What DARKFIELD STUDIO LIMITED does

DARKFIELD STUDIO LIMITED (trading as DARKFIELD) is a UK-based immersive audio theatre company founded in 2016 by Andrea Salazar, David Rosenberg, and Glen Neath. The company designs and produces 360-degree binaural audio experiences delivered in custom-built shipping containers, in-venue installations, and via digital streaming (DARKFIELD Radio), all staged in complete darkness with sensory effects. Its container catalogue includes SÉANCE, FLIGHT, COMA, EULOGY, ARCADE, and INVISIBLE (a Universal Pictures/Blumhouse commission), while DARKFIELD Radio titles include DOUBLE, VISITORS, ETERNAL, KNOT, PARADISE, INTRAVENE, and DEADHOUSE. The company's stated scale is 750,000+ audience members across UK, Asia, Australia/NZ, North America, Turkey, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea, Ireland, and Canada, with appearances at Edinburgh Fringe, Venice Film Festival, Tribeca, SXSW, BFI London Film Festival, IDFA, and Raindance.

DARKFIELD's business model is multi-streamed. Live touring generates ticket revenue via festivals and venues; digital access (e.g., ETERNAL at £3.99 per one-listen purchase) and print-to-order merchandise (£30–£40) are sold direct-to-consumer through darkfield.org. Bespoke branded commissions and co-productions generate professional services revenue (Universal/Blumhouse 2020 and 2024, BBC Sounds DEADHOUSE 2021, Lightshed/Johns Hopkins PARADISE 2022). Education programmes (masterclasses, workshops, residencies at universities and cultural venues) and donations/grant funding provide additional income. International geographic reach is achieved through licensing and touring partnerships with regional producers (Realscape Productions for ANZ and now USA/Canada, DasDas for Turkey, Malanoche for Mexico, Surprise Lab for Taiwan, plus collaborations with Wooran Foundation, LG Arts, and Centre Phi in Canada/Korea). The founding team retains operational control, and no external institutional investment is evidenced.

Technically, DARKFIELD's core differentiator is its proprietary application of binaural 360-degree audio captured using a binaural head and played back through noise-cancelling headphones in darkness — a methodology its founders pioneered. EULOGY and PARADISE layer speech-recognition technology for interactivity, including an AI-driven two-person experience (PARADISE) developed with academic research support from Johns Hopkins University. The company is registered in England and Wales (Darkfield Events Ltd., Company Number 10989110), operates from a small core team (1–10 employees per firmographic data, with named team of ~12 including production, marketing, and fundraising functions), and was recognised with the 2021 Breakthrough Award from Columbia University's Digital Storytelling Lab.

Name

DARKFIELD STUDIO LIMITED

Legal name

Darkfield Events Ltd.

Website

https://darkfield.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DARKFIELD creates immersive 360-degree binaural audio theatre experiences delivered in complete darkness via shipping containers, venues, and digital streaming, serving festival audiences, broadcasters, film studios, and universities across 10+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immersive Audio Theatre

NAICS

Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio-Visual Equipment Rentals (Sound, Projection, Screens) (HSACAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soundstage & Stage Rental (Film/TV) (MPADAIAA), Remote Recording & Online Session Services (MPAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Immersive audio theatre
• Binaural sound experiences
• Shipping container theatre
• Immersive theatre production
• Audio storytelling

