Virtual Helsinki Platform Hosts Performance by Finnish Artist ALMA as City Pushes the Technological and Creative Boundaries of its Digital Twin - Seite 2

Artist, ALMA, said:

"Playing a VR show of this scale this was something I didn't even know was possible to do! Something I've never done and something my fans probably haven't ever seen before! It's the debut show of my album `Have U Seen Her?' I'm so excited to share it like this. It's amazing to be able to invite fans to step into the dreamworld we're crafted digitally from my imagination.

Absolutely thrilled that the city of Helsinki is supporting my music and even more special that it's happening on Helsinki Day! Welcome to my dreams and nightmares people! It's gonna' be unreal!"

The performance follows the success of the city's virtual May Day event, which saw Finnish rap stars JVG perform for a live audience of 700,000 people, over 10% of Finland's population.

Helsinki, which was crowned as the most innovative region in the EU by the European Commission in 2019 and awarded the European Capital of Smart Tourism in 2019, is at the forefront of technical innovation. With a democratic approach to data and knowledge sharing, the city operates much like a city-wide test bed. By facilitating public and private collaborations the city is demonstrating how policies like open data and digital twins can benefit citizens and visitors alike.

Mayor of Helsinki, Jan Vapaavuori, said:

"Helsinki's mission is to be the most functional city in the world. Under these extraordinary circumstances, this is more important than ever. Virtual Helsinki demonstrates how important it is for cities to be agile and adaptive, and how a crisis can be used as a driver for technical innovation and creativity.

While Virtual Helsinki has been used to create an alternative way of experiencing Helsinki and special communal moments this Spring, the platform is also now contributing to Helsinki's creative economy by showing us that art and culture can still be created and celebrated by all during an international lockdown."

Access Information

The Alma Cyber Concert can be experience online on:

- Friday 12^th June from 7pm (BST) / 9pm EEST

Access is via the below website, no headset is required

- www.burst.fi

About Virtual Helsinki

The city's digital twin - Virtual Helsinki - is the result of a long-term strategic view into how the city uses its data, and the culmination of a two year partnership with VR studio Zoan.