Roblox announced a collaboration with Columbia Records today to present a unique virtual concert experience with Lil Nas X on its gaming platform. This marks Roblox’s inaugural virtual concert, building on the trend of online events seen during the pandemic, such as the “One World: Together At Home” benefit concert for the WHO in April, and the popular Travis Scott concert within Fortnite, which peaked with 12.3 million simultaneous viewers.

The Lil Nas X concert will take place within a specially crafted online space designed by Roblox to deliver a fully immersive atmosphere. The venue will feature multiple stages, each drawing inspiration from Lil Nas X’s music and accompanying videos, and will utilize advanced technologies including cutting-edge shadowing, lighting, and physically based rendering (PBR) for realistic facial representation, according to the company.

During the performance, Lil Nas X will debut his new song “Holiday” live, alongside his other well-known tracks.

The concert will be presented across three separate showtimes, beginning with the primary event on Saturday, November 14th at 1 PM PST. Following this, an Asia-focused showing will occur at 10 PM PST, and a European broadcast is scheduled for Sunday, November 15th at 9 AM PST.

Furthermore, Roblox and Columbia Records will host a question-and-answer session with Lil Nas X, streamed from the concert venue with a pre-show beginning at 4 PM on Friday, November 13.

“We are excited to team up with Columbia Records to connect Lil Nas X’s fans and the Roblox community in a completely innovative way,” stated Jon Vlassopulos, global head of Music at Roblox, in a press release. “This concert with Lil Nas X will immerse players and their friends in the Metaverse, showcasing the potential of future immersive, social experiences.”

Prior to the concert, the new venue will offer players a variety of mini-games and activities to enjoy, as well as a virtual store featuring exclusive merchandise, including accessories, emotes, and Lil Nas X avatar bundles.

“We’re creating the biggest virtual concert of 2020, and I hope everyone around the globe can join us,” said Lil Nas X in a statement. “I’m incredibly fortunate to be the first artist to perform on Roblox like this. We had a fantastic time developing this experience for my fans, and I’m eager for everyone to see it,” he continued.

Roblox has demonstrated a growing interest in expanding its platform beyond traditional gaming in recent months. The pandemic led to an increase in monthly users and player spending, alongside a greater demand for virtual activities. The company reported in July that it had reached over 150 million monthly active users, an increase from the 115 million reported in February, before widespread shelter-in-place orders were implemented.

In July, Roblox also launched “Party Place,” a virtual space designed for social gatherings, meetups, and birthday celebrations.

This move towards virtual platforms for socializing has positively impacted Roblox’s revenue.

According to estimates from Sensor Tower, Roblox mobile spending reached $94 million in September. The data also indicated that Roblox had surpassed $2 billion in total spending to date. A more recent report from Safe Betting Sites estimated that Roblox players spent a total of $820 million from January through September 2020.

The gaming company is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), although a specific date has not yet been announced.