An atmospheric trip into the criminal underworld of the Shelbys…

Few television shows of the past decade have developed quite as distinctive an identity as Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders. The iconic flat caps, three-piece suits, smoky Birmingham streets and Nick Cave growling away on the soundtrack have all become part of the show’s mythology, so perhaps it was inevitable that somebody would eventually decide to let us step inside it. Now, by order of the Peaky Blinders, that moment has arrived…

Given the show’s dark tone, The Arches at London Bridge is an almost ideal setting for Peaky Blinders Underworld, a new immersive attraction that transports visitors back to the shadowy streets of post-WWI Birmingham and the criminal empire of Thomas Shelby. We were invited along to its opening night to see whether we had what it takes to join the Shelby clan.

The experience begins in The Garrison Tavern, a recreation of the Shelbys’ famous watering hole. It’s an impressive attraction in its own right – unlike the Underworld experience, the pub is completely free to enter, meaning you can simply wander in for a drink, grab some food and enjoy the live music without buying a ticket, under the watchful eye of a Tommy Shelby portrait. The live music itself is particularly on brand, with a trio of performers playing 1960s tunes on a violin, banjo and guitar, adding neatly to the whole set-up.

Beyond a velvet curtain at the back of the pub, you’re ushered into Garrison Lane, a suitably foggy and atmospheric row of side streets. From there, you’re free to spend an hour wandering between a series of themed environments and taking part in challenges as you attempt to prove yourself worthy of the Peaky Blinders, and there’s plenty to get stuck into.

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At the Shelby Bookies, you can try your luck on the horses; elsewhere, Chinatown offers a series of cryptic puzzles, while The Small Heath Fairground tests your skills through a sequence of games and challenges. You’ll be given a booklet to mark down your progress as you move through the (entirely optional) activities – some are typical fairground-style games from coconut shies to ring tosses, whereas others are more escape room-esque. The back of the booklet features a Catch the Rat mission, where you track down a “mole” leaking secrets to rival gangster Darby Sabini. (Update: I did not catch the rat.) Actors roam throughout to cajole and occasionally recruit you into whatever nefarious scheme happens to be unfolding.

There’s also a bar for purchasing your own Peaky-themed drinks, and a gift shop teeming with merch – so if you’ve ever wanted to bag yourself a flat cap, this is your chance. Naturally, there are plenty of photo opportunities, including one where you’ll leave with a quartet of Polaroids of you in full Peaky Blinders cosplay, clothing of your choice picked out from a nearby wardrobe.

Of course, fans of the TV show will get the most out of it, but whether you’re a fan of the Cillian Murphy juggernaut or not, there’s a lot of fun to be had in donning a cap and exploring the smoky streets of the 1920s. The gameplay is accessible and the level of set detail so impressive that newcomers can simply embrace the theatricality of it all. Most importantly, like all the best immersive experiences, Peaky Blinders Underworld understands that an attraction based on a series shouldn’t simply show you an assortment of props behind glass; it needs to be crammed with things to activities that let you properly inhabit its world for an evening. With its detailed environments and lively mixture of puzzles and games, it pulls it off brilliantly.

Peaky Blinders Underworld is now open at London Bridge, with booking currently available until 3 January 2027: https://peakyblinders.london/