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales — Shipping Container Shows: DARKFIELD sells tickets to its touring shipping container experiences at festivals, arts venues, and cultural spaces worldwide. Each show (SÉANCE, FLIGHT, COMA, EULOGY, ARCADE, INVISIBLE) is a separate ticketed experience typically lasting 20-35 minutes.
2. DARKFIELD Radio Digital Access: The company sells digital access to its audio experiences (ETERNAL at £3.99) via its website, allowing consumers to experience the show at home with headphones in complete darkness. One-listen per purchase, cannot be paused.
3. Merchandise Sales: DARKFIELD sells branded merchandise including t-shirts (£30) and sweatshirts (£40) themed around its shows (SÉANCE, FLIGHT, COMA, EULOGY, ARCADE, DARKFIELD Radio) through its own e-commerce storefront. Products are printed to order by a third-party supplier.
4. Brand Partnerships and Commissions: DARKFIELD creates bespoke branded experiences for film launches and brand activations. Examples include Universal Pictures/Blumhouse (The Invisible, 2020) and Blumhouse Blackout (2024, London). Also commissions such as BBC Sounds (Deadhouse), Bram Stoker Festival (ETERNAL), and Lightshed/Johns Hopkins University (PARADISE).
5. Education and Masterclasses: DARKFIELD delivers paid masterclasses, workshops, presentations, talks, and residencies at universities, colleges, and cultural venues worldwide. Sessions are delivered by core team members and cover immersive audio-based storytelling, binaural recording, and creative practice.
6. Licensing and International Touring Partnerships: DARKFIELD licenses its shows and partners with international producers (Realscape Productions for Australia/NZ/USA/Canada, DasDas for Turkey, Malanoche for Mexico) to tour shipping container shows and DARKFIELD Radio experiences in new territories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DARKFIELD creates and tours immersive 360-degree binaural audio theatre experiences performed inside custom-built shipping containers in complete darkness. The company also delivers DARKFIELD Radio digital audio experiences accessible at home via headphones, plus education programmes (masterclasses, workshops, residencies) and bespoke branded commissions for studios and broadcasters.

Product overview

DARKFIELD creates innovative immersive audio experiences at the forefront of technology and theatre. The core offering consists of touring theatrical shows performed within custom-built shipping containers in complete darkness with binaural sound, including SÉANCE, FLIGHT, COMA, INVISIBLE, EULOGY, and ARCADE. Additionally, DARKFIELD Radio delivers 360-degree audio experiences including DOUBLE, VISITORS, ETERNAL, KNOT, PARADISE, INTRAVENE, and DEADHOUSE as digital works and physical installations. Education programs through masterclasses, workshops, and residencies complement the commercial offerings. The company has toured globally reaching over 750,000 audience members across UK, Asia, Australia, NZ, North America, Turkey, and Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DARKFIELD Radio: A project delivering 360-degree immersive audio experiences to audiences at home, featuring shows like DOUBLE, VISITORS, ETERNAL, KNOT, PARADISE, and INTRAVENE.
• DARKFIELD Radio: DOUBLE
• DARKFIELD Radio: VISITORS
• DARKFIELD Radio: ETERNAL
• DARKFIELD Radio: KNOT
• DARKFIELD Radio: PARADISE
• DARKFIELD Radio: INTRAVENE
• DEADHOUSE

