Contender, ready! My family took on the Gladiators Experience at Birmingham NEC - we were NOT ready. By Emma Walker. Published 2nd May 2026, 09:37 BST. Updated 5th May 2026, 12:09 BST.
Contender, ready! We were not ready! But we had the BEST time anyway. We took on the new Gladiators Experience at NEC Birmingham as a full family mission: me, my husband, Alice (8), Ada (5) and yes… even toddler Tommy in tow. And I can honestly say — we left exhausted, slightly broken, and completely buzzing.
This is not a “stand and watch” kind of day. This is full-on, get-stuck-in, laugh-at-yourself, cheer-each-other-on chaos. The good kind. I don’t think any of us quite knew what we were letting ourselves in for. By the end of it, we were absolutely exhausted, a bit sweaty, slightly chaotic… and honestly, it was one of the most fun family experiences we’ve had in a long time.
From the moment you walk in, it hits you how big and high-energy the whole place is. The arena is massive, with lights, music and that familiar Gladiators atmosphere that makes you feel like you’ve stepped onto the show itself. The kids were instantly buzzing, shouting “Contender, ready!” before we’d even figured out where to go. You’re straight into it, and suddenly you’re not a spectator anymore, you’re a contender.
The challenges are proper Gladiators-style and much more intense than they look from the sidelines. We took on everything from The Wall, which quickly turned from “this looks easy” to “why am I halfway up and regretting everything,” to Duel, where the kids had the best time wobbling around with huge grins. Hang Tough was a real test of grip strength, which I discovered very quickly I do not have, while Unleash was fast, chaotic and slightly frantic in the best way. Then there’s the Eliminator, which is every bit as tough as it looks on TV. It’s relentless, a bit ridiculous, and somehow still makes you want to go again straight after.
What really works is that it’s genuinely family-friendly. There are versions of the challenges that Alice and Ada could join in with comfortably, so it never felt too intimidating for them. Instead, it became this big shared experience where we were all cheering each other on, laughing at failed attempts and celebrating even the smallest wins. The wristbands that track your scores add another layer of fun, turning it into a full family competition. My husband is still talking about his ranking like it’s a major sporting achievement.
For us, having Tommy with us could have been tricky, but the soft play area completely saved the day. While we rotated through the challenges, he was happy, entertained and safely climbing things that were actually designed for him, rather than attempting the Eliminator himself. It made the whole experience feel much more manageable as a family with mixed ages.
It’s also more than just the physical challenges. There’s a whole experience built around it. The Vault was a real highlight for us as parents, packed with nostalgia from the original Gladiators era, with costumes, memorabilia and little moments that bring it all back. There are loads of photo opportunities too, and we absolutely leaned into that, striking our best Duel poses and generally embracing the silliness of it all. It all adds to the feeling that you’re properly immersed in the world, not just passing through it.
By the time we left, we were completely done in. The kind of tired where you sit down in the car and don’t move for a minute. But it was that good kind of tired that comes from doing something genuinely fun together. The kids were still talking about their favourite bits, comparing scores and asking when we could go back, which probably says everything.
It’s loud, busy and full-on, so it’s worth going in expecting that, but that’s also exactly what makes it work. It brings everyone into it, no matter your age or ability, and turns it into something you experience together rather than just watch. For us, it ticked all the boxes. The kids loved it, we were fully involved, and it felt like proper quality family time rather than just another day out.
Would we recommend it? Definitely. Just maybe stretch first. Book here.
