Beyond the crowd: how virtual concerts are redefining live music

What was once a pandemic entertainment trend is truly here to stay.

Cast your mind back a few years to the pandemic and how we were caged in at home, unable to see our favorite bands in the local tavern, dive bar, or packed stadium..

Bands and artists started shifting their gigs online to YouTube and more expansive and experimental places like Fortnite, Wave, Roblox, and Meta.

As we were stuck in our homes, few attractive events were available. And endlessly listening to Spotify didn’t seem so appealing.

Luckily, artists like Travis Scott, Lil Nas X, The Weeknd, and Ariana Grande embraced multiple platforms, broadcasting live concerts across continents and even into new dimensions.

How virtual concerts enhance the experience

The shift in audience behavior has certainly continued in post-pandemic conditions as fans continue to register for virtual concerts. Advancements in virtual and augmented realities have put a unique selling point on online gigs.

Notable examples include seeing John Legend’s avatar crooning on the Wave platform or Coldplay's The Music of the Spheres tour in 2022, where they integrated augmented reality effects like dancing with alien avatars into their concert experiences.

VR can conveniently place you in the front row of a concert so you don’t have to trundle through the muddy fields at a festival. It can also integrate a 360-degree view of the show.

A lavish, immersive experience, like Travis Scott’s avatar growing to massive proportions or concert-goers swimming through neon oceans, made the Astronomical event in Fortnite an unforgettable spectacle, seamlessly blending gaming with live music.

The upsides and downsides of virtual gigs

Remember when you’d read the comments section when a band launched their new tour, and fans would ask, “When are you coming to Baku?” Now, fans in remote places can call into a gig – geographical boundaries matter not.

Factor in the astronomical cost of in-venue gigs, whereas you could see Ariana Grande for free within Fortnite or catch Justin Bieber for just $10 on Wave, whereas a premium seat on a real tour could go for $500-1000. At ten bucks, it’s a snip.

The accessibility benefits are clear – virtual gigs can help overcome barriers for disabled fans or those with financial limitations. However, tech limitations mean that access for many can be troublesome.

For example, the price of a VR headset – a Meta headset starts at around $300 – can exclude the average gig-goer. In the meantime, internet connectivity issues can also hinder users when trying to stream the performance.

One of the best things about going to a concert is often how the performers interact with the audience. But there’s a lack of atmosphere virtually, although perhaps the sparkly cosmic charades employed by Coldplay may mitigate that somewhat.

Looking ahead: the future of virtual concerts

To see the future, we can look to the past. In 2012, Tupac’s hologram was used during a Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg headline concert, a much-talked-about showbusiness milestone.

Following that, shows like the Elvis Evolution, ready for May 2025 in London, will blend augmented reality and AI to project holographic projections of The King on stage, marking a significant step in blending the legend of yesterday with contemporary wonderment.

As the music industry becomes more stream-focused, with user habits gearing toward Spotify and streaming, virtual concerts might already be a regular on the circuit. So, why wait for a band to pop into your town after all?