Products and services

• SÉANCE A 20-minute immersive shipping container experience where the interior becomes a Victorian séance room. Participants wear headphones and experience the performance in complete darkness with binaural audio, designed for arts festival audiences.
• FLIGHT A 25-30 minute shipping container experience that transforms into an economy plane cabin, exploring the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics through binaural sound in complete darkness. Touring internationally at arts and film festivals.
• COMA A 30-minute shipping container experience where audiences take part in a mass experiment and slip into a collective dream within a clinical facility setting, delivered in complete darkness with binaural audio.
• INVISIBLE A 30-minute shipping container experience where audiences are greeted by an Invisible Man who guides them through the art of invisibility and questions of responsibility. Originally commissioned for Universal Pictures' The Invisible Man film launch.
• EULOGY A 30-35 minute surreal journey through a dreamlike, labyrinthine hotel in complete darkness. Uses binaural sound and speech recognition technology to create an interactive, branching narrative where audience responses influence the experience.
• ARCADE A choose-your-own-path interactive experience in a shipping container transformed into a nostalgic 80s arcade. Uses binaural sound and sensory effects to explore free will and consciousness themes.
• DARKFIELD Radio (DOUBLE, VISITORS, ETERNAL) Browser-based 360-degree immersive audio experiences accessible at home via headphones. Includes DOUBLE (for two people in a kitchen exploring Capgras delusion), VISITORS (for two people in a living room), and ETERNAL (for one person alone in bed).
• DARKFIELD Radio: KNOT A three-part immersive audio trilogy unfolding in three different locations - a park bench, a car, and a room of the participant's home. Explores questions of inevitability and choice.
• PARADISE An AI-powered 30-minute immersive audio experience for couples exploring why people stay together or fall apart. Uses speech recognition technology and was created in collaboration with Lightshed Studio and Johns Hopkins University.
• INTRAVENE An immersive audio experience about the overdose crisis in Vancouver. A partnership with Crackdown (a drug user activist podcast) and documentary filmmaker Brenda Longfellow, using binaural 360-degree sound.
• DEADHOUSE A BBC and DARKFIELD collaboration - an unnerving trilogy of immersive binaural horror audio experiences. Listeners lie down with eyes closed as binaural sound surrounds and creeps towards them. Available via BBC Sounds.
• Education Programmes Education offerings including flagship 3-hour masterclasses, presentations, workshops ranging from 0.5-3 days, and university residencies of 3 weeks to a term. Delivered at universities, colleges, and cultural venues worldwide, covering immersive audio-based storytelling, binaural recording, and creative practice.
• BLUMHOUSE BLACKOUT A bespoke location-based immersive experience created in partnership with Blumhouse in 2024, celebrating their series of film work. Featured DARKFIELD's signature use of binaural sound and darkness in a central London basement venue.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 750,000 audience members reached globally across touring and digital experiences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Realscape Productions (USA & Canada)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024In 2024, Realscape Productions expanded to tour DARKFIELD's container experiences in the United States and Canada. Venues have included Dallas AT&T Performing Arts Center, Stackt Market in Toronto, and Old Port of Montreal.
• DasDasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024In 2024, DasDas brought SÉANCE and FLIGHT to Turkey, specifically at DasDas Istanbul, expanding DARKFIELD's footprint in the Middle East.
• Surprise Lab (Taiwan)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022DARKFIELD partnered with Surprise Lab in 2022 to bring FLIGHT to Taiwanese audiences, marking the company's first touring presence in Taiwan.
• Centre Phi (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022In 2022, DARKFIELD partnered with Centre Phi in Montreal to create a physical installation adaptation of DARKFIELD Radio show ETERNAL, bringing the digital experience to life in a venue setting.
• LG Arts (South Korea)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022In 2022, DARKFIELD partnered with LG Arts to bring SÉANCE, FLIGHT, and COMA to Korean audiences, expanding its presence in East Asia.
• Lightshed and Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022PARADISE is a 30-minute two-person immersive audio experience created in collaboration between DARKFIELD and Lightshed, with research support from Johns Hopkins University. It uses speech recognition technology to explore intimate partner relationships and violence. Premiered at SXSW 2022. Created with support from academic research on intimate relationships.
• Crackdown and Brenda LongfellowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022INTRAVENE is an immersive audio experience about the overdose crisis in Vancouver, created as a groundbreaking partnership between DARKFIELD, Crackdown (a drug user activist podcast led by Garth Mullins), and documentary filmmaker Brenda Longfellow. Awarded funds by the UK-Canada Immersive Exchange programme. Premiered at Tribeca Festival 2022 and featured at BFI London Film Festival, Reframe Film Festival, and via the DARKFIELD Radio app.
