A Trendy European Bar Modeled On California's Famous Island Prison Is A Bizarre Theatrical Experience

Most people hope not to end up in a prison cell by the end of a night of drinking, but at Alcotraz, people are starting in one. Inspired by the historical island and former prison accessible by a scenic ferry ride from San Francisco, this novelty performance bar is a huge hit across the pond with six locations in the U.K. (London, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff, Brighton, and Bristol), plus its first overseas outpost in Melbourne, Australia.

Not your usual bar, you need to book tickets in advance to guarantee yourself a cell and a jumpsuit at Alcotraz. Guests are even asked to "smuggle in" their own alcohol as part of the fun — creativity is encouraged! Tickets are not cheap, and prices and packages fluctuate depending on the date and location. At the London venue, the most basic "Rookie" ticket starts at £48.50, or around $59 (at the time of writing), but you could also try the Alcotraz in Manchester, one of England's most underrated cities, where tickets start at £42 ($51). It's definitely a high price to pay for a bar that asks you to bring your own booze, but with all the props and theatrics involved, it may be worth considering a stint in the slammer on your next trip to the U.K. or Melbourne.

During the Alcotraz experience, which lasts one hour and 45 minutes, audience members become a part of an immersive show led by cast numbers playing the roles of both guards and prisoners. When you arrive, you'll be sent to "processing" and given an orange jumpsuit to wear before being escorted to your cell. Bartenders playing fellow prisoners will craft your bespoke cocktails for the night based on your taste preferences, and then the interactive show will begin.

The cast will quickly get you involved with the prison role-play, giving you jobs to do and parole meetings to attend while the story builds up to the climactic moment of "escape." Improv is highly encouraged, and your ticket includes four personalized cocktails made with the alcohol you'll bring in yourself. You'll also have your mugshot taken and will be given plenty of opportunities to pose for photo-ops around the set, which has a visitation room, solitary confinement, and warden's office.

Overall, Alcotraz scores top ratings from online reviewers, with the London location averaging a 5.0 on Tripadvisor. Recent guests like GraceC096 report the experience as being great fun, writing, "From the moment it started, I couldn't stop laughing. The actors were absolutely brilliant, staying in character the entire time and keeping the energy and story alive."

When Inventive Productions announced it would be opening its first Alcotraz location in trendy East London in 2017, it was met with heavy skepticism and criticism for its prison theme. In a Business Insider UK video released the same year, Inventive Productions founder Sam Shearman responded by saying, "The last thing I wanted to do is romanticize imprisonment or in any way make fun of the prison system in today's environment." Instead, the intention behind the bar was to create an atmosphere similar to what you'd see in TV shows or movies.

Despite initial criticism, the franchise managed to expand over the years to multiple U.K. cities. Yet, the expansion to Australia has reignited the topic with public denouncements from organizations like the National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls who put out the following statement: "Prison is not a game — it is harsh, it is brutal and all too often a life-ending reality."

In 2024, Inventive Productions announced its partnership with the Innocence Project London, an organization that aims to help people who have been wrongly convicted. "Alcotraz brings to life [the] fictional story of a bootlegger sentenced behind bars, similar to that of classic American film and TV, which aims to entertain our audience," the company states on its website. "Our team recognise the difficulties beyond our fictional world and we are proud to support a charity that aims to make a positive difference within the criminal justice system."