CityDays has announced Line of Duty: Operation Echo, a new interactive entertainment experience inspired by the BBC’s acclaimed police drama, scheduled to launch across central London in early 2027.
Developed in partnership with Studio 55, the experience will adapt the television series’ anti-corruption investigations into a location-based adventure, combining physical evidence, digital storytelling and team-based challenges.
The project will use London’s streets, landmarks and hospitality venues as part of a fictional police investigation, allowing participants to influence the narrative through decisions and investigative activities.
For immersive entertainment producers, attraction developers and intellectual property licensing specialists, the announcement demonstrates how established television properties can support interactive experiences beyond conventional indoor attractions.
Urban Environments Become Part Of The Investigative Narrative
Line of Duty: Operation Echo will take place across a walkable route of approximately four to five kilometres, with each experience lasting between two and three hours.
Designed for teams of two to eight participants, the format incorporates multiple locations across London, including public landmarks, cafés, pubs and distinctive architectural features.
The investigation will use permanent elements of the urban environment, such as plaques, statues and buildings, as reference points for clues and narrative progression.
This approach integrates the city’s existing infrastructure into the experience, reducing reliance on purpose-built scenic environments while allowing the surrounding streets to function as part of the storyline.
For destination managers and urban experience designers, the format demonstrates how existing public spaces can support structured entertainment activities through narrative design and location-based interaction.
Interactive Technology Supports Branching Storytelling
The experience will incorporate escape room-style puzzles, riddles and investigative challenges inspired by the themes of Line of Duty.
Participants will examine fictional forensic reports, fingerprints, financial records, diary entries and CCTV footage while communicating with characters through video, audio and mobile messaging.
These elements will contribute to an investigation in which decisions influence subsequent events and potentially alter the final outcome.
Trust, ethical decision-making and conflicting information will play central roles in the storyline, reflecting the television series’ established narrative themes.
The combination of physical materials and digital communication provides a framework for delivering interactive entertainment across multiple locations without requiring continuous live performer involvement.
For experience designers, the project offers an example of how branching narratives and mobile technology can support personalised outcomes within a shared attraction format.
Performance Scoring Introduces Additional Engagement Opportunities
CityDays will incorporate a performance assessment system, evaluating teams according to their investigative decisions and final results.
Scores will contribute to a leaderboard, while participants will receive personalised certificates reflecting their performance and investigative approach.
The certificates will also assign character-based classifications, including Super Sleuths and Reckless Mavericks, introducing a competitive element alongside the narrative experience.
This structure demonstrates how gamification can provide measurable outcomes and additional engagement opportunities within location-based entertainment.
Licensed Entertainment Builds On CityDays’ Existing Portfolio
The announcement follows CityDays’ development of interactive experiences based on Race Across the World and The Traitors, extending its portfolio of television-inspired entertainment concepts.
Tom Rymer, founder of CityDays, has identified the importance of preserving the original programme’s identity while developing new opportunities for collaborative participation.
Lou Black, Global SVP of Brand & Commercial Partnerships at Studio 55, has similarly highlighted the potential of translating the series’ investigative themes into an interactive physical format.
For television rights holders, experiential agencies and destination operators, Operation Echo provides a relevant example of how established screen properties can support location-based entertainment through licensed storytelling, existing urban infrastructure and digital interaction.
The project also illustrates opportunities for collaboration between entertainment producers and city-based businesses, connecting immersive programming with the wider urban visitor economy.
