Venice Immersive: A Decade of Immersive Storytelling

From Niche to Mainstream

When Venice Immersive first launched in a modest corner of the Palazzo del Casinò, it was little more than an experiment. Ten years later, it has grown into a significant cultural event, occupying its own island in the lagoon and becoming a hub for immersive storytelling that's reshaping entertainment. As Michel Reilhac, one of the festival's counselors, put it: “We're not planning any retrospectives,” focusing instead on what lies ahead rather than what's behind.

"We're not planning any retrospectives," Venice Immersive counselor Michel Reilhac says of this year's landmark edition. "Instead, we want to focus on what's happening next. This really feels like the beginning of a second chapter, for us and for the wider medium."

The evolution of immersive media has been far from linear. What was once seen as a consumer technology curiosity didn't quite catch on as expected. Financing from major platforms and hardware manufacturers contracted sharply, leading to a period where public funding from European sources provided a bridge. But now, with location-based entertainment models proving their worth, the industry is finding new ways to thrive.

The Rise of Location-Based Entertainment

Location-based entertainment (LBE) has become the driving force behind immersive experiences. In Asia, for instance, we've seen an explosion of LBE centers that cater to large groups, offering projects designed for six to hundreds of people depending on the venue. These experiences have evolved far beyond the simple interactive displays of the past. The storytelling and design are now more sophisticated, allowing for full embodiment as a character with the ability to interact with objects and others.

Projects like “Amsterdam 1652: The Hands of the City,” “Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience,” and “Everest: The First Ascent” are excellent examples. These projects bring free-roam, multiplayer experiences to educational and heritage venues. Their partnerships with established organizations lend a degree of financial stability and new sources of financing.

"The location-based entertainment (LBE) model now drives the market," says counselor Liz Rosenthal. "In Asia especially, we've seen an explosion of LBE centers built for scale, showcasing projects designed for groups of six, eight, 10 people up to hundreds, depending on the space. The storytelling and design have gotten far more sophisticated, too."

One new model gaining traction is private investment with distribution attached. Fever, a leading marketing and ticketing platform for immersive experiences, is funding projects while also providing the ticketing, marketing, and audience infrastructure to make them successful.

Redefining Immersive Through Sound

New approaches are redefining immersive experiences beyond headsets. The music experience “Bowie: Unseen | Unheard,” for instance, was created with speaker manufacturer L-Acoustics. It demonstrates how spatial sound can be used to create a truly immersive experience without relying on traditional VR headsets.

"Sound is art, and we mean to showcase that," says L-Acoustics exec Amber Mundinger. "It's incredibly important to show the possibilities of how experiences can be delivered at the highest level of quality. A purpose-built space like the one created for Venice can be replicated around the world, giving people the same unique experience. The goal is to keep it intimate, with 20 to 30 people at a time living inside Bowie's world while staying sonically true each time. That's where LBE is heading."

This approach shows that immersive experiences can be more about the environment and how we engage with it than about the device we use. It's an evolution in storytelling, one that focuses on the senses and emotions rather than just visual immersion.

Expanding Beyond Tech: Cultural and Social Impact

This year's Venice Immersive lineup reflects how immersive media has expanded beyond its tech roots into a broader cultural sphere. Projects backed by organizations like the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, human rights organizations such as B'Tselem, and even traditional film institutions are beginning to recognize immersive storytelling as a legitimate medium for conveying complex narratives.

One standout example is "Raj'in (We Shall Return)," a 360-degree documentary following three Palestinian families in the West Bank. This marks a significant milestone as B'Tselem, known for its human rights advocacy, ventures into production. Similarly, national film funds are adapting traditional financing structures to support XR projects, and even arthouse filmmakers like Abderrahmane Sissako are exploring immersive formats.

Director Hilde K. Kjøs, who discovered VR during the pandemic, is helping guide new institutional players into this space. Her project "Finding Frida" uses immersive media to highlight the work of 19th-century textile artist Frida Hansen, and it's supported by the Norwegian Film Institute—a clear indication of how traditional film funding structures are adapting.

"The film is about the importance of role models," says Kjøs. "We hope it can show the way for other filmmakers coming from documentary and 2D, so we're treating it more like a pilot than a prototype, effectively running out ahead, building structures and sharing knowledge about everything from pipelines to international distribution, so that the system can catch up."

Enter the XREAL Aura: A New Era in Accessibility

At this year's Venice Immersive, one of the biggest draws isn't a star-studded project but a pair of glasses. The XREAL Aura, powered by Google technology, represents what may be a pivotal shift for immersive media. Unlike previous VR headsets, these AR smart glasses are lightweight and unobtrusive, offering similar quality in a form factor that's more accessible.

"These glasses overcome one of the main hurdles to global access," says Venice Immersive counselor Michel Reilhac. "Previous VR headsets have always felt clunky and heavy. Now you get similar definition, color and contrast in something streamlined, lightweight, easy to carry and wear. They will define the next decade."

The festival is hosting a four-day “petting zoo” where attendees can test these devices without reservations, and two experiences—Andy Serkis's “Nevatars” and Margot Robbie's “Galápagos: The Last Eden”—are specifically built for this hardware. These projects represent the next wave of storytelling that's more integrated into our daily lives.

"Most of what we've seen until now has been data- or sound-driven demos," Reilhac says. "Whereas these two are fully fledged spatial narratives, with sophisticated storytelling and AI-driven voice activation that lets you talk directly to the characters. The magic is having that level of aesthetic and sonic quality in an ordinary pair of glasses. That's a new wow effect."

Director Anthony Geffen, who helmed “Galápagos,” emphasizes how interactivity is key: "You have to play to the medium's strengths. You're not just watching Margot Robbie take you through the islands — you can reach out, engage with the world and see how the animals have changed. We even built a digital Darwin you can turn to at any point, and he'll answer questions about his time there or anything else you want to know. That's what makes this different from film, television or gaming."

As immersive media continues to evolve, it's clear that Venice Immersive is not just celebrating its 10-year journey—it's charting a bold course for the future of entertainment.