Paris Hilton, Socialite, Fashionado, and DJ, to Spin Tunes in the Sandbox

Key Insights:

• Paris Hilton announced a live DJ session in The Sandbox.
• Other big names entering the Metaverse include K-Pop sensation BTS and Justin Bieber.
• More are likely to follow as big music industry names including Tencent Music and Warner Music Group embrace virtuality.

Mainstream interest in the Metaverse continues to grow, with several big corporations entering the Metaverse.

Travel restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed the entertainment industry to explore the Metaverse. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will likely add further pressure on the travel sector, placing greater focus on the Metaverse for fan engagement.

Paris Hilton to Spin Tunes in the Sandbox

Overnight, news hit the wires of Paris Hilton planning to spin tunes at the SWSX Music Festival tonight. In Austin, Texas, the Music Festival runs from March 14 to March 20, 2022.

New, developing, and established artists can reach new target audiences and fans, with SWSX live streaming the event.

Paris announced tonight’s DJ appearance at SWSX on Twitter.

About to take off to Austin, Texas to play a surprise show tonight for @sxsw! 🎶🎧👸🏼🎶 #CryptoQueen ready to kill it! 🔥 #Sliving 🥳 pic.twitter.com/2VUMfWQ8At

— ParisHilton.eth (@ParisHilton) March 15, 2022

In partnership with The Sandbox (SAND), Paris Hilton will appear as her voxel avatar. As a socialite, fashion icon, and DJ, with more than 16 million followers, the virtual DJ session will likely draw plenty of interest.

Following the initial announcement, Paris shared an image of her voxel avatar on Twitter.

Loves it!!! See you soon 💖😍🎧@TheSandboxGame #SXSW @beincrypto @CryptoHiJinx https://t.co/rRjdhJd4cE

— ParisHilton.eth (@ParisHilton) March 16, 2022

K-Pop Leads Big Music Names into the Metaverse

Korean pop sensation BTS has paved the way for the music industry to go virtual.

In 2020, BTS held a virtual concert, Bang Bang Con The Live, which reportedly drew 756,000 global viewers. According to ELLE, the event raked in $20m.

The MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E live stream sold an even more impressive 993,000 tickets across 191 countries. According to Bandwagon, the live stream brought in an estimated $43m in sales.

Since then, other big names have followed. In November, Justin Bieber partnered with Wave to hold a virtual concert.

Interest from the Music industry has been so great that Tencent Music (TME) and Warner Music Group (WMG) have entered the Metaverse.

In late 2020, Tencent purchased a stake in Wave. Past Wave performances include Pentakill, Dillon Francis, The Weeknd, and John Legend. Tencent Music held China’s first virtual concert on New Year’s Eve, with a reported 1.1m fans seeing the virtual event.

In January, WMG acquired a beachfront property in the Sandbox. WMG plans to develop the estate into a musical theme park and a concert venue.

With Tencent Music and WMG among the big names entering the Metaverse, more music icons will embark on the Metaverse journey.