A new immersive experience is opening at Wales Millennium Centre this March, inviting audiences to step back into the mid-2000s and relive a defining moment for a generation. Haunts opens on 1 March and runs until 12 April, offering a free Virtual Reality experience rooted in Welsh youth culture.
Set in North Wales in 2006, Haunts tells a coming-of-age story at a time when nights out, MSN notifications and new freedoms shaped teenage life. It transports audiences to Llanberis, a former slate town in Gwynedd, just as social media was beginning to take hold and the world felt on the brink of change. Twitter has just launched, phones are becoming constant companions, and a new way of connecting is quietly reshaping everyday life.
The bilingual experience is narrated in English by Welsh actor Callum Scott-Howells, best known for It’s a Sin, and in Welsh by Steffan Donnelly from Theatr Cymru. Together, the voices guide audiences through a deeply personal and atmospheric journey that blends memory, place and music.
The title Haunts reflects the idea that the places we spent time in as teenagers stay with us long after we leave them behind. Co-directors Lucy Hammond and Tom Chetwode-Barton wanted to tap into that feeling of nostalgia, where a sound, a song or a familiar setting can instantly take you back. From graffiti covered walls to the ping of an old chat message, the experience is designed to trigger shared memories and emotions.
Visually, the story is set against the dramatic slate mountains and quarries of North Wales, contrasting youth culture with the region’s industrial past. The narration is written by Tom Chetwode-Barton, a BAFTA-nominated writer director based in Anglesey, whose work often explores regional identity, class and mythology.
The immersive experience was developed by Wakefield based VR studio Dreaming Methods, who led the creative and technical design. Music from Welsh artists including Super Furry Animals, John Cale and High Contrast adds another layer, creating a multi-sensory experience that blends theatre, virtual landscapes and archive footage.
Archive material has been drawn from The National Library of Wales as part of the Wales Broadcast Archive, with contributions from BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales and S4C. The project has been made possible through funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Welsh Government, and is a collaboration between Wales Millennium Centre, Pilot Theatre and Dreaming Methods, alongside The National Library of Wales and The Museum of Youth Culture.
Haunts runs at Wales Millennium Centre from 1 March to 12 April 2026. The experience is completely free, with no need to book. Visitors can simply drop in between 12pm and 5pm on Sundays and Mondays, or 12pm and 6pm from Tuesday to Saturday.
It is a reflective, immersive look at a moment in recent Welsh history, and a chance to step inside the memories of a generation shaped by music, place and the early days of life online.
