Shaquille O’Neal, former professional basketball player, and entrepreneur is set to host a New Year’s Eve party on Meta’s VR and social platforms that anyone can join.
Titled ‘The Shaq-tacular Spectacular‘, will be a one-hour special event that’s produced by Meta and will stream on December 31 all night.
The event will also be set in a repeating loop and will feature several musical acts, celebrity entertainment, and lots of “neon-light performances” with arguably one of the greatest NBA players ever as DJ.
Shaq commented in a statement, “This year we’re ringing in 2023 with new experiences and connections. I’m excited to celebrate with some of my favorite artists and athletes in a way that you can enjoy with friends and family in VR across the world. From music, laughs and much more, we’re celebrating New Year’s Eve and welcoming 2023 with a spectacular party you won’t want to miss!”
With special guests…
Famous stars like Cardi B, Ludacris, Lil Yachty, Killer Mike, and Whipped Cream, are set to make special feature performances at the event along with appearances by former NFL player Rob Gronkowski and model Camille Kostek.
Apart from the featured performers, there’ll be a marching band, cheerleaders, pro roller skaters, basketball players, and of course fans. (Wot, no Zuck?) And that’s not all because the event will also include dance-offs that VR users can use to replicate their VR experience.
Westbrook Media president Brad Haugen stated, “Virtual reality has become such an exciting new way to experience and participate in and engage with entertainment and culture. We are thrilled to partner with Shaq, the team at Jersey Legends, Media.Monks and Meta and invite audiences to spend New Year’s Eve with some of their favorite performers and athletes in a way that truly allows them to feel like they are in the room too. The show has electrifying performances, hilarious and competitive games and it’s been so fun for us to explore all that we can do in this space.”
In partnership with Meta, the special is produced by Westbrook Media, Media.Monks and O’Neal’s Jersey Legends Productions will premiere on December 31, at 3:30 pm PT in Meta’s Horizon Worlds and on Meta Quest TV which is available in the Meta Quest 2 headset.
Individuals can also catch the event live on Shaq’s Facebook and Instagram pages as well as in Messenger’s Watch Together. The upcoming special is yet another move from meta to drive VR users into its primary focused “metaverse” platform.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
