Virtual reality (VR) platform Decentraland is hosting a four-day long Metaverse Festival, bringing everything music lovers expect from a fest into the virtual world, including big-name headliners, merch stands, and… portable toilets (yes, really).
“It is a celebration of music and culture in the virtual social world, but also a recognition that the metaverse has arrived as a viable, irresistible, and profitable space for creative people, whatever their medium or background,” Sam Hamilton, the fest’s coordinator, said in a statement.
What’s the metaverse? The metaverse is (according to many) the next evolution of the internet. It’s a virtual world we’ll experience through AR and VR headsets, and in it, our digital avatars will shop, socialize, and do everything else we do in the “real world” and more.
The metaverse won’t have one single entity in charge — instead, different people and companies will build out their own corners of the virtual world, and you’ll be able to move between them the same way you move from one website to another today.
Visiting Decentraland: While the metaverse doesn’t technically exist yet, several online platforms could be described as being a metaverse, including Roblox, Rec Room, and Zenith.
Decentraland is another. The platform is divided into parcels of virtual land, each of which is represented by a non-fungible token or NFT. (You can learn more about those in our NFT explainer.)
These parcels are purchased using the platform’s native cryptocurrency (MANA), and owners can develop them into whatever they want: stores, games, etc. MANA is also used to buy any virtual goods and services within Decentraland.
The Metaverse Festival: On October 21, Decentraland is kicking off the four-day Metaverse Festival.
The virtual festival grounds include five stages where attendees can watch more than 80 musical artists — including Deadmau5, Paris Hilton, and 3LAU — perform as digital avatars (the sets were all pre-recorded).
Attendees will be able to use MANA to buy NFTs of artist merch, including wearables for their avatars.
They’ll also be able to visit a psychedelic sculpture garden, socialize in chill-out zones, and queue for the “Dump ‘N’ Pumps” — those are the Metaverse Festival’s version of portable toilets.
“Every toilet contains a different experience — some good, some bad, some mind blowing,” Hamilton explained in a blog post. “Definitely worth your while checking them out.”
The Metaverse Festival is free, and all you need to experience it is a computer with an internet browser (VR is optional) — just visit Decentraland’s Events page and click on the stage or set you want to join. If you want to buy anything, you’ll need a crypto wallet with MANA, too.
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