WeRiseUp and Tarragona Launch the World's First Mixed Reality Experience in a Roman Amphitheatre

Imagine stepping into the ancient Amphitheatre of Tarragona – and suddenly becoming an apprentice gladiator witnessing life-or-death combat more than 2,000 years ago. That is exactly the captivating time-travel experience delivered by “The Roar of Tarraco”, the world’s first mixed reality experience inside a Roman amphitheatre. Created by WeRiseUp, the joint venture between PortAventura World and Vekoma, in close partnership with the Tarragona City Council, this groundbreaking attraction transports visitors straight into the era of grand games in the ancient capital of Hispania Citerior.

As a novicus – an apprentice gladiator – you are personally guided by Marcus Valerius Mesala, editor muneris of Tarraco. He reveals the secrets of the Amphitheatre and invites you to witness authentic gladiatorial combat and even fight exotic animals from the arena itself. Using free-roam mixed reality headsets, digital elements blend seamlessly with the real environment of the UNESCO World Heritage Site without distorting its original atmosphere.

Andreu Tobella, CEO of WeRiseUp, puts it this way: “The Roar of Tarraco represents a new way of bringing heritage closer to people by placing them at the centre and providing them with precise, interactive context. Thanks to the combination of technology and history, the Tarragona Amphitheatre becomes the starting point for a new category of immersive cultural experiences that bridge past and future.”

The project was deliberately designed to complement a regular visit to the Amphitheatre while fully preserving its unique archaeological value. Building on PortAventura World’s pioneering work – the first theme park in the world to successfully implement mixed reality – and in collaboration with Spatial Voyagers, digital content is precisely overlaid onto the real environment. Visitors always retain their direct, unaltered perception of the original monument.

No permanent structural changes were made during development. All technical equipment is temporary and fully reversible, installed according to strict minimal-intrusion criteria to comprehensively protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Historians and specialists connected to Tarragona’s heritage were closely involved to ensure the highest possible historical accuracy in the reconstruction of spaces and events, faithfully representing the Amphitheatre in its original ancient state.

Rubén Viñuales, Mayor of Tarragona, emphasizes the importance for the region: “Tarragona’s Roman heritage is one of its greatest cultural and identity assets and a key driver for the future. Incorporating mixed reality into the Amphitheatre visit allows us to tell our history in new ways, reach new audiences, and let visitors experience the monument in a much more immediate, accessible, and exciting manner.”

The initiative further strengthens Tarragona’s position as an outstanding cultural and tourist destination in the Mediterranean and introduces a truly pioneering offering that attracts new visitor profiles while perfectly complementing the region’s existing heritage sites. The successful fusion of detailed historical reconstruction, spatial audio and perfectly synchronised narrative elements turns the approximately 12-minute tour into an experience for all ages and interests – from tourists and families to school groups and university students.

The tour is now available for €7 in addition to the regular Amphitheatre entrance ticket.

WeRiseUp itself stands for the consistent advancement of immersive technologies. The mixed reality studio, founded in Barcelona in 2026, emerged from an alliance between PortAventura World and Vekoma. As a spin-off of Adventure Labs, PortAventura World’s digital innovation unit launched in 2023, the team has already successfully delivered three pioneering mixed reality experiences at PortAventura Park. With this operational expertise and Vekoma’s engineering excellence, WeRiseUp aims to scale mixed reality to major cultural heritage sites worldwide – with the clear goal of inspiring all generations to discover the world’s great stories and turn every place of wonder into an unforgettable immersive experience.