zones. It’s all part of an overall guest experience that works; in June 2026, Den Gamle By (The Old Town) won the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA).
There’s another level of audience immersion, though.
When visiting Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights or going to fantasy festivals like Castlefest, guests can transform their appearance, which significantly changes their role and type of immersion at the event.
During Halloween Horror Nights, you may go from being surrounded by scary characters to becoming one, getting face paint applied as a zombie-esque or otherwise monstrous being. The change is evident when you initiate a jump scare simply by waiting in line behind someone to enter the next scary ride and suddenly seeing your painted face.
During Castlefest, you become part of a group of thousands of characters, mostly based on inspiration and free imagination, as the usual rules of cosplay’s detailed depiction are waived, as many guests let their fantasy come to life as faeries, vikings, pirates, Jedi knights or something in between. Either way, there is a palpable difference between immersing yourself in a themed environment and actually becoming part of it.
There is a palpable difference between immersing yourself in a themed environment and actually becoming part of it.
Once the threshold is crossed, the altered appearance is more than a mask as it often reflects the personality traits of the one who wears it. Even the most outlandish features become an expression of self that changes how one fits into the surrounding themes and settings.
The rise of the in-character experience
Dressing up and putting on character makeup used to be more reserved for seasonal events and for artists and cast members getting on stage, whether in a literal or historical setting. However, getting into character becomes more common at various kinds of events, which is also reflected in the growth of fantasy-themed festivals. According to the statistics, across Europe, the total number of recurring fantasy-themed events is estimated to be between 2,000 and 3,000 per year, and the overall number of fantasy and pop-culture festivals in Europe has expanded by an estimated 30% to 50%. These are just indications, with numbers from other themes like gothic, steampunk, and science fiction still to be added.
Costumes are part of the experience for a growing audience.
However, they highlight an opportunity for deeper immersion in attractions, cultural heritage, and other guest experiences: Costumes are part of the experience for a growing audience.
Kingdom of Elfia is the world's largest ticketed outdoor cosplay and costume festival. The festival presents itself as a fantasy country with its own flag, a national anthem, chosen queens, ambassadors, and a home for every fantasy and historical creation possible.
© Kingdom of Elfia
Whether a designer, storyteller, host, or operator, one should not underestimate the value of having the team in proper costumes to enhance the environments they inhabit believably. Once that is in place, one should consider how one can let guests dress up to become inhabitants themselves as living parts of the experience.
The next step of the immersive journey begins when we get to get into character.
Featured Articles
