No need to go to the next Coldplay concert, watch it in virtual reality instead

By Keith Nelson Jr. Published December 10, 2014

With a possible retirement looming, the best place to see Coldplay live may be in virtual reality. Coldplay has teamed up with technology company NextVR to offer to release Coldplay’s Ghost Stories Virtual Reality Concert Experience. Fans will experience stereoscopic 360-degree footage of the concert venue and different parts of the stage. Coldplay’s creative director, Phil Harvey promises fans will be “inside the show, front of stage with the band.”

NextVR announced the partnership at UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in New York this week and touted the concert as “the first ever broadcast quality VR experience.” It was filmed this July during Coldplay’s stop at the Royal Albert Hall in London. NextVR plans to make the clip of the group’s A Sky Full of Stars performance available on its app through Samsung’s Gear VR headset.

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The full concert will be released through NextVR “in the coming months” and will be the first of numerous planned collaborations between Coldplay and the virtual reality company. Coldplay has been repackaging their Ghost Stories tour in physical reality in the past few weeks, as well. On November 24, the group released a live album and concert film separate of their Ghost Stories Virtual Reality Concert Experience.

Coldplay are the latest entertainers to perform virtually. Last month, Paul McCartney teamed up with Jaunt VR to release virtual reality footage of his August 14th performance of Live and Let Die at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park through the company’s Jaunt VR app. Director Chris Milk shot a virtual reality concert featuring Beck back in February using custom 360-degree audio/video rigs. The Jaunt VR app is available on Google Cardboard and plans to be available through Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Samsung’s Gear VR headset. Beck’s virtual reality footage is only viewable on Facebook’s Oculus Rift.

Unlike Samsung’s Gear VR headset, released on Monday at a $200 price, the consumer model for the Oculus Rift does not have a release date and is expected to cost upwards of $400.

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Keith Nelson Jr.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Keith Nelson Jr is a music/tech journalist making big pictures by connecting dots. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY he…

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