The Matcham Experience will descend upon the historic Liverpool Olympia next Easter – revealing a haunting ghost story that promises to unsettle, disturb and linger long after the curtain falls.
The reality-transcending immersive spectacle is set to be staged at the West Derby Road landmark from 2-5 April 2026.
The Matcham Experience, which comes from the creators of the award-winning Scare City Experience, ventures into a different kind of fear: the kind born from history that refuses to stay buried, from echoes that refuse to stay silent and from secrets a building can keep for generations.
At its heart lies the tale of a forgotten presence, one said to move through the Olympia’s corridors, awakening whenever the theatre’s past is disturbed.
Set inside the historic Grade II* listed venue, which is currently celebrating its 120th anniversary, the theatrical event will lead audiences through a live experience which is as beautiful as it is unnerving. The Matcham Experience invites visitors to enter a space where stories resurface, time warps, and the building becomes part of the performance. Here, echoes don’t simply return – they reach out.
Staged in the very space which once hosted legends like Harry Houdini and The Beatles, the production pays homage to Frank Matcham, the visionary architect who designed more than 90 playhouses, including the Liverpool Olympia – which opened in April 1905 as a purpose-built indoor circus and variety theatre for up to 4,000 people – and the London Palladium.
Here, his legacy becomes the framework for something far darker, as the past breathes through the walls.
Described as ‘an immersive theatre experience where buried histories surge to the surface’, Matcham draws inspiration from the venue’s own legends. Audiences will step into a multi-sensory world where the boundary between watcher and watched dissolves and where an unseen presence may be closer than expected.
The Matcham Experience is produced by Mike Stuart, consultant in theatrical illusion for the Scare City Experience, whose 11-year journey in immersive theatre includes Circo’s Excentrico in 2014, Sir Ken Dodd’s final children’s show at Liverpool Cathedral, the Light Night festival and Liverpool’s hugely popular Christmas Dinner shows at the Town Hall.
Mike Stuart said today:
“The Matcham Experience is about stepping into a world that feels alive, unsettling and impossible to predict. It’s theatre you don’t just watch; it’s theatre you find yourself inside. We look forward to welcoming audiences next April.”
Liverpool Olympia managing director Chris Zorba added:
“The Matcham Experience will be a spectacular and fitting finale to the Olympia’s 120th year. It will bring a modern immersive experience in tandem to paying homage to the steeped history of the iconic Venue and architect Frank Matcham.”
For more details about the Matcham Experience and to book tickets, visit the website.
