Splendour XR is a wild festival meets video game with never-seen-before gigs from Vance Joy, The Killers and more

More than 50 Australian and overseas music acts will “perform” at Splendour XR – and the cops and dogs will be there too.

Vance Joy performing on a Barcelona rooftop at sunset. What So Not sitting on a cardboard box in front of a green screen which will later morph into a motorcycle. And Holly Humberstone singing in the corner of a London thrift shop.

The world-first virtual Splendour XR festival may not match the real-life experience of the annual winter festival in Byron Bay but it is as close as we’re going to get in locked down Australia.

More than 50 Australian and international acts including The Killers, Khalid, Charli XCX, The Avalanches, Tash Sultana and Chvrches will “perform” this weekend in a virtual world which replicates the Byron Bay site right down to the presence of police and sniffer dogs at the entry gates.

Luckily for punters, they can’t virtually strip search or arrest you in the XR world.

Depending on your ticket and device, you can bop next to avatars of other fans at the Amphitheatre main stage, hit the bar for drinks (which you can order online and will be delivered to your home) and buy T-shirts or donate to Support Act to assist out-of-work crew at the Giving Trees dotted around the site.

The promoters have also respected the financial stress of the pandemic on their fanbase with tickets priced from $29.99 for a single day and $49.99 for the weekend.

For the artists whose tours have been thrown into chaos over the past 17 months, Splendour XR offered a novel opportunity to get creative with a virtual performance after more than a year of live Instagram gigs and the occasional television spot.

Vance Joy, who moved to Spain to live with his partner, chose the “enchanting” rooftop of the Palau Guell mansion in Barcelona, designed by legendary architect Antoni Gaudi.

Vance Joy with a Gaudi spires backdrop makes me want to go to Barcelona. And a festival. Picture: Supplied

“The colourful sculpted towers remind me of the wonder I felt as a little kid playing video games based on strange planets in outer space,” he said.

“There was a fair bit of organising involved. The plan was to walk around the rooftop and play in different spots. We wanted to record as the sun was setting, so we only had a small window to get it right.

“Once I’d started playing there was no going back so there was some adrenaline pumping. I hope that energy comes through.

“It was also bloody hot and I think everyone was fairly buggered by the end! Especially the behind the scenes and camera crew. The neighbours on their terrace balconies were also tuning in.”

Australian DJ and producer What So Not aka Chris Emerson filming his green screen set for Splendour XR. Picture: Supplied

In-demand DJ and producer What So Not, who has played all the big destination festivals including Coachella and Lollapalooza, was already working on building an animated 3D world for his live set when Splendour XR came calling.

He said the green screen experiment was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done” both technically and the physical demands of creating the movements which would look like he was riding a hovercraft or motorcycle in the final cut.

While he can’t wait to get in front of live audiences on his upcoming American tour, What So Not believes the virtual gig will remain after the world comes out of Covid because the technology is now cheaper and offers fans around the world the chance to go to the same gig.

“Put your hands in the air, Splendour XR!” What So Not pumping up the crowd. Splendour XR. Picture: Supplied

“I think this blending of the virtual world and festivals is an extreme necessity. Big events are going to come back last behind tourism, so we need creative opportunities like this happening to support the artists who can’t survive while the world is like this,” the producer said.

“I’m really, really stoked on what we’ve managed to pull off for this trial run of a virtual party.”

Buzzworthy British singer songwriter Holly Humberstone somehow managed to cut through with her debut singles including Falling Asleep At The Wheel and The Walls Are Way Too Thin during the pandemic and performs at Splendour XR before she has even played her own headlining show.

British singer songwriter Holly Humberstone in the London thrift shop where she shot her Splendour gig. Picture: Supplied

Attracted by Splendour’s reputation as an environmentally-friendly event, for her first ever Australian performance the eco-conscious artist set up in the corner of a cluttered op shop in London’s boho centre of Camden.

The location aligned with her Fifth Sister Swap Shop initiative, which she set up with her three op shop-loving siblings to encourage fans to recycle their clothes.

Humberstone said she loved the experience of her virtual gig, with the shop’s three mascot cats running around.

“Can you hear me out there, Splendour?” Humberstone will perform at Splendour XR. Picture: Supplied

“When I go and watch a gig, I really appreciate when an artist is just being themselves. And I felt really comfortable to do that because I’m just in a charity shop, doing what I would do in real life,” she said.

“There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of being at a gig in a crowd of people hearing loud music but what Splendour has come up with is so cool and weird and I’m probably as excited about it as some of the festivals I am able to play in the UK this year.

“There are literally no limits to what you can do with this concept.”

Splendour XR runs on July 24 and 25. For set times and ticket details, splendourxr.com