MelodyVR: Wireless Connect Success & Live Streams From Brixton Academy

O2 Academy Brixton
– O2 Academy Brixton
The iconic venue will stream VR concerts in partnership with MelodyVR.

Live Nation and MelodyVR have partnered to stream ticketed live concerts at London’s iconic O2 Academy Brixton going forward.
The news follows a successful partnership between MelodyVR and Wireless Festival London, which got cancelled due to the ban on public gatherings in the UK.
Stefflon Don
 – Stefflon Don
Performing at Wireless Connect.

Over the festival’s scheduled weekend, July 3-5, promoter Festival Republic and MelodyVR delivered new and exclusive performances from London and LA, with 70 artists representing the best of UK and US hip hop, rap, R&B and grime. 

132,000 fans from over 34 countries tuned into what was dubbed Wireless Connect, and the MelodyVR audience interacted with the performance more than a million times over the weekend (interaction meaning people using the different camera angles they could chose from).
Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn told Pollstar: “Wireless festival is well known for pushing boundaries and this year was no exception. COVID 19 took away our ability to come together in Finsbury Park, but it gave us the opportunity to create a cutting edge way for artists to perform for fans. 
“Wireless Connect was watched by over 150,000 fans from around the world, who got to experience the finest homegrown UK talent as well as the best from the US in the most immersive way possible thanks to our partnership with MelodyVR.” 
Continuing the partnership with Live Nation UK, MelodyVR is going to live stream concerts from the O2 Academy in Brixton, London. No shows have been confirmed yet.
The concerts will be ticketed, prices will be set in line with the artists. There’s no limit on the amount of tickets that can be sold.
Dubbed “Live From O2 Academy Brixton” the concert series aims to bring bespoke shows created in collaboration with the artists and their teams to audiences from the UK, USA Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Greece and Belgium.
The MelodyVR smartphone app or an Oculus VR device is required to watch the concerts. Fans will be able to select the vantage point from which they watch.
Denis Desmond, chairman of Live Nation UK, commented: “We look forward to partnering with MelodyVR and presenting Live From O2 Academy Brixton which will connect artists with fans globally through the latest and exciting 360° VR technology, direct from a purpose-built studio set within this iconic and world-famous venue.”
MelodyVR CEO Anthony Matchett commented: “We’ve helped to take Wireless virtual this weekend, co-creating the successful Wireless Connect, and Live From O2 Academy Brixton is another exciting venture in partnership with Live Nation. Virtual shows are here to complement and support live entertainment, and we are proud to be working with the rest of the industry to ensure that live music doesn’t stop.”
MelodyVR also has a partnership in place with another iconic London venue, Alexandra Palace, to stream concerts. Ally Pally is also the location where a lot of the Wireless Connect footage was filmed. Head over to VenuesNow.com for more.
Update (July 9, 1.44 a.m.): The headline was amended to reflect that it’s a partnership between MelodyVR and Live Nation, rather than a partnership with the venue (O2 Academy Brixton) itself.