Daler Mehndi Set to Rock a Virtual Concert in Metaverse

Indians seem to be warming up to the up and coming “metaverse” space, which is a blockchain-supported fully functional virtual universe. As India gears up to ring in its 73rd Republic Day on January 26, celebrated Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi announced a special performance in the metaverse to mark the special occasion. With this, the 54-year-old performer will become the first Indian artist to step into the virtual world to entertain his fans, setting quite a benchmark for other celebrities.

The singer posted a video announcing his upcoming metaverse performance via his official Instagram handle, along with a link for users to click on and claim free passes.

Mehndi will be taking the virtual stage on “partynite.metaverse,” which according to its Instagram bio, allows people to create avatars, play games, and earn NFTs.

As per the official website of partynite.metaverse, it is a “digital parallel universe, powered by blockchain” where people can hang out with friends as customisable avatars, meet new people as well as join parties and events.

The platform also allows people to claim, mint, and sell playable digital collectibles also known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in order to make the metaverse more interactive.

Mehndi's virtual avatar will be performing some of his top songs as part of his metaverse performance which will begin at 12:00pm IST on January 26.

The news has triggered excitement among Daler Mehndi's fans on Twitter.

Previously, international artists like Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, Marshmello, and Ariana Grande have hosted metaverse concerts, which allowed them to entertain their fans without gatherings during the testing times of COVID-19.

It is, however, clear that the metaverse space is growing bigger with passing days in India.

Music label T-Series also announced its entry into the metaverse in partnership with Hungama TV earlier this week. As part of the deal, Hungama will be creating NFTs from the vast catalogue of new and existing Bollywood content parented by T-Series.

Earlier this month, a couple from India's Tamil Nadu state announced their Harry Potter-themed wedding reception in the metaverse.

The late father of the bride will host the celebrations in the metaverse, where the guests along with the newly married couple will mark their attendance as digital avatars in February.