Justin Bieber is getting in on the metaverse. The singer will perform songs from his album Justice in a live, virtual concert on Wave, a virtual entertainment platform, on Nov. 18. Audiences will get to interact with Bieber himself, who will be controlling his digital avatar by wearing a motion-capture suit.
“I am a big believer in Wave and love the platform as a new way for me to engage with my fans,” Bieber, who is an investor in Wave, said in a statement. “I’m excited to be using this technology to bring people together and connect with fans from all over the world. I can’t wait for them to check out this interactive performance.”
The virtual concert follows similar events on Epic Games’ Fortnite, which hosted massively popular in-game concerts with Travis Scott and Ariana Grande last year and earlier this year, respectively. Though Wave COO Jarred Kennedy said he’s a fan of the Fortnite concerts, he said the Wave platform gives fans the chance to engage with performers in real time.
“You’re able to interact with the experience and with the performer because it’s happening live, and so when you’re on [the Wave platform], fans have the opportunity to show up using a webcam during the performance or see their name on a background dancer or interact or power up the performer’s avatar,” Kennedy told The Hollywood Reporter. “There are various ways that you can engage with the show in real time around a format that we think is really special.”
Past Wave concerts include performances by The Weeknd, another Wave investor; John Legend; Tinashe and Galantis.
Fans who want to interact with Bieber during his virtual concert can sign up for free to join Wave, but anyone can watch the show via a livestream on Bieber’s YouTube channel. The concert begins at 6 p.m. PT on Nov. 18, and rebroadcasts will be available in the U.S. and Canada on Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. PT and Nov. 21 and 11 a.m. PT.
Billboard