The activation was built on a core idea: each passer-by becomes the manager. 
 

Inspired by Nike’s House of Innovation, the experience was designed to make complex stories accessible through space rather than explanation, and be understood at a glance.
 

Familiar matchday moments - the dugout, the tunnel, the walk-out - gave people a direct way into the experience.
 

The cornerstone of FM’s new visual identity, the dugout sat in the centre of the activation as a symbol of pressure, anticipation and responsibility.
 

Now Trending - Visibility & Interaction
An animated, panoramic treatment of the Football Manager 26 key art created a moving backdrop designed to grab attention and draw people in.

A dugout anchored the space, inviting people in and placing them as the manager. iPads let people move seamlessly from watching the activation to playing FM26 Touch.
 

Now Arcade - Immersion
The area was designed as a tunnel, recreating the walk onto the pitch, inspired by Manchester City’s Tunnel Cam. Sound, lighting and silhouettes recreated it from a manager’s perspective, building anticipation and opening into the final reveal space at the end of Now Arcade.

Messaging was kept minimal. The environments carried the idea, so people could recognise it immediately and then explore deeper if they stayed.