Five Notable Cases of Music Live Events Leveraging the Metaverse

What Is the Metaverse?

The metaverse is a digital space or service that builds a virtual world separate from physical reality, enabling users to engage in a variety of activities and experiences. Here, users interact through avatars, communicate with others, and enjoy entertainment such as gaming, shopping, and live music events—all within this immersive environment.

Powered by advanced technologies like VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality), the metaverse delivers an unprecedented level of immersion compared to traditional online experiences. For example, wearing a VR headset allows users to feel as though they are physically present in the virtual world, with a 360-degree view of their surroundings.

Recently, the metaverse has expanded beyond gaming into business meetings, education, medical training, and other fields. In the music industry, it is gaining traction as a new platform that connects artists and fans, leading to many innovative examples in just the past few years.

Three Defining Features of Metaverse Live Events

Metaverse live events have distinct advantages not found in traditional concerts. Below, we explore three core features in detail.

• Staging and effects that are impossible in the physical world
• No geographic or time constraints
• New revenue models

Feature 1: Staging Beyond Physical Limits

The main draw of metaverse live events is the ability to produce performances that surpass physical constraints. In the virtual world, artists are not limited by gravity or space and can push their creativity without boundaries.

For example, artists can become giants soaring above the audience, transform the stage into outer space, or perform underwater—effects that are impossible in reality. With CG and animation technologies, they can create fantastical environments, manipulate fire, lighting, and particle effects, and visually express the atmosphere of their music in innovative ways.

Audience members can also control their avatars, moving freely throughout the concert space to view performances from any angle and interact with other participants. This interactivity delivers a highly immersive experience, fundamentally different from one-way traditional concerts.

Metaverse live events also allow for real-time adjustments—producers can change effects or the stage in response to audience reactions. This creates a unique experience every time and encourages fans to return for future events.

Feature 2: No Location or Time Barriers

With an internet connection, anyone can join a metaverse live event from anywhere in the world. Traditional concerts require travel to the venue, making distance, transportation, and time significant obstacles.

For instance, Japanese fans wanting to attend a US concert would face high travel costs and long flights. In the metaverse, they can experience global performances from home, making events accessible to fans who were previously excluded by distance or cost.

Time zone differences are also easier to manage. Archived streams and multiple showings allow fans to participate when convenient, expanding artists’ global reach and growing their fan base.

Physical venue capacity is no longer a constraint. While traditional events limit attendance, metaverse concerts can accommodate unlimited participants in theory, making the experience more accessible for all fans.

Feature 3: Innovative Revenue Opportunities

Metaverse live events introduce diverse revenue streams for artists, potentially revolutionizing the music industry’s business models.

While traditional concerts primarily rely on ticket and merchandise sales, the metaverse enables new models like NFT (non-fungible token) sales. Artists offer limited-edition digital artwork, unique avatar accessories, or NFTs capturing special moments from the event. These NFTs become valuable collectibles for fans and can generate ongoing royalties for artists through secondary sales.

Advertising is another new revenue stream. Brands can place ads within the virtual environment or sponsor events, while companies can display logos around the stage or sell branded virtual goods through collaborations.

Sales of virtual items such as avatar outfits, accessories, and emotes also provide significant income without inventory or manufacturing costs, resulting in high profit margins.

Paid ticketing systems can be customized—for example, offering both general admission and VIP tickets that include exclusive avatar items or special artist interactions, adding further value for fans.

Five Leading Examples of Metaverse Music Events

Example 1: Travis Scott’s Fortnite Live Concert

In April 2020, the globally popular game Fortnite teamed up with American rapper Travis Scott for a metaverse live event that became a landmark in the convergence of music and gaming. More than 12.3 million players joined simultaneously, making it a milestone that showcased the potential of metaverse live entertainment.

The event was marked by its immense scale and cutting-edge production. Scott appeared as a giant avatar, performing for players as the environment transformed—participants witnessed flying sequences, the stage sinking underwater, and journeys into space, all impossible in the real world.

The event was also a financial success. Travis Scott’s avatar skins and emotes were sold within Fortnite and later as NFTs. Reports estimate Scott earned around $20 million (about ¥2.2 billion) from the event, demonstrating the high earning potential of metaverse live experiences.

This collaboration set a new industry standard, influencing subsequent metaverse concerts and highlighting the value of artist–platform partnerships.

Example 2: Sanrio Virtual Festival

The Sanrio Virtual Festival is a metaverse music event hosted by Sanrio, Japan’s renowned character company. Held in a virtual version of the real-world theme park “Virtual Sanrio Puroland,” the event combines beloved characters and artists.

The first festival in December 2021 was a major success, leading to a second in January 2023 with stars like Airi Suzuki and SKY-HI. Popular characters such as Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, and Pompompurin appeared as avatar performers, delighting fans.

