Virtual Parties are the Next Big Thing

NEWS | July 22, 2020

From clubbing on Zoom to virtual reality DJ sets, parties have always kept pace with the times. The same is true under social distancing measures. Is the future of nightlife in streaming?

For almost three months, communal gatherings needed to be put on pause. French nightclubs still haven't opened their doors since the end of lockdown. The party continues nonetheless, thanks to social networks and the creativity of the nightlife industry. Since the start of quarantine and the rise of platforms like Zoom, Facetime, and Houseparty, socially-distanced friends could still get together for after-work drinks. On @lappartchezmoi Insta, DJ and Queer figure Leslie Barbara Butch has been offering the perfect escape. For three hours every Saturday, she's been throwing parties from her living room that regularly attract up to 3,000 people. Through their screens, strangers danced together and raised their glasses. The group chat even led to people meeting and making new acquaintances — like at any in-person event!

Industry professionals have adopted these new forms to keep projects alive and continue supporting artists who have been especially impacted by the health crisis. Ticket platform Shotgun released a streaming site offering paid entry to live sessions. As another prime example, from June 4th to 7th the Berlin-born "United We Stream" initiative was launched in partnership with clubs and bars like Le Java, the Rex Club, Petit Bain, and Ground Control, as a DJ-set fundraiser, broadcasted on Franco-German platform Arte Concert. Festivals have also embraced digital solutions — just this past weekend, We Love Green unveiled their interactive platform. It allows fans to go from one concert scene to the next, and even order a meal prepared by a chef and delivered straight to their door.

The last few months have been an invitation to get innovative. For France's annual Fête de la musique, where every June 21st the streets of cities and towns across the country echo with the sound of street musicians of all kinds, French master Jean-Michel Jarre gave his "Alone Together" concert live from his recording studio, available in virtual reality to anyone with a VR headset. If screens can never replace our dance floors, clubbing can still deliver a state-of-the-art experience.