If you’re struggling to keep up with constantly evolving millennial lingo then here’s a helpful note: ‘Urbex’ stands for urban exploration, and is the calling card of Urbex-ers who stop at very-little to discover new places in man-made, urban structures.
These modern adventurers, climbers and parkour experts focus on ‘inflitrating’ forbidden and hard-to-reach places within our cities, navigating bridges, skyscrapers, and other off-limits structures, often regardless of the risk.
Naturally, the booming construction-friendly city of Dubai is a hub for Urbex with its countless skyscrappers each offering a greater challenge than the next. It’s no surprise then that the city features in the upcoming free-to-stream TV show Urbex on Redbull.tv.
The show features nine urbex-ers as they explore, climb and access some of the world’s most interesting urban structures from an abandoned space shuttle campe in Kazakhstan to the landmarks in Dubai Marina.
Ahead of the show going live on August 1, Red Bull TV answered some concerns about the legality of filming a show that is based on circumventing the law…
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Why urban exploration?
Why not. We’re taking audiences where they’ve never gone before.
Is any of it staged?
No. We are taking Red Bull TV viewers into the little-known world of urban exploration by following the Urb-exers and telling their individual stories.
Are you encouraging others to trespass and put themselves at risk?
No. We’re telling the stories of the individuals who seek to see our world in a unique way that is fascinating to those who watch.
Wouldn’t you say by documenting it you are endorsing the activity?
Absolutely not. As you will see as you watch the entire series, we cover the risks and, negative aspects of this lifestyle. At Red Bull TV, we take an interest in documenting subcultures and people who experience life through unique and interesting ways. We are simply documenting this global phenomena.
Is Red Bull breaking the law by filming at these locations?
No. The protagonists filmed themselves their own adventures. Red Bull TV crews captured the interviews, the reactions, preparations, etc. editing together all footage to create the series.
Did you finance their exploration? Were the protagonists paid for filming?
The protagonists were not paid (in advance) for filming. This was not ‘commissioned’ in any sense. These are people who explore in their own way and make their own videos.
Urbex premieres on-demand with all episodes available on August 1 on Red Bull TV.