Inside the biggest virtual metaverse parties right now – as Paris Hilton, BTS and Justin Bieber host events

CELEBRITIES are entering the metaverse and hosting insane virtual parties.

Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber, and K-pop group BTS are just a few popular acts hosting virtual events in the metaverse.

Paris Hilton’s avatar for her DJ set in The Sandbox

On Tuesday, Hilton made headlines when she announced that she was planning to DJ at the South by Southwest (SWSX) Music Festival in Austin, Texas.

“So I’m about to take off to Austin, Texas,” Hilton said in a video she shared on Twitter. “I am going to be a surprise DJ at a really fun party tonight. Cannot wait. It’s tech weekend.”

However, she wouldn’t just be performing in person at SWSX, but also in The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based decentralized gaming metaverse.

Platforms like The Sandbox are meant for creating, using, and selling NFTs, but as of late, they seem to double as a playground for really famous people.

Hilton’s set – which The Sandbox CEO Arthur Madrid called “an exciting moment” for the platform – consisted of an immersive metaverse experience with digital animals, music, and fashion.

“I am a huge believer in the metaverse and the way Web3 technologies are empowering creators, gamers, and artists,” Hilton said in a statement.

“It’s such an important movement and community that I’m proud to be a part of. I can’t wait for people to see what amazing experiences The Sandbox and I bring together to the metaverse,” she added.

The reality television star’s partnership with The Sandbox is a good indication of what we can expect from the metaverse when it intersects with pop culture.

“As a globally recognized icon in music and fashion and an early Web3 adopter and entrepreneur, Paris Hilton’s presence in The Sandbox metaverse signals increasing mainstream adoption,” Madrid said.

Justin Beiber also made a splash this past November when he held a live virtual concert just ahead of his 2022 tour in January.

The pop sensation partnered with virtual entertainment company Wave to bring fans the immersive experience, which featured gaming, real-time motion capture, and live musical performances.

When it comes to the metaverse though, K-pop – in particular, boy band BTS – has long been ahead of the curve.

In 2020, the best-selling group successfully launched their single, “Dynamite,” virtually on the popular video game Fortnite, and since then has held more digital live concerts.

BTS’s Fortnite performance garnered more than 756,000 fans, resulting in the band being awarded an official Guinness World Record for attracting the ‘most viewers for a music concert live stream.’

K-pop as an industry at large is a major proponent of the metaverse, with artists like Black Pink utilizing platforms such as Zepeto to interact with their fans.

In March 2021, Blackpink’s virtual avatars held a fan event in Zepeto, and 46 million users reportedly virtually attended the event to receive digital autographs from the group, according to the South China Morning Post.

YG Entertainment and Big Hit Entertainment (now under Hybe) also announced an investment of 12 billion won (~$10.4 million) in Zepeto last year.

Other celebrities hanging out in the metaverse include Snoop Dogg, who has developed his own ‘Snoopverse’ in The Sandbox.

“I’m always on the lookout for new ways of connecting with fans and what we’ve created in The Sandbox is the future of virtual hangouts, NFT drops, and exclusive concerts,” Snoop Dogg said in a press release, according to Decrypt.

APBTS broke records when they virtually launched a song on Fortnite[/caption]

In fact, one user by the name of P-Ape in December purchased a digital plot of land in Snoop Dogg’s virtual world for $450,000.

As more tech giants, brands, and celebrities promote the metaverse, it seems that virtual concerts and digital parties may become the everyday norm in the future.