Tomorrow X Together (TXT)·Enhypen, Expanding K-POP Activities through VR Concerts

VR concerts are emerging as a new option for the way K-POP artists engage with their audiences. Recently, AMAZE has been conducting VR concert projects with various K-POP artists such as Tomorrow X Together (TXT), Enhypen, &TEAM, LE SSERAFIM, TWS, and ATEEZ. The VR concerts presented by AMAZE are characterized by continuing as a series rather than ending with a single event. Tomorrow X Together (TXT) has showcased a total of three VR concerts, starting with ’HYPERFOCUS,’ followed by ’HEART ATTACK,’ and this year, ’ENDLESS RIDE.’ ’ENDLESS RIDE’ features a concept of traveling to various locations by train, with songs arranged against backgrounds like deserts, seas, and cities to complete a single story. Enhypen released its second VR concert ’DESTINY’ this year, following last year’s ’IMMERSION.’ This work incorporates a vampire worldview and tells a story between fans and the artist through the performance. Screenings are ongoing in several cities across Asia, including Seoul, Japan, and North America. VR concerts have established themselves as series content by producing sequels beyond simple technological experiences. While actual concerts face physical constraints such as city, date, and seating, VR concerts can operate for a set period targeting multiple cities in various spaces like movie theaters. AMAZE emphasized that VR headsets allow fans to experience artists up close and watch together. VR concerts do not replace world tours but share roles with live performances, contributing to extending the lifespan of artist content. They provide new content during the waiting period after album activities end or in regions where live concerts are not held. Artists can reconstruct existing songs and performances with new stories and direction, and fans can experience the same music in a different way. Especially in cases like Tomorrow X Together (TXT) and Enhypen, which continuously present VR concerts, VR shows potential to develop from one-time events into series. However, it is still premature to conclude that VR concerts have become an official routine activity across K-POP, as conditions such as production costs, technology, and screening infrastructure are required. In this way, the stage for K-POP artists’ activities is expanding beyond music releases, broadcasts, and live performances to include the new space of VR. While music shows and concerts were the main stages for meeting fans in the past, now another point of contact called VR concerts is being established between albums and world tours.