The Royal Albert Hall attempted to pull off a fun April Fools’ Day prank this year about a fictional “Immersive Nokia 3310 Experience” supposedly happening in May, tapping into early 2000s nostalgia, but people were quick to catch on.
It would have blended the venue’s reputation for grand performances with a humorous twist on early 2000s tech culture by imagining high-art interpretations of mundane phone features—like the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing Nokia’s iconic ringtones or a giant screen projecting a game of Snake II for a live audience.
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For the Royal Albert Hall’s prank, the 3310 was the perfect prop: a universally recognized, slightly ridiculous relic that could be spun into an over-the-top “experience” without anyone questioning its cultural heft. Would you have paid for an event with performances of classic Nokia ringtones and alarms by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a live-streamed Snake II game, and an appearance by organist Anna Lapwood?
The Nokia 3310 is something that we as a country hold very close, not only to our ears, but to our hearts. It’s not often you can say that a handset changed your life, and I don’t intend to go into all the details, but it was one hell of a phone,” said James O’Follipar, Chief Executive of the Royal Albert Hall.
