South by Southwest attendees will get to experience what it’s like to be part of Westworld. Well, sort of.
HBO and Giant Spoon are building an immersive experience on two acres of land for SXSW to promote the show’s upcoming second season, which will premiere on April 22. From March 9-11, SXSW attendees will be able to see what it’s like to be part of the Westworld town, Sweetwater.
While HBO has already created Westworld experiences at New York Comic-Con and San Diego Comic-Con, the SXSW experience is happening on a much larger scale. According to a release, the company is planning to remake “iconic locations and elements” from the show, like The Coronado and the Mariposa Saloon, so that fans can feel like they are a part of the show.
The park will also feature actors playing “hosts,” who will play out myriad scenarios for attendees to try, while questioning the “hosts” about what’s to come in the show’s second season. There will be other clues within the park for attendees to find but they “can only be discovered by asking the right questions of specific hosts,” according to the release.
The experience will last two hours. After signing up online at DiscoverWestworld.com or at SXSW, attendees will arrive at Austin’s EastSide Tavern to board a shuttle to the experience.
HBO is also partnering with Lyft at SXSW. If fans “unlock a secret code” they will be able to ride in a Westworld-themed Lyft mode.
Another partnership with Delta Air Lines will give SXSW attendees heading to Austin from Los Angeles an immersive Westworld-inspired flight.
