Most people carefully check event schedules, arrive just before the headline act, grab a drink, and spend the evening dancing with hundreds of other avatars. And then there is me, who somehow manages to visit a massive music festival on what appeared to be the digital equivalent of a Wednesday afternoon after everyone had gone home.
But that’s okay, I still had a great time.
A Festival Built for the Big Moments
Smokefest proudly calls itself “one of the most immersive music festivals in the metaverse” and, looking around, I can absolutely see why. Even without a live performance, the place feels enormous. It has that unmistakable real-world festival vibe, somewhere between Coachella and a very well-funded amusement park designed by people who think “more neon” is always the correct answer.
The entrance looks wonderfully official, complete with parking areas that immediately made me wonder who exactly is driving here. Imagine arriving after spending three hours in Second Life traffic because someone crashed their virtual campervan into a mesh palm tree.
From there, the festival grounds open into a colourful maze of stages, market stalls, winding paths, lighting effects and enough stuff to keep you wandering around for quite a while. Towering over everything is a rollercoaster that practically begs you to abandon all dignity and go for a ride. No, I did not.
Retail Therapy Between Sets
Like any respectable festival, Smokefest understands that music is only part of the experience. The other part is shopping for things you absolutely didn’t know you needed until five seconds ago.
Rows of booths, ready for visitors to browse between performances. Since there wasn’t actually a performance happening during my visit, I had the luxury of browsing in complete peace, without someone accidentally standing inside my avatar while trying on sunglasses.
The shopping theme quickly became… apparent.
If you’re passionate about cannabis culture, you’ve probably just found paradise. Blunts, pipes, smoking accessories, clothing, décor, and enough paraphernalia to furnish an entire virtual dispensary are everywhere. My personal favourite discovery had to be the emotional support bong plushies, because apparently we’ve reached the point where even your coping mechanisms have coping mechanisms.
As a Dutch person, I feel people expect me to arrive wearing wooden clogs, carrying a wheel of cheese in one hand and expertly reviewing every cannabis product on the sim.
I regret to inform you that my expertise when it comes to anything cannabis related is zero.
The VIP Life I Didn’t Live
One thing that caught my attention was the option to buy VIP tickets. Those came with backstage access, exclusive viewing areas and, perhaps most importantly, a complimentary houseboat.
A houseboat.
It feels wonderfully over-the-top in exactly the way Second Life excels at. Why stop at premium seating when you can throw in real estate?
Even Without the Crowd
Normally I’d say visiting a festival without the festival happening is missing the point, but strangely enough it wasn’t.
The music stream playing across the venue was genuinely enjoyable, the landscaping is impressive, and without crowds I could appreciate just how much work has gone into creating the environment. Every corner has something to discover, whether it’s another art piece, another shop, or another reason to question the existence of emotional support smoking accessories.
Will it have the same energy during a live show with DJs, artists and crowds filling every corner? Almost certainly. Judging by everything I’ve seen on social media, that’s when Smokefest truly comes alive.
Would I Go Back?
Maybe. Or maybe not.
It really depends on whether I catch it during one of its live events, because I suspect that’s where the venue earns its reputation. As an empty festival ground, it’s already visually impressive and surprisingly relaxing to explore. As a full-blown event, I imagine it’s a completely different experience.
Either way, it’s worth a visit simply because there aren’t many places in Second Life where you can ride a rollercoaster, browse for plush emotional support bongs, admire festival architecture, and contemplate becoming a VIP with a complimentary houseboat… all within the same afternoon.
Only in Second Life.
⭐ Rating: 4½ out of 5 emotional support bongs 🛋️💨
A colourful, ambitious festival venue that’s fun to explore even when the stages are quiet. Next time, I might even show up when the festival is actually happening. What a revolutionary concept.
Mainstage shows: 1, 8, 15 and 22 august
Tawa Stage Shows: 6, 13 and 20 august
Smokefest official links on Linktree
