Shangri-La — the weirdest, wackiest and, arguably, most wonderful area Glastonbury has to offer — is going virtual.
Worthy Farm will host only the cows this year, after the festival was forced to postpone because of the coronavirus outbreak. It means many of us will miss out on what is surely the highlight of the musical summer in the UK.
Lost Horizon, a new virtual reality festival from the people behind Shangri-La in collaboration with Sansar and VRJAM, might just be the next best thing.
If you’re planning on diving into its mysterious digital world this weekend, here is everything you need to know.
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What is Lost Horizon?
The festival describes itself as “a real festival in a virtual world”. What that exactly means in practice still remains to be seen to some extent, but it does look as if Lost Horizon will be an immersive experience.
Fans will be able to create their own “fully customisable avatars” and, if their devices have a functioning microphone, talk to other virtual festival-goers. It looks as if fans will be able to wander from stage to stage, too — organisers are promising “wild dance-floors, secret headliners, a visual feast of art and performance and hidden venues”.
When is Lost Horizon?
The festival kicks off at 3pm on Friday July 3, and will run until the close of play on Saturday. Exact timings are yet to be confirmed.
Who’s on the line-up?
Lost Horizon will split into four main stages. The Gas Tower, the famous 360-degree space at Glastonbury, will be recreated in the digital realm here, with audiovisual performances from DJs playing house, techno and drum’n’bass.
The Freedom Stage is a global affair — artists from all around the world will play an eclectic range of music, from hip-hop to heavy metal. Nomad is focused on “festival heritage”, with reggae, garage, disco and more, while SHITV is the festival’s “media centre” — head there for archive footage, documentaries, comedy, live arts, animations, talks and more.
There are some big names on the line-up. Peggy Gou, Eats Everything, Carl Cox and Jamie Jones are among the highlights on the Gas Tower, while Freedom will welcome the likes of Coldcut, Sama, Frank Turner and more.
On Nomad, there will be various stage takeovers: 24hr Garage Girls, Hospital Records and Critical Sound are among those getting involved. The SHITV line-up is yet to be announced, so stay tuned for that.
Head here for the full stage splits.
How can I watch Lost Horizon?
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There are few options, depending on what gear you’ve got at home. First of all, though, you’ll need to get a free ticket — sign up for that here.
If you have a VR headset — Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift or a tethered Oculus Quest — you’ll need to download the Sansar app on your Windows computer. Once that’s done, open the app and follow signs for Lost Horizon in the Nexus.
Those without a headset can also get the VR experience, moving around with a mouse and keyboard instead. You’ll still need to download the Sansar app for this, and it’s recommended that you use a computer with Windows 7 or higher, as well as a dedicated graphics card. Check here for the full system requirements.
You can use your phone to get involved too. Sign up here to receive an app download link before the festival. Or, there's also chance to watch the stream on Beatport's Twitch channel.