Splendour In The Grass announces virtual festival as uncertainty continues about event’s November return

Splendour In The Grass has announced that Splendour XR, a limited edition virtual festival experience, is set to go down this July.

Taking place over the Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 of July, Splendour XR is headlined by the likes of Khalid, The Killers, Grimes, Charlie XCX, Denzel Curry and CHVRCHES, while local names to appear on the bill include Vance Joy, Tash Sultana, Masked Wolf, The Avalanches, Vera Blue and The Chats.

Created alongside San Francisco-based social virtual reality developers Sansar, festival attendees will be able to log in and access Splendour XR via the confines of their own mobile, tablet, browser, desktop or VR device.

Attendees are then able to build a virtual avatar of themselves and explore the digitally reimagined Byron Bay festival site, partaking in activities and travelling from stage to stage to catch each artist perform.

As well as offering up a virtual recreation of the beloved festival, Splendour XR will also include an online medical centre to assist patrons who are struggling with mental health issues, with the festival also raising funds for live music industry workers along the way.

The virtual festival is likely a way of the event organisers shoring up an alternative revenue stream and maintaining consumer interest in the event as uncertainty continues over its ability to return as an in-person event this year.

Splendour in the Grass did not go ahead in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has since been pushed back numerous times. Its 2021 iteration is currently scheduled for November, however with ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks and a slower-than-expected vaccine rollout, it’s not yet clear if this will be possible.

The festival’s co-founder said at this stage, it is too early to tell how the rest of the year would play out.

“Back in early March, when we announced the November dates, the government advice pointed to the vaccine rollout being complete by October. That’s no longer the case. We are still working towards November and considering all options that might work. We’ve got six months and it’s probably just a bit early to make a call on that, because we do have some ideas,” she said.

In a joint statement with fellow co-founder Paul Piticco, however, the duo expressed their excitement at the prospect of taking the iconic festival into a virtual space for punters to enjoy.

“Splendour has always offered patrons a deep programming experience with The Forum, Global Village, Little Splendour and more on offer alongside our favourite artists,” Ducrou and Piticco said.

“We could not be more excited about Splendour XR and the opportunity to take the Splendour goodness online to our existing community and also to new audiences around the globe.”

Single user tickets for Splendour XR begin at $19.99 for a single day of access, while $34.99 will secure you a two-day pass to explore the event as you please.

For more details on pricing and festival packages, visit the Splendour XR website.