Soho Estates has submitted plans for the West End's first permanent large-format immersive visitor attraction in Leicester Square. Known as LSX, the new destination could attract up to 1.9 million visitors a year, generate £48 million in additional annual visitor spending and support around 950 jobs.
The proposals would transform the north-east corner of Leicester Square into a new centre for immersive entertainment, creating a building designed to host large-scale visitor experiences that cannot currently be accommodated elsewhere in the West End.
The scheme includes approximately 50,000 sq ft of flexible attraction space across three double-height floors, alongside places to eat and drink at street level, and a rooftop restaurant overlooking the square. The building is designed to give future operators the flexibility to create new visitor experiences as technology and audiences evolve.
While much of its visitor offer is centred around cinemas, demand for experiences continues to grow. According to the Heart of London Business Alliance (HOLBA), the West End's experience economy already contributes more than £10 billion a year to the UK economy, and the proposals would add a new dimension by creating a destination for large-scale immersive experiences.
Analysis of the economic impact of the proposals estimates the visitor attraction would generate £48 million in net additional visitor spending each year. This is the extra money visitors would spend in local shops, restaurants, and other businesses before and after their trip to the attraction. The scheme is also expected to support around 950 full-time equivalent jobs in the venue and the local area.
The application follows almost three years of engagement with local communities, businesses, stakeholders, and public bodies. This included a public consultation earlier this year, which reached more than 154,000 people and generated 722 survey responses. Almost 80% of respondents said they were excited by the proposals or interested to learn more.