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LWE will merge digital and real life events with Tobacco Dock Virtual

The hybrid-reality event concept launches in April

LWE (London Warehouse Events) has announced it’s launching a new digital reality event concept called Tobacco Dock Virtual on Easter Weekend this year.

The world’s leading virtual live event platform Sansar has helped develop the virtual venue, which digitally recreates East London’s Tobacco Dock club in fine detail.

The platform will be available on MAC, tablet, PC and VR through the Sansar app or any internet browser without the need for specialist equipment.

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Multi-platform parties will be hosted inside Tobacco Dock Virtual, and a unique range of gaming options will be available to add to the experience. Once live music events can return after the pandemic, the physical and virtual venue will be able to combine simultaneously, with integration from a selection of mobile gaming platforms.

Recently LWE’s Junction 2: Connections event partnered with Gameloft’s racing game Asphalt, providing access to the DJ sets stream from within the game. The virtual event attracted an audience of 3.1 million globally.

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LWE Director, Paul Jack said “TDv is our next step in the evolution of LWE and the development of our long-term event concepts where we see virtual worlds sitting alongside the real world. Tobacco Dock has hosted some of our most exciting shows and led the way in the UK for vast daytime events. This next step on our journey will pave the way for hybrid events within a fully immersive digital and physical space, providing a huge new platform to showcase music.”

Sheri Bryant, President of Sansar, says, “LWE is creating an entirely new event experience for fans with their series of epic 2021 shows in Sansar across multiple digital platforms and in real life simultaneously. They are leading the charge of innovation across the music industry. We couldn’t be more proud than to be their virtual event partner providing them with the technology to do so.”

Tobacco Dock Commercial Director Jonathan Read says: “Tobacco Dock is excited to be working alongside our long term partner LWE to develop a cutting-edge virtual venue that will enable remote audiences to have a truly immersive, rich experience with the attributes of being present without the travel. It is a bold new step on our journey to make Tobacco Dock a global destination for music, cultural, fashion and tech events.”

Watch a video trailer below and find out more via tobaccodockvirtual.com.

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Features Editor, follow him on Twitter

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