Since its launch in 2020, the festival has gained over 3 million listeners across the GCC and MENA, including the UAE and KSA DUBAI: WOLF, the audio festival performance platform, launched on Tuesday a program to transform 1,000 Arab artists into stars of virtual reality, titled WOLFStars. WOLF, or the World’s Online Festival, is a popular destination for content creators, singers, poets, comedians, chat-show hosts and rappers who joined the platform to showcase their talent. “As an interactive app, WOLF’s unique user experience brings live audio performances and content creation together on 3D virtual stages, packed with interaction inside large user-generated chat communities,” said Gary Knight, CEO of WOLF. “WOLF has developed quickly from launch, building to over 3,000 shows a month, and welcoming over 3 million audience members.” The WOLFStars program will invite users to have their talents recognised by celebrities, working closely with them to develop their talents and grow a wide-reaching community of fans. In its pilot phase, 250 emerging talents from the region joined the platform to create regular shows in the app. Additionally, WOLF collaborated with renowned Arab personalities including Aseel Hameem, Bashayer Alsabah, Fay Alssharqawi, Nedaa Sharara, Danyah Shafei, and Lebanese pop superstar Yara. Given the popularity of the pilot phase, WOLF is now looking to take this creator economy into the metaverse and extend the pilot to 1,000 WOLFStars. “WOLF’s next milestone is to reach 1,000 talents signed up to the program, all able to perform to enthusiastic audiences, get real-time feedback, form part of a community, earn cash and other rewards, and work with the WOLF team to take their talents and fame to the next level,” added Knight. “We are excited for WOLF to take emerging Arabic artists and set them in cinematic 3D virtual festival stages where they can become tomorrow’s stars of the metaverse.” WOLF is working on bringing real-world festivals to the online realm — in particular performance, entertainment and socialising with friends.