It began with ‘Mr and Mrs Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much’, and it concluded with ‘All was well.’ A tale of the boy with a scar on his forehead, the boy who lived, the boy they called The Chosen One. It all changed when Harry met Hagrid, and the latter famously said: “Harry—yer a wizard.”
Since the release of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone in 1997 and the release of the first film in 2001, aspiring wizards and witches all around the world have been dreaming of receiving their acceptance letter into Hogwarts—only to be left befuddled and confused at the muggle way of life. As if we’ve been charmed or obliviated to forget a crucial window to our other lives, managing all but glimpses of the wizarding world; be it through rewatches of the epic movie franchise or the studio tours.
But all that ruminating comes to a close with Harry Potter: Visions of Magic. Making its debut in Asia at Resorts World Sentosa on our local shores, the interactive art experience lifts the veil on the most immersive journey for any muggleborn yet. Home to 10 dedicated spaces—each one meant to engage the senses and delve deeper into a specific environment from the magical universe. So you could do things like ride the Knight Bus that tore through London, break into the Ministry of Magic, tiptoe around the notorious Knockturn Alley or make your move past Fluffy beyond The Trap Door.
Here for the launch of Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, James and Oliver Phelps, the actors who play Fred and George Weasley respectively in the film franchise, vouch for the spellbinding experience, each waxing lyrical about how it feels even more real than when they were filming: “On set, we’d just wave around our wands but nothing actually happens. It’s totally different here.”
But as for why Harry Potter: Visions of Magic would score an Outstanding in the N.E.W.T.s? The genius of it all lies in your very palms. Whilst it’s no Ollivanders, each hopeful witch or wizard will receive a wand before you head in—so you can unleash your magic from within. Wand in hand, you’ll discover a whole new world before you; things that would have remained invisible to the muggle eye. Within each experience, interactive slivers of magic will reveal themselves to you and your wand, waiting to be unlocked and harnessed. Like finding the Sword of Gryffindor in The Room of Requirement when you need it most. And getting lost in the eerie whispers of the future when you trigger an orb in The Hall of Prophecy. Or stepping into number twelve, Grimmauld Place, shifting in the shadows as you track the lineage of the elusive Black family, some mysteriously inked out on the ancestral tapestry.
No doubt, a return to Hogwarts’s deepest, darkest secret is a must. “The Chamber of Secrets was our favourite experience for sure; our jaws dropped when we first saw it,” recalls the twins. For the first time ever and exclusive to Singapore, descend past Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom and accidentally wander into the Basilisk’s murky lair, a multi-sensorial scape that brings the ferocity of the monstrous serpent to life. Not before you test your proficiency at Parseltongue, however, in order to open the serpent door to The Chamber of Secrets. All at your own risk, of course.
But when all that’s said and done, you’ll want to retreat to a spot akin to Hogsmede—and grab yourself a Butterbeer or two. Or go gift shopping, like one would typically do on a weekend there. For the retail shop will be everything you could ask for and more, with its ecstatic array of official Harry Potter merchandise, from house-themed apparel to the characters’ wands that would appeal to the avid collector. So go on and get lost in the cosmic universe of the beloved wizarding world. For in Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, we’re all wizards, Harry.
Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is now open at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. Book tickets here.
