Are Hybrid Events Here to Stay in Belfast?

Over the last few years, there has been a rise in hybrid events in Belfast that have been open to audiences both in person and at home. Thanks to the advent of live streaming, which enables real time video footage to be transmitted to people anywhere online, events such as the Belfast International Arts Festival have been able to expand their reach.

These hybrid options suit different types of people, with some desiring to attend events in person and others preferring to stay at home. With the technology for broadcasting streams improving all the time, it looks like this trend could be set to continue.

Live Streaming Is Getting Better

To see the potential in live streaming for local events, we need only look laterally at other sectors which have embraced the tech and done well out of it.

The online casino industry, for one, has particularly benefitted from these advancements. Today, the roulette games at Paddy Power include state-of-the-art offerings filmed in immersive studios and featuring real-world dealers. Games like Lucky 6 Roulette and Mega Roulette are filmed with high-end cameras and transmitted with high-speed connections, meaning that the gameplay experience is completely smooth. For an industry that was once entirely based in brick-and-mortar locations, making the jump to online sites has been greatly enhanced by the use of such technology. Similarly, events with a strong focus on shared space, atmosphere, and spontaneity could enjoy greater longevity in the digital age if they too were to integrate livestreaming capabilities.

We’ve witnessed a lot of effort being poured into the development of live streaming, and the technology has come a long way in a short space of time. One reason why live streaming has taken off has been because of the interaction it allows. When ecommerce sites such as Amazon offer live streaming options, it gives customers the chance to message the people selling items and ask them for more details. Along this line of thinking, individuals who live stream events to their followers can read the comments and move about to show things that people at home might request to see.

Belfast International Arts Festival Led the Way

One of the clear leaders in the hybrid entertainment space in Belfast is the Belfast International Arts Festival. Recent editions of this much-loved occasion have included virtual access, giving people at home the chance to enjoy the theatre, music, and dance shows from the comfort of their homes. Digital passes have given people access to all the streamed performances, as well as the post-show discussions.  

Along with making the BIAF more accessible than ever before, the option of live streaming it opened it up to viewers around the globe. This meant that more people than ever could enjoy Belfast’s cultural offerings and get a taste of what life is like in the city. While we don’t yet know to what extent live streaming will be offered at this year’s festival, it can surely only be a good thing as far as accessibility and reach are concerned.

Meanwhile, there have been various other Belfast events that have followed in the BIAF’s footsteps and opted for a hybrid model. Belfast TradFest and EastSide Arts Festival have both dabbled in live streams, giving broader audiences a chance to peruse their goings-on. By using this approach, people outside of Belfast have a higher chance of discovering these events for the first time. They may then decide to come and view them in person in the future, helping to boost Belfast’s tourism.

Hybrid events in Belfast represent an exciting development in the way people enjoy live offerings. As the technology improves, people who view events via a live stream at home may feel even more immersed. Developments such as virtual reality could enhance this further, giving people the sense that they are actually at one of the events.