Amidst the feelings associated with the current pandemic, disappointment is one of the most common. Due to the coronavirus situation, many social events have been either postponed or canceled due to safety concerns, including concerts and other musical events.

In light of the fact that concerts and tours have been canceled, many artists have come forward to unite fans and brighten up their quarantine days by providing entertainment through virtual concerts and live streams.

For instance, on March 30th, renowned entertainer and comedian James Corden launched his Homefest (from his garage, no less), a live event featuring his hilarious commentary and appearances by artists such as Dua Lipa, John Legend, BTS, Billie Eilish, David Blaine, and Will Ferrell. Those who missed the show can still see the performances that each artist did from their homes and studios by watching the event on YouTube.

In mid-April, more virtual events were launched. From April 17th to April 18th, the famous South Korean boyband BTS launched their two twelve-hour live streams on their YouTube channel, featuring performances from past concerts and fan meetings. The concert series was a major success, garnering over 50 million views worldwide. Fans across the globe gathered to tune into the hours upon hours of footage.

Around the same time, Lady Gaga- in a partnership with Global Citizen- raised millions of dollars for the World Health Organization (WHO) by launching “One World: Together At Home.” This event kicked off on numerous platforms and included appearances by many well-known artists, such as Elton John, John Legend, Chris Martin, Paul McCartney, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Sam Smith, Beyonce, among many others. The event was a huge success and received positive responses from many of the viewers, raising approximately $128 million for healthcare workers fighting COVID-19. The six-hour online show can still be streamed on platforms such as Apple, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Prime Video, etc.

Additionally, on May 3rd, the “I For India” Benefit Concert took place. This event featured celebrities from Hollywood and India’s entertainment industry, and raised funds for those impacted by the COVID-19 crisis in India. There were appearances from Mick Jagger, Will Smith, Mindy Kaling, Nick Jonas, Jack Black, Sophie Turner, A.R. Rahman, Priyanka Chopra Jonas among several others. The concert raised a significant amount of money- over Rs 52 crore (nearly 7 million US dollars). This concert was India’s largest fundraising concert, and this four-hour event was streamed by GiveIndia, the organization that managed the funds raised. The livestream can still be viewed on Facebook under GiveIndia’s account.

Additionally, although the Global Dance Festival (the largest summer festival in Colorado) has been canceled, it was announced recently that this festival would transition to an online event. Now known as the Global Dance Digital Festival, it will occur from May 9th to May 10th, starting at 11am PST. The festival will feature many artists and will raise money for Direct Relief. One can RSVP for free on the link provided on their Twitter account, @GlobalDanceFest (https://t.co/oqmqfHiNOP?amp=1).

Other upcoming events include:

• May 15th, 2pm EST: Instagram and Facebook will launch “Celebrate the Class of 2020,” an event honoring graduating seniors who had their commencement ceremonies canceled due to the coronavirus. The ceremony will feature Miley Cyrus, Lil Nax X, Awkwafina, with a commencement speech by Oprah Winfrey. It can be streamed on Facebook.
• May 29th to June 7th: In a partnership between YouTube and Tribeca Enterprises, many major film festivals have joined together for the “We Are One: A Global Film Festival,” which will feature new and classic films from around the globe. This event will run for 10 days, with footage from the Berlin International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, New York Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival, along with many others. This will all be available to watch for free on YouTube, and viewers will have the opportunity to donate to the World Health Organization and local relief partners.