London Butterfly Trail: Immersive attraction's run at Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street could be extended

An immersive, interactive, free butterfly experience in central London has proved a huge hit since it opened in September - and its run could be extended.

The Butterfly Trail at The Now Building, next to Tottenham Court Road station, is a collaboration between Outernet and Pixel Artworks, with visitors able to use their phone to interact with the butterflies.

Currently, the production is due to finish at the end of the year - but LondonWorld understands it is "likely" to be extended into 2024.

The Butterfly Trail

The Butterfly Trail is open for free each day from midday to 6pm.

You don't need a phone to view it, but by scanning a QR code and viewing through a phone, visitors can hold a virtual butterfly in the palm of their hand.

The butterflies are released from their chrysalises onto the floor-to-ceiling, ultra-HD screens at The Now Building.

The display centres on the fictional narrative of Professor Peter Pelgrin and his magical Botanical Workshop and Glass House, with flora and fauna displayed.

Pixel Artworks

At the launch of the trail, Gavin Macarthur, senior creative director at Pixel Artworks, said: “We knew that we wanted to provide a magical element to this natural and organic theme, and started thinking about different stories we could use to combine this with the story of the professor and his Glass House.”

He added: “We took inspiration from classic children’s stories such as The Secret Garden and Tom’s Midnight Garden, but also from modern-day cinema such as Paddington and Up which feature fantastical elements.”

Outernet

Outernet is an immersive entertainment district at the junction of Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street, New Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road, backing onto the historic music centre of Denmark Street.

At the launch of the Butterfly Trail, Alexandra Payne, head of creative at Outernet, said: “This is the first time we’ve done mixed reality in this space, combining what people are seeing on their phones and on the screens around them.

“We wanted to take augmented reality and refine it and make it user-friendly, and we have loved combining the showpiece of the butterfly garden and the more intimate botanical workshop space to create an immersive experience.”