• BBC SoundscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021In 2021, DARKFIELD was commissioned by the BBC to create DEADHOUSE — a trilogy of immersive audio horror shorts for BBC Sounds, each experienced by a single listener lying down with eyes closed. The binaural sound surrounds and creeps towards the listener. Available via BBC Sounds.
• Wooran Foundation (South Korea)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020DARKFIELD partnered with the Wooran Foundation to bring DOUBLE (DARKFIELD RADIO) to Korean audiences and subsequently partnered on South Korean adaptations of FLIGHT and ETERNAL.
• Bram Stoker Festival (Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020In 2020, the Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin commissioned DARKFIELD to create ETERNAL on DARKFIELD Radio — a 20-minute immersive audio experience for one person alone in their bed, inspired by Dracula. ETERNAL has since become one of DARKFIELD's flagship digital productions and has featured at multiple international festivals.
• Universal Pictures and BlumhousemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020DARKFIELD partnered with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse to create 'The Invisible' — a bespoke experience in a shipping container created to accompany the launch of Universal's 'The Invisible Man' film. The experience was sited at Universal Citywalk, Los Angeles, and featured DARKFIELD's signature binaural sound and darkness. A second partnership (Blumhouse Blackout) was created in 2024 in central London, celebrating Blumhouse's series of film work.
• Malanoche (Mexico)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018In 2018, DARKFIELD partnered with production company Malanoche to bring SÉANCE to Mexico, where it has continued to tour. In 2023, Malanoche also brought INVISIBLE to Mexico. Malanoche assisted with set construction for The Invisible at Universal Citywalk LA.
• Realscape Productions (Australia & NZ)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Since 2016, DARKFIELD has partnered with Realscape Productions to bring its shipping container shows and DARKFIELD Radio experiences to Australia and New Zealand. Realscape handles all touring, logistics, and ticketing for the region, enabling DARKFIELD to reach audiences across Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland, Wellington, Newcastle, and other ANZ cities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• En Garde Arts: New York-based site-specific and immersive theatre company producing touring and venue-based experimental productions. Comparable in producing model (small team, festival circuit, site-specific work) and audience profile.
• Secret Cinema: Immersive cinema experiences where audiences inhabit the world of a film. Comparable audience segment (festival-goers, immersive theatre fans), comparable brand partnership model (film studio tie-ins), and comparable GTM via pop-up/touring installations.
• ABBA Voyage: Concert residency produced with input from DARKFIELD team member Victoria Eyton and the wider Punchdrunk ecosystem. Comparable in immersive concert/entertainment category, though at much larger scale and as a fixed venue production.
• Punchdrunk: Pioneering immersive theatre company behind Sleep No More. DARKFIELD's founders and senior staff (Salazar, Eyton, Codrington, Ruiz) all previously held senior roles at Punchdrunk, making it the closest direct peer in craft, methodology, and audience overlap.
• Third Rail Projects: New York-based immersive theatre company behind Then She Fell and The Grand Paradise. Direct competitor in intimate, site-specific immersive performance with comparable small-team creative model and binaural/sensory techniques.
• Shunt: London-based immersive theatre collective where DARKFIELD co-founder David Rosenberg was a founding member and where other team members also worked. Direct heritage peer sharing immersive-theatre lineage, audience, and experimental ethos.

Emerging players

• Wiretapper: Binaural audio theatre collective previously founded by DARKFIELD co-founder David Rosenberg. Closely related in binaural sound theatre methodology and creative lineage, representing a smaller-scale peer in the same audio-immersive niche.

Broad incumbents

• Fever: Global experiences marketplace that curates and distributes immersive experiences including darkFIELD-style audio installations. Comparable in distributing immersive audio experiences to consumer audiences via digital ticketing infrastructure.
• teamLab: Immersive digital art collective producing technology-driven experiential installations worldwide. Comparable in audience appeal, festival/global venue distribution, and innovation positioning, but focused on visual rather than audio-led immersion.
• Meow Wolf: Large-scale immersive art installations (House of Eternal Return, Convergence Station). Comparable experiential entertainment category and festival/venue GTM, but operates at significantly larger scale and with permanent venues rather than touring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/darkfield_org
• Instagraminstagram.com/darkfield_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darkfieldorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DARKFIELD STUDIO LIMITED