UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka Opens with Groundbreaking Immersive Storytelling Experience

‍

The United Kingdom today unveiled its Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka - a bold, story-led experience that redefines how nations present themselves on the world stage. Commissioned by the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade, the Pavilion runs from 13 April to 13 October 2025, offering a six-month journey into British creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

This marks the UK’s first fully narrative-driven World Expo showcase - an emotive, immersive experience designed to leave visitors inspired and uplifted.

The Pavilion experience was conceptualised and realised by Immersive International, the experiential masterplanning studio behind its ambitious creative vision. The experience creates an environment that is never static - a story-first approach brought to life through a blend of projection-mapped environments, responsive lighting, layered spatial audio, and interactive gamification. The studio’s use of innovative technologies has been carefully orchestrated to produce an emotional connection and the feeling of being in the UK's living, breathing network of ideas.

‍

Visitors embark on “Come Build the Future” - a 20-minute immersive journey where they are active participants, showing how the UK works in partnership across cultures to shape what’s next. It’s about co-creation, not just presentation. By merging physical and digital worlds, the Pavilion invites guests to feel, think, and play their way through a message of collaboration and creative action.

John Munro, CEO of Immersive International and Principal Designer, said: “This Pavilion is really a snapshot of how we approach experiential masterplanning. We have built an experience that speaks to people on an emotional level - one that lingers long after they leave. Our approach at Immersive has always been about storytelling first. Technology is the amplifier. It’s what turns ideas into encounters, and space into memory. The Pavilion is a place where visitors don't just learn about British innovation - they feel it. They see themselves in it. We always try to make places that feel alive - places that people want to come back to because they feel part of something bigger, and a space they can connect in.”

‍

‍

At the heart of the experience is the journey of Kenji, a Japanese father, and his daughter Mei, who stumble upon PIX - a playful, shape-shifting character who guides them through imaginative scenes showcasing the UK’s creativity and innovation. Their adventure mirrors the Pavilion’s central message: that creativity and collaboration can transform small sparks into world-changing ideas.

Inspired by the Pavilion’s own pixelated architectural form, PIX is both a character and a metaphor. His ability to morph into familiar forms and iconic British objects - while connecting with guests across languages and generations - makes him the emotional thread that ties the Pavilion together. Designed especially to resonate with children and families, PIX invites visitors to become co-authors in the UK’s creative journey.

Tommy Lexen, Managing Director at Immersive International and Project Director, said: “PIX symbolises the UK’s spirit of imagination and transformation. He’s a playful building block - both literal and figurative - showing how individuals, like pixels, can come together to create something far greater. He speaks to our belief that powerful ideas often start small, and that creative energy is a shared force. Whether you're five or eighty-five, PIX reminds you that you too can shape the future.”

‍

The original concept and creative direction of the UK Pavilion was awarded to Immersive International in March 2023. Once the concept was defined, DBT appointed ES Global as the Pavilion’s design-and-build delivery partner. ES Global engaged WOO Architects to translate Immersive’s original vision into the Pavilion’s physical structure. Together, ES Global and WOO realised a striking, modular structure that balances form and function - designed to be fully demountable and repurposable after the Expo. Their work transformed the pavilion concept into a built reality, ensuring the Pavilion stands as a benchmark in sustainable exhibition design as well as providing a canvas for Immersive’s interior exhibition and storytelling.

Throughout the project, the UK Government has worked side by side with the creative, technical and delivery teams - fostering a unique collaborative culture to bring out the best in each partner.

Ceri Owen-Bradley, Director & SRO for the UK at Expo Osaka 2025, Department for Business and Trade, said: “From day one, this Pavilion has been a truly collaborative effort. We’ve worked hand-in-hand with Immersive International, ES Global and Woo Architects, bringing together creative and technical expertise from across the UK. This close teamwork and shared creativity have been essential to achieving the Pavilion’s ambitious goals.”

‍

This spirit of cooperation was established from the initial concept-stage with key contribution partners including Alchemy, AndArchitects, The RSA, Atelier One, Atelier Morf, Atelier Ten, Movement Strategies, Magnopus, Rich & Miyu, David Bonnett Associates and KLH Sustainability - whose input helped shape the Pavilion’s integrated vision from the ground up.

The UK Pavilion mission is to be a Pavilion for all. With a universal story, hands-on experiences, and vibrant visual language, the UK Pavilion is designed to resonate with everyone – from young families to global policymakers. It leaves visitors not just entertained, but inspired to collaborate, imagine, and act.

Carolyn Davidson, Commissioner General for the UK at Expo 2025 Osaka, commented: “Creating a content-first Pavilion that delivers an unforgettable experience - and encourages people to visit, study, invest in, and collaborate with the UK - has been our guiding mission. This impressive, engaging journey showcases the very best of what the UK has to offer. I encourage everyone to visit and come build the future with us.”

‍

For more info about the pavilion, visit: www.ukatexpo2025.uk