The Doctor Who: Time Fracture live event has closed, three months earlier than planned, after “facing extreme challenges over the past two years”.

Indeed, the immersive experience was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent government announcements about isolating. It then had to shut again in July 2021 shortly after it opened after suffering damage from flooding; it didn’t reopen again until November 2021.

Time Fracture was due to run until September 2022.

The organisers said:

“Our journey through space and time is coming to an end sooner than expected – but what a joyful journey this has been.

“Time Fracture is a love letter to Doctor Who and, despite facing extreme challenges over the past two years, we are extremely proud that its vision and ambition was so beautifully delivered.

“Thank you for being part of our wibbly wobbly, timey wimey adventure.”

Anyone who had tickets beyond the “final mission” date of 5th June 2022 will be refunded; we can imagine lots of fans have been extremely let down, though.

This is, of course, a massive shame. In Peter Shaw’s review, he enthused:

“Overall, it was clearly an experience created by people who really love the show, for others who love it too. It reminded me of what is so magical and special about this strange old programme, particularly seeing it through the eyes of my 10-year-old. He loved every minute. I know that for a fact, because he keeps regaling people with minute-by-minute accounts.”

We don’t exactly know why it’s shut so early, but immersive events are apparently having a difficult time right now; nonetheless, plenty of locations bring in hordes of crowds (as many will have noticed from the Platinum Jubilee celebrations), so are people really still holding back from taking part?

Doctor Who is set to return to TV in the autumn.