Guinness: The Open Gate Experience

Creating a tour for all: Engaging locals and tourists

Part working microbrewery, part immersive brand journey, Open Gate Brewery London blends heritage, innovation and culture into a contemporary destination built for discovery,
social connection and repeat visits.

Inspired by Guinness’s lesser-known London story and the beer lineage to Porter, the tour connects the brand to the history of Covent Garden through a narrative of exploration, creativity and exploration. Visitors follow in Arthur Guinness’s footsteps, moving from immersive storytelling and sensorial tastings through to a behind-the-scenes view of modern brewing innovation.

The result is a future-facing brand home that drives footfall and strengthens Guinness’s role at the heart of London life, setting a new benchmark for modern brewery experiences.

Blending the culture of Guinness and the capital to tell an authentic brand story.

With the ambition of bringing brewing back to Covent Garden, Guinness wanted to launch its new brand home by creating one of the most highly anticipated and loved brand experiences, not just in the capital but across the UK.

The Open Gate Experience unfolds across distinct chapters, from history and ingredients to sustainability, culture and creativity, culminating in spaces that celebrate the iconic Guinness pour and invite guests to make the brand their own. Every moment was designed to deliver “a great day out,” while building long-term knowledge, advocacy and emotional connection.

The Open Gate Experience consists of five key spaces, each with a different purpose and a unique value proposition that visitors simply can’t find anywhere else.

Step into The Pint

An immersive 360º space that welcomes visitors to Guinness and guides them from past to present, as they journey from the origins of Old Brewer’s Yard, fast-forward through a history of the brand and get a taste of the new chapter that’s brewing at Guinness’ new home in Covent Garden.

The Brewery

Taking visitors behind the curtain as they dive into the working brewery at the heart of the London experience. Revealing the innovations that enable Guinness to continually push brewing creativity to the limit.

Beautiful Guinness

A visually-stunning, aesthetically-led space dedicated to the creativity, people and the 300,000,000 bubbles that go into making every pint of Guinness as beautiful as it can possibly be. This vivid installation introduces innovation stories in a way that is magnetic, memorable and shareable.

The Brewer’s Room

Guests are invited to discover their taste in a communal, hands-on experience where visitors explore the distinct OGB beers brewed on site in Covent Garden. Combining physical and digital storytelling, The Brewer’s Room is a stage for dreamers, explorers, creators and crafters.

Bar 232º

Inspired by the specific temperature at which Guinness barley is roasted – giving the liquid its distinctive taste and colour – Bar 232º celebrates how Guinness pushes brewing and creativity to the limit. The space brings the culture of the brand and the capital together. Ready to handle the pressure? Step up to the Harp and see if you can nail the perfect pour…

For the audience

The Open Gate Experience offers audiences a brewery tour like no other, one that brings them closer to the brand than ever before, so they can truly understand its creative and experimental nature.

Accompanied by a Guinness Ambassador throughout the journey, each space has been designed for unprecedented levels of engagement with numerous photo moments designed to boost visitors’ social currency with opportunities for beautiful content generation.

Not only that, but visitors will also receive two pints’ worth of beer, included in the ticket price, as well as opportunities for an additional pint and a Stoutie at the end of the tour.

For the brand

While Guinness is famed for being steeped in legacy and tradition, the Open Gate Experience allows the brand to celebrate its dedication to contemporary creativity and innovation in unique ways.

The experience provides the brand with opportunities for deeper storytelling and unprecedented levels of engagement that can’t be achieved through more ephemeral activations. It also provides the entire Guinness neighbourhood with a sense of place and purpose, a physical manifestation of the brand’s pioneering spirit that brings the far-reaching site together.