During the pandemic, when physical events were cancelled and the doors of cultural organisations were closed, going to events virtually sounded like a logical next step. It is not something that everyone was keen on right away, yet there were enough people that decided to join digital events or online concerts to support their favourite musicians.
For those who want to be fully immersed in this online experience, might want to check out doujin music convention MusicVket. It takes place in a virtual world, to be specific VRChat and you can go around this event strolling around several booths selling (new) music, discover new artists and socialize with other visitors of the event, just like you do that at physical conventions. Although this event can be accessed freely as there is no entrance fee.
The upcoming edition for this event has been announced recently and it will take place in the fall of 2021, from the 6th of November to the 14th of November. This time, the online event will be combined along with Comic Vket 2, the virtual version of what can be seen as Comiket – a very known biannual doujinshi fair in Tokyo.
Due to the popularity of this virtual event, the number of people that can participate in this event as a musical talent will be limited and thus the entries will be randomly selected for a slot in one of the spaces (or worlds) that has been created for Music Vket. More information about this and more can be found (soon) on the website of the event.
Tokyo-based VR company HIKKY Co., Ltd. is behind the creation of Music Vket, it was conceived to support creators that have been struggling due to the pandemic as there were fewer and fewer opportunities for them to present their work. The result was a new form of exhibiting and selling in a virtual space, but it was not meant as a substitute or temporary solution to the real deal. It officially started with Virtual Market in 2018, currently the world’s largest VR event and its 6th edition will take place in August, before they established Comic Vket 0. Later on, they decided to start with Music Vket 1 in August of 2020 as it was seen that the ongoing pandemic had a big impact on the whole entertainment industry. From the start, it attracted many participants.
There is a whole new world to discover, although virtual in a very convenient way from your home, it is a great way to discover new artists, meet new people and have a fascinating experience that might make you give that after con dip as if you are visiting a physical event. It also attracts the bigger names from Japan, so let yourself be pleasantly surprised when you are roaming around on the upcoming edition of Music Vket.
While this event is promoted as a happening that can only be experienced with a VR set, you can access VR chat with only your computer as well. The social platform VR chat is free-to-play and available through Steam.
