Shangri-la & Lost Horizon creative director Kaye Dunnings has told Music Week that the digital platform is set to “push the boundaries of the audience experience” with a new season of events in VR and interactive streams.
Virtual reality music and arts venue, Lost Horizon, was created last year by the team behind Glastonbury’s legendary Shangri-La, within the immersive world of Sansar.
Last month, Lost Horizon announced a new spring season of virtual and live streamed events, plus a new service creating bespoke worlds for artists, labels, festivals and brands that want to take their audience into the virtual world. The spring season includes shows from Armada Record Box, BLOND:ISH Presents Abracadbra, DJ Sneak, Ed Banger Records, Monstercat and The Martinez Brothers.
Lost Horizon is currently developing event concepts with a number of partners, which will be delivered as a reward for roll-over ticket holders for some of this year’s postponed events, or as a way for artists and brands to stay connected with audiences. One of which is London Remixed Festival, which returns on March 26 and 27 as a global remix special, taking place in Lost Horizon with a wealth of artists and partners from around the world highlighting the sounds of remixed culture.
The event is working with UK partners Fire In The Mountain, Front Room Songs, Marsm, Movimientos, Nutkhut / Mela Partnership, Rich Mix Arts Centre Hackney, Shangrilart and Wormfood, alongside international partners, Azadi Records (India), Biche (Colombia) and Snakes X Ladders (Canada).
“A movement is happening in the digital landscape right now and we aim to use the work we're doing to support this cultural shift and explore ways of creating change in real life through it,” Dunnings told Music Week. “CreaTech and XR technology has enabled creatives to challenge and progress culture in a time where the real world is developing at its slowest, and it's overtaking! The amazing London Remixed Festival is our first show to translate a real life event into a digital one – something that wouldn't be possible to happen in real life with the global musicians on the line-up. We aim to cross borders and boundaries with our projects; to expand minds and hearts and to reunite the tribes that are longing to be together after so long apart.”
Dunnings also looked toward the future of hybrid events.
“Once events start up again in real life we will be bringing a whole new element to our work through our next season of hybrid events; a place where the physical and digital crossover and interact,” she said. “Taking away the physical has had a profound effect on people, including myself. Many people are finding a new freedom through the metaverse - freedom of self expression and identity, free of our physical selves and bodies, allowing for a much wider inclusivity. Our tagline: 'You are not your body, you are your soul' is resonating with me more than ever right now, the more I learn and discover - the existing community is so welcoming and friendly. The feeling I got from last week's LH show was wild - it dawned on me that I can be alone at a virtual party and feel completely safe. This blew my mind and was a huge release. Exciting times!”
Kaye Dunnings will appear as part of the star-studded line-up at the Music Week Tech Summit 2021 on March 31, with other confirmed speakers including Tap Music's Ben Mawson and Ed Millett, MOBOs Kanya King, TikTok's Paul Hourican, Jessie Ware, Clara Amfo and more. Book your ticket here.
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