This October, the Hatsune Miku Expo from Crypton Future Media will be coming to the United States, specifically in New York and Los Angeles.
Hatsune Miku is what is known as a “cyber celebrity.” The performer is a hologram voiced by a computer – no real person provides the voice behind the singer. She was created in 2007 as an avatar for the music software made by Crypton Future Media, designed to give creators the option to use her synthesized voice to make original music. She has amassed 110,000 songs to date with over 88 million hits on YouTube, plus thousands of illustrations and videos of the character.
The expo is part of a global event which began in Indonesia in spring 2014, and it gives fans worldwide the chance to celebrate the cultural movement of the success of Miku. The expo features a 3-D live show, fan-gathering activities and art exhibitions. The 3D live show features the most popular songs from the community, which are performed by a live band along with the projected virtual singer, who s made to appear as if she were actually on stage. Miku was even chosen as Lady Gaga’s opening act on her North American Art Pop tour in spring.
The Los Angeles expo will take place October 11 and 12 at Nokia Theatre, while a two-day Halloween-themed event and exhibition will take place in downtown LA. The New York performance will happen on October 17 and 18 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, while the Lower East Side gallery and concept space Wallplay will host a selection of Hatsune Miku artworks using various media, over an 11-day period. Fans can buy tickets here for each show.