If you’re in the UK then you’re probably well aware that the epic Glastonbury music festival returns this weekend. What you might not know is that VR will be there too.
If you’re not enjoying performances from the likes of Coldplay, Muse and Adele, you can also head to the festival’s Virtual Reality Dome for the first time ever this year. The attraction is sponsored by Greenpeace and will feature a 360 degree experience starring legendary UK broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough. You’ll be guided around the Great Barrier Reef as the influential voice highlights the various threats it currently faces, including mining and climate change.
Sir Attenborough himself called the experience a “unique” and “stunning” piece.
But that’s not the most striking thing about the Virtual Reality Dome; sticking with Greenpeace’s style, the feature will be entirely operated using solar power. 30 solar panels have been provided by Solarcentury, which is enough to power all of the unspecified headsets, according to PV Magazine. It fits in with the wider theme of ending the oil age in the wider Greenpeace Field at this year’s festival.
Of course, if you’ve been following the news in the UK these past few days you’ll know that the festival hasn’t gotten off to a great start; rain and mud have made the site something of a bog as it’s been prepped for the arrival of around 200,000 people, many of which are currently stuck in heavy traffic as they attempt to make their way there. Hopefully the weather clears up and provides a bit more power to that Virtual Reality Dome over the rest of the weekend, as it sounds like an ideal opportunity to showcase the good that the tech can achieve.
What you can’t do yet is visit the festival for yourself from the comfort of your own home with the help of an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or other headset. Maybe next year.
