With the global pandemic still hindering live concerts, Australia’s Splendour festival is turning to VR for this year’s iteration.
SplendourXR, as the event is called, is happening on July 24 and 25 on the Sansar platform and features a full recreation of the traditional Byron Bay venue. That means you’ll be able to visit the virtualized event with a PC VR headset or just normally on a browser or device of your choice. Khalid and The Killers are headlining the event – but what does that actually mean?
A spokesperson for the show told us artists would feature in different ways during the show. Each will have pre-recorded their set specifically for the festival, but some will be appearing on screens and others using “cutting edge technology”. We haven’t seen any of the show for ourselves so just bear that in mind. Appearing on Sansar should mean the festival runs smoothly from a social perspective, but we’re yet to see a live music performance that really captures the in-person experience. That doesn’t mean they’re without merit, though.
Also on the bill for this year are CHVRCHES, Band of Horses and Denzel Curry. You can see the full line-up on the official website. In addition to music, the festival says it will feature several other experiences in social VR, like a virtual yoga session (maybe don’t wear your headset for that one).
Tickets to Splendour XR start at early bird pricing of $19.99 for a single-day ticket and $34.99 for a weekend ticket. That lasts until June 10, and tiers keep increasing in price as the event moves closer.
Will you be heading off to Splendour XR? Let us know in the comments below!
