Are Hologram Concerts the Future?

Snoop Dogg performing with Tupac (2pac) at Coachella 2012

If you have been living under a rock and have not yet heard about the Tupac hologram, then the first thing you need to do is check out the video of what has created such a buzz in the concert industry.

On April 15, 2012 Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg took to the stage to perform at the Coachella music festival in California, but little did their fans know that legendary rapper Tupac (2pac) Shakur would be joining them on stage. No, Tupac is not alive and in hiding as some rumors say, but he was brought to the stage as a hologram. This performance was the most talked about event of Coachella, sparking many debates and even deliberations of future performances.

While some were confused and even uneasy about the Tupac (2pac) hologram, most people were excited about what this meant for the concert industry. If Tupac could be resurrected as a hologram, why couldn’t other artists be brought back to life?  Such questions have sparked interest from the estates of other deceased artists including Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, and Elvis Presley. According to an article published on Billboard.biz, Digital Domain Media Group, the visual effects company that created the Tupac hologram, has signed an exclusive deal with Core Media Group to create a hologram of Elvis for various entertainment projects. While the showing at Coachella inspired the “Presley Project”, the creators plan on taking a different approach. Rather than using old footage and repurposing it for the hologram, Digital Domain plans on giving Elvis fans a completely new experience.

So are full-length hologram concerts the future of the touring industry? What does this mean for concert promoters? And what does it mean for current artists? At this point it’s hard to tell. Some promoters believe that these virtual appearances will become a bigger concert industry trend in the near future, but as guest appearances rather than a full-length concert. While some fans may be excited to see a full-length hologram concert of artists like Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, and Jim Morrison, I feel these virtual performances will eventually loose their thunder. As a promoter and a concertgoer, I believe there is nothing that can compare to experiencing your favorite artist live and in the flesh. But for now we will just have to wait to see what the future holds for hologram performances.

- Lisa -