Guinness World Records to open London entertainment venue

Stay informed with free updates

Simply sign up to the Travel & leisure industry myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.

Guinness World Records is to open its first permanent entertainment venue in central London, as the UK publisher of records listing books taps into a booming wave of people socialising through casual sports and other activities.

The outlet, which is expected to open in early 2026, will provide more than 60 games and competitions that encourage children and adults to break records and will receive £50mn in investment over the next five years.

The company, owned by Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Group, plans to open at least 10 venues in the US, Asia and the Middle East in the next five years including the London outlet.

GWR, which has offices around the world to verify world record attempts, has been diversifying from selling books and is also seeking new revenue streams in marketing and TV productions.

Property group Savills is hunting for a site that when opened is expected to welcome nearly 11,000 visitors a week.

Activities on offer will include sports such as basketball, football and BMX riding, as well as reaction tests such as the Batak Wall, where contestants switch off lights as quickly as possible by pushing the buttons when they are illuminated.

Formula One driver Jenson Button holds the Guinness World Record of achieving a score of 58 lights extinguished in 30 seconds.

The venue, which will also offer restaurants, cafés and shops, will allow visitors to compete in speedrunning — where people attempt to complete a video game as fast as possible — try to answer 10 telephone calls making different noises in the fastest time and also see who can scream and shout the loudest and longest.

“We want to bring the opportunity of record breaking to everyone . . . it’s discovering your talent,” said Paul O’Neill, vice-president of GWR Entertainment, the live entertainment arm of the company.

GWR’s plan comes amid rising demand for so-called competitive socialising venues, where guests play a game or a sport — such as darts, mini-golf and bowling — alongside music, food and drink.

Savills estimates that there has been a 40 per cent jump in the number of such venues in the UK since 2018, which the group said represented “the biggest development the leisure sector has seen in decades”.

The property group expects a 30 per cent increase in such venues in the UK to reach more than 800 sites in the next five years.

Recent research by consultancies CGA, NIQ and AlixPartners showed that the number of “themed bars” including competitive socialising venues rose 29 per cent in the year to June, driving the number of overall hospitality venues including restaurants, pubs and hotels to its first quarterly increase in two years.

“We are expecting some consolidation in the space . . . because it has become quite crowded,” said Jessica Hill, surveyor in UK restaurants and leisure at Savills, adding that a number of operators have emerged.

GWR has so far provided temporary stage shows in locations including shopping malls around the world for more than a decade, partnering with companies such as resort group Butlin’s and travel operator Tui.