Youtube/EpicGames Ariana Grande Fortnite
Look out, world. Ariana Grande is going virtual.
Earlier this month, Polygon announced that Grande would be performing in a “massive Fortnite in-game concert.”
The outlet wrote, “The popstar will be featured in-game as part of the Rift Tour event in August. Check out the announcement, along with a teaser video, below.
Excuse us, Ariana is coming!
Fortnite Presents the Rift Tour featuring @ArianaGrande kicks off August 6 at 6 PM ET #RiftTour
Here’s what you need to know:
Travis Scott’s Success on Fortnite
As pointed out by Polygon, Travis Scott raked in over 27 million players– a Fortnite record– when he performed on the online video game.
Polygon wrote, “The event started with a giant version of Scott performing some of his most recognizable songs but quickly evolved into something stranger and more exciting. As Scott moved through his songs, more and more effects started to appear. There were lightning storms, back-up dancers made of fire, a gravity flip that turned players upside down, and finally what seemed like a trip through space.”
Grande’s performance, which is part of the Rift Tour, is slated to run from August 6 to 8, 2021.
According to Forbes, Grande’s Fortnite concert has the “potential to be even more massive than the Travis Scott show.” The outlet noted that Scott’s performance on Fortnite “earned the artist $20 million in merchandise sales.” In comparison, Scott earned $1.7 million from his Astroworld tour, largely considered one of his most popular performances.
Forbes continued, “Travis Scott’s Astroworld was nine minutes long in total, a fraction of what’s required in a physical concert. And if he earned $1.7 million from his best show and $20 million from Fortnite, that’s more than 10 record concert nights for a showcase that was under ten minutes long. I would expect Ariana’s show to be of a similar length, probably no more than 15-20 minutes at the most… In short, if you’re an artist, Fortnite is the venue you want to land.”
When Can You Watch Grande Perform?
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Grande will be performing in five time slots over the August 6 weekend: Friday, Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. ET; Saturday, Aug. 7 at 2 p.m. ET; and Sunday, Aug. 8 at 12 a.m. ET, 10 a.m. ET., and 6 p.m. ET.
In a statement, per the Hollywood Reporter, Grande said, “Working with Epic and the Fortnite team to bring my music to life inside the game has been so fun and such an honor. I can’t wait to join my fans and see all of your reactions to such an unforgettable, magical journey to new realities.”
Phil Rampulla, the head of brand at Epics Games, added, “Fortnite is a place for the imagination and the impossible… With the Rift Tour, we’re bringing a musical journey to life that players can experience, feel, and join alongside their friends. We’re so grateful to have an iconic superstar like Ariana Grande and her team join us for a musical experience at metaverse scale, and for players and fans alike to experience the Rift Tour!”
Fortnite can be downloaded here, and is also available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, PC, and Mac.