Lost Horizon Virtual Festival

Johnny James, Managing Editor

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Lost Horizon

3-4 July 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Lost Horizon
Lost Horizon
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From the team behind Glastonbury’s legendary Shangri-La comes Lost Horizon, the world’s largest virtual reality music and arts festival.

Glastonbury’s ever-changing Shangri-La is one of the most striking areas of the festival. It’s a theatrical, immersive installation, renowned for its cutting-edge originality, artistic quality and musical curation. With Glastonbury 2020 *sigh* cancelled, the team behind Shangri-La have partnered with VRJAM and Sansar to take their amazing work into the digital arena. It’s a bid to unify festival-goers from their own homes during lockdown, and to raise funds for The Big Issue and Amnesty International.

A real festival in a virtual world

Lost Horizon will be a fully interactive, multi-stage festival accessible through a computer, mobile app or virtual reality headset via the Sansar platform. It will feature computer-generated avatars and green screen performances from some of the world’s most iconic electronic artists, who will play across three virtual stages. The main stage – the Gas Tower – is under the curation of Orca Sound Project. There, you’ll be able to watch AV/VJ sets from the likes of Seth Troxler, Peggy Gou, Jamie Jones, Eats Everything and Carl Cox.

The well-loved Freedom Stage, meanwhile, will be headlined by A. Skillz, Afriquoi and Alabama 3. There’s also a new stage called Nomad, which has been created for the 30th Anniversary of the Traveller’s field that came before Shangri-La. This will be headlined by 24hr Garage Girls, Majestic and Sammy Virji X Shosh Feat Forca & Kelsey Sings.

You’ll also be able to tune into broadcasts from SHITV (Shangri-La International Television). These broadcasts will span everything from the absurd to the enlightened, from the sidelines, frontlines and backstages of alternative culture. Expect films, documentaries, theatre, live art, comedy, animation and talks including Sofia Olins Lost in Vagueness, the extraordinary untold story of Glastonbury Festival’s most iconic and anarchic sideshow attraction, Lost Vagueness.

Lost Horizon will also mirror Shangri-La’s huge outdoor art gallery, and will feature over 200 visual art pieces, curated by ShangrilART on the ongoing theme of human connection. Featured on the towering billboards that surround the Freedom Stage will be a new exhibition co-curated by world-famous graphic designer Malcolm Garrett with Lost Horizon and Shangri-La creative director, Kaye Dunnings. The show, part of a partnership with creative not-for-profit organisation Design Manchester, will feature the work of over 40 globally renowned graphic artists, including Morag Myerscough, Patrick Thomas, Matt Ipcar, Raissa Pardini, Clive Russell and Paula Scher.

Billed as a real festival in a virtual world, Lost Horizon is a pretty amazing response to the unfortunate cancellation of this year’s Somerset festival. Tune in on the 3rd and 4th of July for what sounds like quite a trip.

Where to go near Lost Horizon Virtual Festival

Manchester
Gallery
Black Redstart Gallery

Black Redstart Gallery is located in the Northern Quarter and runs a busy programme of exhibitions from emerging and established artists.

RJC Dance Xmas Show
Leeds
RJC Dance

RJC Dance, based in Chapeltown, Leeds, champions youth and education, leading inclusive Black dance in the North through national partnerships.

texture logo
Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

The Beacon at Cliffe Castle Park
Bradford
Park
Cliffe Castle Park

Cliffe Castle Park hosts the Beacon, a stunning performance space that will be touring the district throughout Bradford UK City of Culture 2025.

Hern Food
Leeds
Restaurant
Hern

This produce-driven bistro in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, prides itself on cooking with the only finest ingredients and his headed up by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rab Adams.

Indie Makers
Leeds
Shop
Indie Makers

Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

Plant Point
Leeds
Shop
Plant Point

Plant Point is designed to help you bring the jungle into your urban or suburban space. The home of beautiful plants in Leeds.

Leeds
Restaurant
Eat Your Greens

Eat Your Greens is a vibrant, organic restaurant bringing a hint of European flair to the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
Leeds
Restaurant
Sela Bar & Pizzeria

Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

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