The event used VRChat, a social VR platform where users create avatars and interact, making it ideal for metaverse concerts. The second festival drew around 100,000 registered users and peaked at about 20,000 concurrent viewers inside VRChat.

A standout feature was the integration of character IP with live artists. Fans could select performances by their favorite characters, and the event emphasized community with chat and voice features for user interaction.

The Sanrio Virtual Festival is a pioneering example of leveraging existing IP in the metaverse, presenting a new business model for the entertainment industry.

Example 3: Avex Land

Avex Land is a large-scale virtual theme park being developed by Avex Technologies, a leading Japanese entertainment company, within the metaverse platform The Sandbox. This bold project is designed to deeply integrate the music industry and the metaverse.

The concept: a new virtual space for artists and fans to connect. Avex Land will host livestream events, fan meetings, virtual autograph sessions, and interactive games with artists and fans, creating a diverse entertainment experience.

Avex’s commitment is shown by its purchase of virtual land in The Sandbox equivalent to seven Tokyo Dome stadiums—one of the largest metaverse investments by a Japanese company.

In March 2022, the first “Metavex District LAND Sale” offered NFTs linked to Avex artists, granting buyers special access and unique interaction opportunities in Avex Land.

Avex Land aims to be more than just a concert venue, aspiring to become a comprehensive entertainment hub centered around music. Plans include a virtual record store, music studio, dance school, and collaboration spaces for brands and companies, building a new business ecosystem within the metaverse.

Example 4: Metaverse Music Festival

The Metaverse Music Festival, held November 10, 2022, on the blockchain-based Decentraland platform, is a key example of music events in decentralized virtual worlds.

Decentraland is a community-driven virtual world on the Ethereum blockchain, where users can own, trade, and develop virtual land. There is no central authority—governance is fully decentralized.

The festival featured multiple stages and about 150 artists across genres like rock, pop, electronic, and hip-hop, with performances from around the globe.

A highlight was the “MetaTokyo Stage,” produced by the MetaTokyo cultural city project, which brought Japanese pop culture to the metaverse with artists like Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Unique acts such as Atarashii Gakko! also drew global attention.

Attendees could use avatars to explore different stages, interact with others, buy virtual items, and view NFT art. Limited-edition NFTs were available as collectible, tradable assets during the event.

This festival proved the potential for large-scale events in decentralized metaverses and showcased new ways to merge blockchain technology with music entertainment.

Example 5: Kenshi Yonezu’s Fortnite Concert

Celebrating the release of his fifth album “STRAY SHEEP,” renowned Japanese artist Kenshi Yonezu held a special metaverse concert inside Fortnite. As the first large-scale Fortnite event by a Japanese artist, it generated significant attention both domestically and internationally.

The concert recreated Yonezu’s artistic world in detail. His avatar performed in a sheep headpiece—an iconic symbol from the album—on a massive screen, visually representing the “stray sheep” concept.

The venue was filled with 3D representations of album artwork and characters, creating an immersive environment. Lighting and effects shifted to match the music, bringing Yonezu’s creative vision to life in multiple dimensions.

The event featured several tracks from the album, with fans freely controlling their avatars to watch from any viewpoint. Limited-edition virtual goods were available as digital collectibles for fans.

This concert expanded the possibilities for Japanese artists on global metaverse platforms, demonstrating how the metaverse can become a new canvas for unique artistic expression.

FAQ

How Are Metaverse Music Concerts Different from Traditional Online Concerts?

Metaverse music concerts focus on immersive, interactive experiences within a virtual world. Unlike traditional online concerts, which are simple livestreams, metaverse events let users move freely, interact with others, and acquire unique digital assets—making the experience about spatial engagement, not just content consumption.

What Are Some Notable Metaverse Music Event Examples?

Noteworthy examples include Justin Bieber’s 2021 virtual concert on the Wave platform and Jay Chou’s metaverse performance. These events highlight the use of VR technology in live music entertainment.

How Can I Attend or Host a Music Event in the Metaverse?

To attend, purchase tickets and join via platforms like YouTube, Facebook Live, or MelodyVR. To host an event, use platforms such as MusicianLive or EventX to reach a global audience and generate revenue through ticket sales and sponsorships.

What Technologies Power Metaverse Music Events (VR/AR/Blockchain, etc.)?

Metaverse music events combine VR, AR, and blockchain technology. VR creates immersive live experiences, AR merges real and digital worlds, and blockchain manages ownership of NFT tickets and virtual goods.

What Are the Market Prospects and Development Trends for Metaverse Music Events?

The commercial outlook for metaverse music events is strong, with rapid market growth expected. These events greatly expand artists’ content offerings and reach new audiences. By 2026, the global market for metaverse music is projected to reach several billion dollars.