Bob Marley immersive experience to land in U.S. next year

A massive immersive experience celebrating Bob Marley is heading for its U.S. premiere early next year, complete with photographs, lots of music and even a pair of the reggae giant’s footwear.

The multi-room exhibit, Bob Marley: One Love Experience, will open in Los Angeles on Jan. 27 at Ovation Hollywood, following runs in London and Toronto. The 15,000-square foot experience includes previously unseen photographs, concert videos, lyric sheets, rare memorabilia like guitars, a soccer jersey, sneakers and art that highlight Marley’s influence. There are also a Marley-branded pinball machine, a jukebox and a few foosball tables. One area celebrates the Marley family’s legacy and philanthropy.

Inside, a 2,000-square foot One Love Forest promises to take visitors on a trip to Jamaica in a multi-sensory environment, which also features a cannabis garden. Fans are greeted with headphones at the Soul Shakedown studio to groove out to the curated playlist in the silent disco. Tickets are available exclusively via Fever on Dec. 7.

Born in rural Jamaica in 1945, Marley rose from the gritty Kingston slum of Trench Town to global stardom in the 1970s with hits like “No Woman, No Cry,” ″Get Up, Stand Up,” and “I Shot the Sheriff.” His lyrics promoting social justice and African unity made him an icon in Jamaica and other countries. He died from cancer in 1981 at age 36.

“After being in London and Toronto, it’s going to be amazing bringing the experience here to the U.S. for the first time and just steps from Daddy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Cedella Marley, CEO of Bob Marley Group, said in a statement. The exhibit is produced by the Marley Family and Terrapin Station Entertainment.

Immersive experiences are all the rage these days, with traveling, projection-driven exhibits of King Tut, Vincent Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Frida Kahlo and Claude Monet, just to name a few. (Associated Press)