Justin Bieber will be the next major artist to experiment with digital formats with a live concert on immersive XR platform Wave this week, billed as his “debut performance in the metaverse.” Bieber, who has previously invested in Wave, will perform as an avatar in an interactive virtual universe on November 18th. The concert will also be rebroadcast over the weekend to accommodate fans in different parts of the world.
The experience is included as the first show date on his Justice World Tour, which was supposed to kick off over the summer but ended up being postponed until 2022. Unlike some other recent metaverse performance, such as Ariana Grande’s Fortnite concert and Twenty One Pilots’ Roblox experience, Bieber’s concert will be live and will allow fans to engage with him in real-time. The performance is free and only requires a wave.watch account to join and participate. It will also be livestreamed to YouTube.
Wave was founded in 2016 by Adam Arrigo and Aaron Lemke with the goal of creating unique immersive virtual concerts before this concept became mainstream. Wave combines “the best of live music, gaming and broadcast technology to transform the live music experience” and has previously hosted concerts for artists including the Weeknd, Dillon Francis, and John Legend.
Fans from around the world will be able to chat with each other during the performance and send Justin virtual emojis to influence the show. They will also have the opportunity to appear on the waverCam, a virtual jumbotron within the concert environment. Fans can enter in advance of the show for a chance to be featured.
“Justin Bieber is not only one of the world’s biggest artists, he is also one of the most forward-thinking. This partnership allows for limitless, virtual opportunities for him and his fans,” said Arrigo, who is also Wave’s CEO, in a statement. “By combining Wave’s technology with Justin’s creativity, we’ve created a unique, interactive experience that complements his upcoming physical tour. Justin is paving the way for artists to incorporate a virtual concert ‘tour stop’ to reach new audiences who can’t attend in-person or want a different kind of live music experience.”