Are Virtual Concerts the Future?

Technology is a bit of a strange thing. On the one hand, the vast majority of technological advancement is seen as generally positive, helping to make everyone’s lives easier. It’s hard to imagine living without most of the gadgets and machines around our houses and workplaces.

On the other hand, there are plenty of stories of technology causing conflict, and music has seen plenty of that. Heated debates happen all the time between lovers of electronic music and “hand-made” music, and the latest hot topic is the all-new virtual concerts.

What is a Virtual Concert?

Virtual concerts are one of the latest innovations in the recent remote revolution, where technology brings games, events and services to people without them having to be there in person. Based on principles already used in gaming of all types, from mass multiplayer video games to casino games such as those with shared jackpots. It’s how someone playing Aztec’s Millions at a South Africa online casino like Yebo Casino shares the same prize pool as someone playing the game from the UK or the US.

While it took longer than some forms of entertainment, the world of musical performances has now caught up. Multiple bands have now organised virtual remote concerts, where instead of playing in person on a real-life stage, they instead play through avatars on a virtual stage. It’s a trend that has been around longer in the Korean and Japanese markets, although unusual examples like Phil Collins having a virtual concert in Grand Theft Auto do go back a few years as well. In recent years, the list has included Ariana Grande, BTS and The Weeknd on various platforms.

Can They Be More Popular Than Real-Life Concerts?

These concerts have collectively pulled in millions of views and there’s no sign of them slowing down. The simplest reason behind the success is that watching is just more practical than travelling to a concert in person. Most fans of a group won’t live close to the concert venue, and beyond that, there is a limited number of tickets and the most popular ones tend to sell out extremely quickly. These issues are difficult enough for adult fans, but all of that is amplified for the younger fans that make the most use of virtual concerts.

Lovers of both arena and festival concerts shouldn’t worry, though, as both types of concerts have enough space to exist together. Those who love the atmosphere and intimacy of being in front of the stage will always have that chance as no group is ready to give up live concerts entirely. In fact, with virtual concerts absorbing many of the attendees, it may even improve the ticket-buying process.

As any music fan, the best way to see this shift is a net win for music as a whole. It takes nothing away and only serves to bring in younger generations of fans. While the balance may shift more in the future, the future just looks bright for the whole industry.