To occupy an entire lot in Covent Garden that descends into a winding, ominous corridor of medieval decor, and to sell out regularly, is no small feat. The Traitors Live Experience was born in July 2025, three years after the Dutch-born format debuted on British TV.
According to the BBC, this year's Traitors finale drew in nine million viewers, and I’ve been among them since day one. I've watched every moment, from Wilfred's guilt complex to Stephen and Rachel's treacherous pact, with a quick detour via Celia Imrie breaking wind (but never character), and so, naturally, the live experience was hugely compelling to me. I was thrilled to visit with the DesignMyNight team on a Thursday night in September, and with just a week before The Celebrity Traitors season two aired, we were all in the festive spirit.
The decor had been nailed - we could've been rocking up to the Scottish castle.
DesignMyNight's Review Of The Traitors Live Experience
Need To Know:
- Location: 60 Short's Gardens, Covent Garden, WC2H 9AH
- Nearest station: Covent Garden or Tottenham Court Road
- Price: from £39.50 per person, private tables of 14 from £75 per person
- Duration: can last up to three hours, from start to finish
The Cloak & Dagger Bar
Upon entry, we were all given coloured lanyards to indicate our team, and were given the chance to pick, discreetly on an iPad, whether we minded being a traitor or not. This was also our opportunity to implement game plans early over a drink from the Coak & Dagger bar.
We enjoyed some crisp glasses of prosecco and bottles of Peroni as some plotted and schemed while others, like myself, began to feel the pressure before it had even begun - a testament to the venue's atmosphere. If you looked hard enough, you could even find props from past series.
Don't worry - you get the chance to spell people's names wrong on your 'slate'.
The Round Table
There was no denying that entering the Round Table felt epic. It was a humongous, engraved hunk of wood that carried a mighty weight and sense of destiny. Or in my case, impending ill-fate. We'll get to that in a bit.
We met our host, Mortimer, Mort for short, who then selected his traitors while we kept our heads down with blackout goggles on. Akin to the game, but more prevalent in a room with 13 other people and no TV crew, we looked to sounds as well as smirks to decipher the killers among us. There was a lot of 'rustling' theories flying around from the get-go.
The games were limited to the room we played in too, but were superbly brain-boggling, and relied on cooperation and instinct. They were opportunities to figure out who was looking out for themselves, and who actually wanted to win 'gold' for the faithful.
What Happens If I Get Murdered Or Banished?
The good news was that you were still part of the game. On this occasion, I was the first to go, which I found incredibly impractical considering I was the one writing a blog - though I’m not really sure whether my killer knew that.
We were taken to a room where we could see the game unravel in real time, though the players couldn't see us. This was brilliant fun, and I only wished I had a recording to give everyone for Secret Santa. In terms of participation, I was able to influence the amount of gold earned now and then. Ultimately, it was up to me and my fellow deceased, who grew increasingly animated as they emerged through the door one by one, whether we actually wanted to help or not.
Everyone at the Round Table before the games began (pictured left), and a trinket used to help fellow players (right).
Endgame
We had a generous number of players reach the 'endgame', at which point they were able to leave the room and head to the turret to play one final challenge.
Regardless of who won, there were no physical prizes - simply either the reassurance that all those true crime documentaries had paid off, or the realisation that you were exceptionally good at lying. We were fortunate enough to all remain friends by the end, no matter how heated the banishments got. Will you be so lucky?
