Korean pop quartet Blackpink will perform in virtual reality for the first time next month.
Fans will be able to watch the final leg of the girl group’s Born Pink World Tour on Meta’s social VR app, Horizon Worlds.
The concert sounds like an exclusive affair: attendees can RSVP to watch the premiere on Tuesday, December 26 at 1am UK time, according to Billboard.
Thankfully, there will be replays for another month for those who can’t stay up late. Still, most people will probably be off for Xmas, so tuning in for the first performance shouldn’t be a problem for BLINKs (that’s the name for Blackpink fans, in case you were wondering).
Plus, that way you don’t have to worry about being antisocial by hiding behind a Meta Quest headset during Boxing Day with the fam.
Unfortunately, the concert won’t be available outside of VR, despite Meta recently promising to bring select Horizon Worlds game and experiences to mobile.
The Facebook owner also recently began offering access to the social app to under-18s. That’s good news for Blackpink’s fresh-faced fans, but may not sit right with parents unsure about kids rubbing shoulders with strangers online.
Horizon Worlds lets people create their own 3D environments, including mini-games and entertainment areas, for others to explore.
The Blackpink performance could be the push people need to try out Meta’s virtual reality services. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the company had sold 20 million Quest headsets to date - a figure that pales in comparison to sales of the latest games consoles.
Horizon Worlds has also reportedly failed to meet Meta’s expectations. An initial goal of 500,000 monthly active app users was revised down to 280,000 last year, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Although this is Blackpink’s first VR concert, the group has flirted with the metaverse before. They previously offered free tickets to users who posed with their digital avatars in the South Korean app Zepeto, which is like a social version of The Sims.
Blackpink’s year-long Born Pink World Tour saw the group perform 66 concerts in 22 cities around the world. It concluded on September 17, 2023, in Seoul, South Korea, by which point it had become the most-attended concert tour by a K-pop girl group.
Blackpink, whose members include Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa, are accustomed to shattering records by now. The group has repeatedly snagged the most views for a K-pop music video on YouTube; they became the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella in 2019, going on to headline the festival earlier this year; and the first to top the Billboard 200 chart in 2022.
