Samsung has collaborated with BRIT Award nominees, Years & Years, to give music fans across Europe a live and interactive virtual reality (VR) preview of the band’s European tour. This follows a similar project in 2014, which saw tech company NextVR create and release Coldplay’s Ghost Stories Virtual Reality Concert Experience.
The audience were able to watch the gig live through a Samsung Gear VR headset, powered by the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smart phones. In addition, existing Gear VR customers across Europe could immerse themselves in the performance courtesy of a live VR broadcast.
Curated for VR with the help of director Sam Wrench, the preview performance allowed fans to personalise their gig experience by switching between three different camera angles on their VR headset. Viewers can choose from a view on the front row, on-stage with the band or floating above the action taking place on the 360-degree stage below.
David Lowes, chief marketing officer, Samsung Electronics Europe: “The smartphone is already such an integral part of our life but increasingly, it’s also going to be the gateway to amazing new one-of-a-kind experiences. That’s why we have teamed up with Years & Years, who share our passion for innovation and progress and it’s really exciting for us to be working with them to take their live performance experience to a whole new level.”
Commenting on the forthcoming gig, Years & Years said: “Working closely with Samsung, we’ve been able to explore a new dimension in VR experiences to craft something really special. It is really important to us to not only push the boundaries of our own sound, but also the way our fans can experience it.”
