East London has gone full Seoul this weekend. A new Call of Duty pop-up has transformed Electric Garden on Shoreditch High Street into a neon-lit Korean alleyway, and it is open to visitors until Sunday, 18 October.
Step inside and the East End falls away. In its place you will find glowing shopfronts, a Korean-style convenience store and rows of the colourful plastic stools that line the pavements outside Seoul’s late-night restaurants. By day, the venue captures the rhythm and bustle of everyday city life; after dark it flips into a livelier after-hours version of itself, all buzzing signage and night-market energy.
The whole experience is built around Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which launches on 23 October. Visitors can play the game ahead of its campaign early access, which began on 16 October — stepping straight into the Korean Peninsula setting that inspired the build, a world of rising tensions and fresh global conflict reimagined in neon.
There is plenty to do beyond the controllers. Guests can sample Korean food and entertainment, browse the convenience store and hunt down limited-edition merchandise created exclusively for the pop-up. Modern Warfare 4 Amazon Lockers will also stand on site, part of a wider collaboration with Amazon that drops the world of the game into everyday real life. Expect queues at peak times — arrive early if you want first dibs on the merch.
Can’t make it to Shoreditch in person? In partnership with Twitch, creators will stream live from the venue using surveillance-style CCTV footage and immersive walk-throughs, bringing the alleyway to audiences watching from home — a neat trick that turns the whole pop-up into must-see viewing even for those who cannot get there.
Tyler Bahl, chief marketing officer at Activision, said the franchise is “at its best when it extends beyond the game and into culture”, describing the build as an ambitious celebration of the energy, creativity and atmosphere that helped inspire the game’s world. An Activision spokesperson confirmed the Korean Alleys are open at Electric Garden, 201-207 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6LG, from 15 to 18 October.
London is not the only city getting the treatment. A twin experience has opened in Los Angeles at 8950 Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood, as part of a global campaign rolling out across two of the world’s cultural capitals in the run-up to the 23 October launch.
How to visit
- Where: Electric Garden, 201-207 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6LG.
- When: Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October — this weekend only, so time is short.
- Getting there: Shoreditch High Street London Overground station is practically on the doorstep. Liverpool Street — served by the Elizabeth, Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines plus National Rail — is a short walk away, and buses run the length of Shoreditch High Street.
- Entry: check callofduty.com for the latest visitor and entry information before travelling.
London’s playable pop-up moment
The Seoul alleyway lands as London leans harder than ever into entertainment you can walk through and play. Television is getting the same treatment: a playable Line of Duty experience is set to let visitors hunt bent coppers across the capital when it opens in 2027.
Families are spoilt for choice too — they can already step into a free Barbie Nutcracker world in Covent Garden this half-term. And Korean culture is having a wider moment across the city: Hyde Park’s festive giant returns this year with £1 entry and a brand-new K-pop circus.
For gamers — and for anyone who fancies their weekend with a side of Seoul — the alleyway is open now. Just don’t leave it too late: the neon goes dark on Sunday night.
