Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Festival

Shibuya is known for its epic (and often rowdy) Halloweens, when hordes of costume-clad revelers flock to the area around the world famous Scramble Crossing. This year, in order to allow for a safer and more socially distanced Halloween, Empire co-produced the “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Festival” from October 26-31. Taking place on the “Virtual Shibuya” platform, authorized by Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward under the slogan #StayVirtual, Tokyo’s famous high streets of Shibuya were transformed into a Halloween entertainment showcase. The use of 5G and the latest cutting-edge technology connected the real Shibuya to a virtual space, combining digital and real worlds into an immersive experience. Viewers tuning into “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Fes” with their own avatars had a chance to experience a variety of online events: a mystery-themed game with the virtual mayor of Shibuya, “HACHIKO”, designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, a virtual costume contest, shopping for limited edition goods and more. Additionally the stage hosted performances and talk shows from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Kento Mori, BiSH, Rinne, Nulbarich, international DJs; Ellen Alien (Berlin), Surgeon (Birmingham), Dasha Rush (Berlin), Ken Ishii and collaborations with NHK's Bit World, KidZania and Netflix. “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Fes” hosted over 400,000 viewers from all over the world.