Wireless festival is usually one of the biggest dates on London’s festival calendar and, before the pandemic, it was all set to welcome more than 135,000 revellers to Finsbury Park.
Like every other major festival in the UK, though, Wireless was forced to cancel its plans for 2020. Luckily for us, that’s not where the story ends — the festival has gone virtual.
This weekend, Wireless Connect will broadcast a string of fresh performances, all of which have been filmed in 360-degree virtual reality. Some iconic sets from the past will also be available for a good dose of nostalgic escapism.
What’s more, the event will have a charitable slant to it, with donations encouraged for the Black Lives Matter movement. Find out more about that here.
Read on for all you need to know about Wireless Connect.
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When is Wireless Connect?
The virtual festival will take place from Friday July 3 until Sunday July 5.
Who is on the Wireless Connect line-up?
Wireless’s usual blend of pop, hip-hop, grime and R&B continues with the virtual festival. Of the newly filmed performances, highlights include sets from Stefflon Don, Lady Leshurr, Avelino, IAMDDB, Jaykae, Saweetie, Ray BLK and Steel Banglez, among others.
Classic archive sets from previous editions of Wireless are also going to get an airing, from the likes of Skepta, Not3s, Bugzy Malone and Rae Sremmurd.
Day splits and set times are yet to be confirmed, but the full list of artists locked in so far is below, and you can read more about the full line up here.
How can I watch Wireless Connect?
To get the full 360-degree experience, you’ll need to download the MelodyVR app onto your smartphone — it’s available on Android and Apple devices. Better yet, anyone who owns a MelodyVR headset can use that to get the best out of the footage.
Otherwise, the festival will be streamed on Wireless’s Facebook Live and YouTube channels.
Where were the new performances filmed?
Filming has been split across two locations. In London, Alexandra Palace has been the venue, with its newly restored theatre hosting a range of socially distanced performances.
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Over in the US, MelodyVR’s Los Angeles studio has been used, with strict social distancing guidelines followed there too.