TikTok to stage global live music event
TikTok has announced its first-ever global music experience, with headline sets by ‘four of the biggest genre-defining artists’ on the platform.
Cardi B, Niall Horan, Anitta and Charlie Puth will perform in the round at Sloan Park in Arizona, US, on 10 December for a live audience.
In The Mix will also see performances from four artists on TikTok’s emerging artist programme, TikTok Elevate: Isabel LaRosa, Kaliii, LU KALA, and Sam Barber.
The experience will be streamed globally via TikTok LIVE, with video and event production designed specifically for its unique vertical format by award-winning director Hamish Hamilton and Done+Dusted.
Alongside performances, In the Mix will bring to life TikTok’s For You feed, with a range of activities inspired by the community’s favourite trends. Tickets for the event will go on sale on 2 November and range from $25 to $60.
“Our vision is to create a show that is reimagined for the TikTok era and our music-loving global community”
“No other platform mixes music, creativity and community like TikTok. With In The Mix, our goal is to bring the For You feed to life for fans at the venue and on TikTok,” says Paul Hourican, TikTok’s global head of music partnerships and programming. “Our vision is to create a show that is reimagined for the TikTok era and our music-loving global community.”
Cardi B (@iamcardib) boasts over 23.6M followers and 29.6B #cardib views on the platform. In 2021, her smash hit ‘Up’ was the centre of a viral trend as fans choreographed routines to the song with over 1.3M videos.
Niall Horan (@niallhoran) connects with his six million global ‘lovers’ on TikTok by regularly engaging via the Duet and Stitch features, while Charlie Puth (@charlieputh) frequently shares a glimpse of his creative process and perfect pitch with his 22.1M fans.
Brazilian Anitta (@anitta) has garnered over 22.7M followers and over 21.3B views. She often shows off her complex dance routines and provides fans with a behind-the-scenes look at her performances.
Last year, Anitta shared a video in which she performed her hit ‘Envolver’ which inspired millions of fans to recreate the routine themselves, generating 2.1M videos on TikTok.
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iHeart Media to stage Charlie Puth Fortnite gig
iHeartMedia is to launch its new metaverse destination iHeartLand inside the video game Fortnite with a concert by Charlie Puth.
Puth will deliver a two-part performance at iHeartLand’s “first-of-its-kind” virtual entertainment venue State Farm Park at 7pm ET on 9 September, followed by an album release party in celebration of his upcoming LP, CHARLIE.
The American singer-songwriter will share new music from the record and host an interactive game designed to test fan knowledge in the run-up to the show, which will mark Puth’s first concert in the metaverse.
Built using Fortnite’s Creative toolset, State Farm Park in iHeartLand will host 20 major events across the music and podcasting space over the next year, including unique artist-fan experiences that can be unlocked through gameplay.
“Our goal is to meet audiences where they are – delivering innovative, incredible programming to constantly challenge ourselves to take entertainment to the next level,” says Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “iHeartLand will feature a full calendar of music and podcast performances at State Farm Park that give fans a chance to play and interact with shows and artists in awesome new ways.”
“This new world allows us to extend the reach of today’s biggest creators, artists and personalities in groundbreaking ways”
iHeartLand will undergo periodic changes and refreshes, including the introduction of new mini-games.
“From interactive performances and intimate backstories to immersive game play, native to the platform – this new world allows us to extend the reach of today’s biggest creators, artists and personalities in groundbreaking ways, and is a big next step for iHeartMedia in expanding our engagement with our users,” adds Byrne.
Since debuting its first in-game concert in 2019, Fortnite developer Epic Games has facilitated events such as Soundwave Series, the Rift Tour with Ariana Grande, Travis Scott’s record-breaking Astronomical shows and gigs by the likes of Marshmello, Steve Aoki, Deadmau5, Easy Life and J Balvin.
“What iHeartMedia and the team at Atlas Creative have created is a compelling look at a future of Fortnite where artists and brands can independently and authentically connect with fans in new and persistent ways at scale,” adds Matthew Henick, VP, metaverse development for Epic Games. “We can’t wait for players to experience all of the incredibly ambitious content that iHeartLand has planned in the coming months.”
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