February 8, 2022 – Meta Quest, the new branding for what was formerly Meta’s Oculus virtual reality (VR) platform (although still confusingly oculus.com), has announced in a blog post (also confusingly still referred to by Meta as the Oculus Blog) that after this Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI, legendary rockers Foo Fighters will be performing an exclusive concert in VR in Horizon Venues.
Users with Quest headsets will be able to experience the concert, which has been shot specifically for VR, in Horizon Venues where they will be able to feel all the action and energy of a live event. VR attendees will also be able to dance along with other fans, or they can choose solo mode for their own private show.
Directed by music video director Mark Romanek, the concert has been shot with multiple 180° cameras positioned around the stage, which will mean audiences tuning in will always have the best seat in the house. The immersive experience features a custom stage design, practical effects, sophisticated lighting programs, and XR elements blended into the concert scene, according to Meta, which added that it will be “a performance that shows the surreal convergence of the physical and virtual—and it promises to be unlike any show previously hosted on the Meta Quest Platform.”
The set list is being kept under wraps, but it will apparently include some rarely played tracks—and one that’s never been heard in concert before.
“Foo Fighters love a challenge—from playing the biggest stages in the world to the tiniest clubs to making movies and miniseries… We’ve pretty much done it all,” said Foo Fighters founder and frontman, Dave Grohl. “But we’ve never collaborated with Mark Romanek on a conceptual set of songs (including one being played live for the first time ever) for a worldwide audience, where everyone has the best seats in the house thanks to the most badass VR tech… until now. Join us when we cross that one off the FF bucket list!”
Users who don’t have a Quest VR headset will also still be able to tune in, as the concert will be available on Facebook Watch on the Foo Fighters Facebook Page and the Meta Quest Facebook Page, on Foo Fighters’ Instagram, and it will also be featured on Messenger via Watch Together. For anyone who is unable to make the show, Meta stated that it will be available on replay over the next month via an Always On room in Venues or on Oculus TV.
For users who have not been to a show in Horizon Venues before, to watch the event they will need to download the Horizon Venues app and head to the Venues lobby. From there, they will be able to meet up with fellow fans before, during, and after the show, which will feature a custom, football-themed environment. Some of the lobby bays will also have doorways into Horizon Worlds where people 18+ in the US and Canada can jump into additional football-themed games and experiences, including Arena Clash: Quarterback Edition, a laser tag-inspired team game.
The show will start at 8:00 pm Pacific Time or immediately following the conclusion of the Super Bowl game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, whichever occurs later.
For more information on Horizon Venues from Meta, click here.
Image credit: Meta
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About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.