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Guinness World Records is set to open its first permanent entertainment facility in central London as the British publisher of records books taps a boom in people socializing through casual sports and other activities. It became.
Scheduled to open in early 2026, the outlet will offer more than 60 games and competitions to encourage children and adults to break records and will receive £50m of investment over the next five years.
The company, owned by Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Group, plans to open at least 10 stores in the U.S., Asia and the Middle East over the next five years, including a London store.
GWR, which has offices around the world to verify world record attempts, is diversifying beyond book sales and is also seeking new revenue streams in marketing and television production.
Property group Savills is looking for a site that is expected to welcome around 11,000 visitors a week once it opens.
Activities on offer include sports such as basketball, soccer and BMX riding, as well as reaction tests such as the Batak Wall, where contestants press a button to turn off the lights as quickly as possible when the lights are on.
F1 driver Jenson Button holds the Guinness World Record for extinguishing 58 lights in 30 seconds.
The venue also features a restaurant, cafe and shop, and visitors can compete in speed running, where they aim to complete a video game as quickly as possible, and be the fastest to answer 10 phone calls that emit different sounds. I aim to do that. The person who can scream and yell the loudest and for the longest time.
“We want to bring record-breaking opportunities to you…it’s about discovering your talent,” said Paul O’Neill, vice president of GWR Entertainment, the company’s live entertainment division. said.
GWR’s plans come amid growing demand for so-called competitive social venues where guests can enjoy games and sports such as darts, mini-golf and bowling, along with music, food and drink.
Savills estimates that the number of such properties in the UK has increased by 40% since 2018, which the group says represents the “biggest development in the leisure sector in decades”. said.
The property group expects the number of such venues to increase by 30% in the UK over the next five years, reaching more than 800 locations.
A recent study by consultancies CGA, NIQ and AlixPartners found that the number of “themed bars”, which include competitive social venues, rose by 29% in the year to June, and across hospitality venues including restaurants, pubs and hotels. This was the first quarterly increase in the number of companies. Within 2 years.
“We expect to see some consolidation in this sector…because it’s quite crowded,” said Jessica Hill, UK restaurant and leisure researcher at Savills, adding that a large number of operators added that it has appeared.
For more than a decade, GWR has partnered with companies such as resort group Butlins and travel agency TUI to provide temporary stage shows in shopping malls and other venues around the world.