Is the future of concerts virtual?

Among the sectors most affected by the Covid-19 emergency there is certainly that of concerts and live events, a world that engages thousands of people representing for many artists not only the best way to earn money, but also a moment of direct contact. with their fans. While waiting for things to return to normal, someone has found in digital a momentary solution to fill that economic and emotional void that separates artists from their fans: Justin Bieber, for example, started performing live on TikTok, while last New Year he broadcast streaming a concert from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

In addition to the individual initiatives of the artists, in the last year some real realities were born, designed to create and carry on the idea of ​​the virtual concert, offering the public the opportunity to live an experience as faithful as possible to that of the live comfortably seated on the sofa at home. Born in 2019, Moment House offers for example a qualitative experience at the highest levels, also giving artists the possibility to create after party events and digital meet and greet, managing to involve names such as Halsey, Tame Impala, BROCKHAMPTON and the aforementioned Justin Bieber . Also in Italy the trend of virtual concerts has found a home in UnReal Club, the first Italian app that allows you to live a virtual and immersive musical experience through a VR viewer and which will see its official launch on April 25 with the Guè Pequeno's concert. "UnReal Club is the tangible answer to support the world of music and live performances dramatically knocked down by the suspension of live events: a situation that prompted us to imagine innovative solutions to create new contexts and spaces for musical performances" he told by Dario Correale of Thaurus Live. The application, available for Android and iOS, was created with the aim of transferring the experience of a live event into a virtual environment, guaranteeing the user a sensory involvement thanks to the use of VR headsets or the 360° mode.

The goal of UnReal Club is to become a reference point for the world of entertainment, a decision that must necessarily pass through the opinion of the public called to judge the digital alternative of live shows with the hope that they can return to the first. possible in their natural form. When that happens, platforms like UnReal Club and Moment House will be able to find a new purpose, becoming digital megaphones capable of further expanding the word of artists around the world. However, we can hardly imagine a more or less near future in which the enjoyment of a live concert can become similar to that of a film or a series in streaming, leading the world of live shows towards a fate similar to that of the cinema.