Immersive Technology for Live Performances – Bringing Digital Performance to the Real World

In discussion with Ashley Keeler, Head of StudioT3D and CTO, Target3D.

Ok, let’s discuss the idea of immersive tech in terms of live performances. It feels quite prescient, especially with the overwhelming success of ABBA Voyage - and the upcoming launch of Elvis Evolution - and the way audiences are embracing these digital hybrid performances.

Back in the day I worked in digital puppetry!

The company I worked for in 2009 to 2012 used to visit theme parks, trade shows, and events, bringing corporate logos and mascots to life. 

For a long time, I was the voice of the turtle at the Sea Life Centre chains, trying to teach kids not to leave plastics in the ocean. So, I’ve watched this evolution with real interest.

And, honestly, I’ve been slightly scarred by some of my experiences. From dragons in Russia, talking car parts at Ferrari in Abu Dhabi, prepping The Graham Norton Show (and more recently The Apprentice UK...). 

I remember trying to solder an inertial suit back together with a lighter in a hotel room in Dubai ahead of a Lipton’s Ice Tea global AGM that I was op’ing from a cupboard behind the stage - the height of glamour.

Certainly, when Tupac’s hologram appeared at Coachella 2012, it was a big watershed moment for the future. A little later, the Roy Orbison and London Philharmonic Orchestra shows in 2018 showcased the capabilities of projection technology.

Then came Industrial Light and Magic’s ABBA Voyage show. On stage, there’s a live band, but the performance blends real-world musicianship with performance capture magic. It’s allowed millions of people—I’d love to know the actual numbers—to witness ABBA as they would have been in their heyday, something otherwise impossible to see.

In fact, Target3D worked on ABBA Voyage, contributing sequences with an amazing creative called Nexus Studios and directed by Shynola.

Soon, we’ll be seeing an Elvis Evolution show later this year, a Michael Jackson show planned for 2025, and many more on the horizon. These will continue to build on each other—just like Secret Cinema and Punchdrunk built on the excitement of immersive theatre. 

The hologram and performance capture technology is only going to get better.

From a tech perspective, the capability has reached a point where projection and screen density can now trick our eyes into believing what we see is real.

I was excited but sceptical before attending ABBA Voyage - but when they opened with the first number my jaw hit the floor. I was completely blown away.

I’ve been around this technology for years, and I still couldn’t believe it. The performers felt present—they had weight and substance. It wasn’t just a simple holographic projection -  they were, for all intents and purposes, there!

A lot of that comes down to the realism of execution. 

They took great care to make sure the digital performers were doing things that felt authentic and possible. There were even moments where a musician hit an occasional off-note or entered slightly late—tiny imperfections that reinforced the illusion of reality.

I don’t want to spoil it for people who haven’t seen it, but those small details really made the experience feel real and intimate.

The whole ABBA experience has highlighted the potential of working with living artists.

There are undoubtedly smart businesses out there planning to do volumetric or motion capture for today’s biggest bands—just in case they reach legendary status.

That way, instead of relying on choreographers like Anders and Wayne McGregor to recreate what a band might have done in the ‘70s and ‘80s, we would already have authentic recordings to build future shows from.

Beyond ABBA Voyage? Metaverse performances.

If we put aside ABBA Voyage, Elvis Evolution, and those projection-based shows, there’s another strand of digital live performance:

Metaverse performances.

For example, we have worked on Decentraland, creating virtual performances for artists like Krafty Kuts and A-Skillz & HaZ show.

Instead of audiences going to a real-world venue to watch a virtual asset, they use headsets, iPads, or 2D screens to watch live music inside digital worlds.

Think Travis Scott in Fortnite, Foo Fighters in Meta, Justin Bieber in Wave, or Greta in Roblox.

These metaverse concerts are leveraging mocap, pcap, and volcap to let audiences experience music in games and virtual spaces.

It’s an out-of-home but in-home experience—a fascinating hybrid.

At the other end of the spectrum, ABBA Voyage uses traditional filmmaking techniques to create an illusion. Ultimately, these two approaches are heading toward the same goal—bringing live digital performances into mainstream entertainment.

The next evolution of performance tech.

Imagine this:

• You’re watching Kendrick Lamar perform on your coffee table through an Apple Vision Pro headset.

• You go to a theatre to see a Kendrick Lamar hologram concert.

• You meet up with friends in Fortnite to experience a Kendrick Lamar show together in VR.

All of these could be based on the same performance capture - just delivered through different mediums. That applies to music videos, VR apps, and even game cutscenes.

Final thoughts: where do you think we’re heading?

With more distribution opportunities, the demand for content will keep growing.

But will quality suffer?

At what point does AI-generated content oversaturate the market? When does the algorithm start feeding on itself until all creative output becomes meaningless noise?

I like to believe content will find its value again—just like vinyl records have.

There’s still something deeply human about experiencing music live, whether it’s an immersive concert, a music video, or a festival performance.

That’s why the projects I’m most proud of are the ones tied to real-world experiences—whether it’s immersive theatre, live concerts, or meaningful music videos.

Technology should enhance artistry, not replace it.

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Stay tuned for further discussions with Ashley!

To see all the different technologies we house in our studio, visit www.studiot3d.com, or contact the studio team at info@studiot3d.com.