‘Immersive fairground’ concept opens up to the public following £5m investment

Fairgame, a brand new ‘competitive socialising’ offering, is set to provide entertainment to London’s thrill-seekers after securing a £5m investment to bring the concept to market.

Due to open in late September, Fairgame will be throwing open the doors to the “world’s first immersive fairground” concept following a four-year period of development. The new adults-only site in the heart of Canary Wharf will combine food and drink alongside “nostalgic fairground games with a competitive edge”.

Fairgame is set to meet rising demand following significant growth in the immersive socialising market as consumers are said to be consistently seeking out experiential offerings in the wake of Covid-19.

The business has been launched by entrepreneurs Richard Hilton, founder of Gymbox; Paul Campbell, founder and owner of Hill Capital Partners LLP (and who currently sits on the Boards of Hawksmoor, Blacklock, the Alchemist and Yard Sale Pizza) and music industry lawyer Andrew Myers.

Fairgame’s first site is backed by a £2.5m investment from BGF and a further £2.5m from a consortium of private investors. This funding will drive the rollout of additional sites in the UK and abroad. In an “innovative twist on classic fairground games”, every game is hooked up to RFID wristband tech and linked to a custom app to track gamers’ scores.

Customers will also have access to local street food vendors, including Burger&Beyond, Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana and Don Mas Tacos, as well as prosecco-infused candy floss, Hackney Gelato, boozy sweets and toffee apples from the Candy Stand.

A drinks menu will also be available at the Fairgame Bumper Bar, and includes a cocktail selection, small-batch artisanal spirits, frozen margaritas and craft beer.

Richard Hilton, co-founder and CEO of Fairgame, commented: “We believe we’ve created the most exciting concept in the competitive socialising space. Fairground games have been enjoyed by generations for decades, but nobody has modernised the games or the experience.

“We’ve reinvented the fairground for the 21st century, creating a network of games, adding RFID wristband tech and introducing a bespoke app to log gamers’ scores and track leaderboards in real time. The founders have worked with BGF since 2014, so they were our preferred partner.

“Thankfully, they immediately shared our vision of Fairgame as a fast-growing, global business and we are thrilled to have them on board.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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