The Brief
In a few words? Create a home away from home.
In 2026, Ramadan brought a unique challenge. With sunset falling between 5.24pm and 6.17pm throughout the month, many Muslims were breaking their fast while commuting home from work. IKEA wanted to combat that.
The brief was to create a home away from home for Muslims who would otherwise be breaking their fast on a packed Tube, at a bus stop or somewhere on the walk home.
Working with Mother, IKEA created ‘Iftar At Ours,’ a pop-up home in the middle of two busy commuter hubs in London and Manchester. The idea was to give people somewhere warm, familiar and welcoming to break their fast, eat together and feel at home, even if they weren’t there yet.
Creative Concept
Rather than creating a generic interpretation of a Muslim home, the experience took inspiration from the layered mix of heritage, identity and migration found across British Muslim households.
In consultation with AMALIAH and interior designer Noor Aliyah Ali, ‘Iftar at Ours’ was designed. A pop-up home in London’s Southbank and Manchester’s Exchange Square. The result was a familiar British terraced house, filled with details that you’d likely find in a British Muslim home.
A cosy living-dining area becuse the heart of the experience, with a central table for a feast, sociable games areas, and dedicated prayer spaces facing Qibla.
IKEA’s branding was strategically woven into the space, rather than plastered over it. Yellow and blue front doors were instantly recognisable on the facade, but still felt part of a familiar British neighbourhood. Other subtle custom details included an IKEA-blue wall-mounted letterbox, satellite dish, yellow home security box, branded doormat, and yellow potted flowers.
The Delivery
Mother lead the creative concept, while we took care of the live event management, logistics, installation and de-rig across both sites.
Our in-house creative construction team handled the full fabrication and build. The team installed the pop-up house in London before dismantling, loading it up and hauling to Manchester for its second run.
Every tiny detail was considered to make it feel like somewhere you could spend an evening with friends and family. The interiors felt warm and familiar, with spaces to eat, relax, pray and spend time together.
Food was supplied by Rukhsana’s, a Muslim-owned catering company with a strong focus on upholding Islamic values. Dedicated prayer spaces were positioned towards Qibla, the dining area gave space for Iftar, and the living room was to relax, play games, and most importantly, make new friends.
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