Thanks to COVID-19, all of us are more or less locked down inside of our own homes. Worse still, we don’t know exactly when things will get back to normal.
A side effect of this is that plenty of spring and summer events have been canceled or postponed. Fans can no longer look forward to going to music festivals, concerts, or even just to the movies.
But what if you could enjoy your favorite performers without even leaving the house? Many companies and artists are putting out special livestreams and virtual concerts to watch during lockdown.
Wondering which ones to check out? We’ve got a list of the best free livestream events right here!
Jersey 4 Jersey Benefit Concert with Bruce Springsteen and More (April 22)
This one-night event will raise funds for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund. Despite the name, you don’t need to be a resident of New Jersey to enjoy the Jersey 4 Jersey concert. In fact, you can watch it on April 22 by heading to this website. Alternatively, you can tune in via Apple TV or SiriusXM’s E Street Radio.
This concert has a little something for everybody. There will be performances by Bruce Springsteen, SZA, Bon Jovi, Halsey, and plenty more. If that’s not enough, you’ll also see entertainers such as Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, and Danny DeVito. Come for the concert and stay for the comedy!
The Metropolitan Opera Nightly Opera Streams and At-Home Gala (April 25)
Classical music lovers across the globe have been devastated by the closures of concert halls and opera houses. Luckily, The Metropolitan Opera is streaming a free opera every single night! For Week 6 of their program (April 20-26), they will be streaming Strauss’s Elektra, Puccini’s Tosca, Verdi’s La Traviata, and more. You can access the streams on their website or through the Met Opera On Demand app.
And on Saturday, April 25, at 1 p.m. EDT, the Met Opera will livestream its first ever At-Home Gala. More than 40 leading opera stars will be singing live from their homes across the globe. The world-class line-up includes sopranos Anna Netrebko and Renée Fleming and tenors Jonas Kaufmann and Roberto Alagna. See the full line-up here.
Square Garden Music Festival in Minecraft (April 24-26)
During lockdown, many of us are losing ourselves in virtual video game worlds. But what if you could discover an amazing live concert hidden inside one of those games?
That’s the premise behind the cheekily-named Square Garden, a concert taking place inside Minecraft. Fans can tune in via the website to stream the music even if you don’t own Minecraft. If you do own the game, though, you can follow instructions on the site to join other attendees in a custom Minecraft server.
Who will you hear? This unique concert will feature Charli XCX, 100 gecs, Cashmere Cat, benny blanco, Kero Kero Bonito, Tommy Cash, Dorian Electra, and more. If nothing else, attending means you’ll be a part of both music and video game history.
Under One Roof: A Benefit for North Carolina Artists (April 24-26)
If Minecraft isn’t your jam, there is another musical event taking place on April 24. Under One Roof is an event that takes place in one-hour chunks on April 24, 25, and 26. It features artists such as 9th Wonder, Anthony Hamilton, Ben Folds, The Hamiltones, Tift Merritt, and plenty more.
Each event is broadcast via social media, and you can choose to watch via Facebook or via Twitch. You can watch for free, but donations will help fund North Carolina artists that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Lionsgate Live! A Night at the Movies (April 24, May 1, May 8)
So far, we’ve focused on music and virtual concerts. But what if you’d rather kick back and watch a movie?
During lockdown, it’s not easy to watch a movie with your friends. But Lionsgate is trying to simulate that experience with their Lionsgate Live! streaming series. With this program, Lionsgate has teamed with Fandango to stream some of their hottest movies for free on YouTube, and fans can watch and comment together.
Hosted by Jamie Lee Curtis, the event kicked off on April 17 with The Hunger Games, and is continuing on Friday nights through May 8. You can tune in on April 24 for Dirty Dancing, May 1 for La La Land, and May 8 for John Wick. All you have to due is swing by the Lionsgate Live! site at 9 p.m. ET on these dates.
Room Service Digital Music Festival (April 24-26)
The phrase “room service” may make you wistful for the days of vacations and swanky hotel rooms. But this particular Room Service is a digital music festival taking place over three days of rocking. It will be broadcast on YouTube and you need to get a ticket, but don’t worry: tickets are free, with donations highly encouraged.
This festival has a very diverse lineup. You’ll hear hot tunes from artists like Channel Tres, Yungblud, Chromeo, Pink Sweat$, RAC, Zucker, and plenty more. This event is a great way for fans of these artists to enjoy awesome performances without leaving the house. And if you’re not familiar with these artists, consider this a chance to discover something new!
Cinco de Mayo Altísimo Live! Festival hosted by Eva Longoria (May 5)
Cinco de Mayo is historically a day of community celebration for people all around the world. Now that we can’t get together physically, we at least have an opportunity to get together digitally via Altísimo Live!, a latin music and pop culture festival hosted by Eva Longoria on Cinco de May.
The virtual concert will benefit the Farmworker’s COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Fund. The all-star line-up includes Gloria Estefan, Luis Fonsi, J Balvin, Diane Guerrero, and more. Fans can tune in on on May 5 at 2 p.m. PT through the iHeartLatino’s radio stations and websites, as well as Facebook Live, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch. You are encouraged, of course, to make donations during this free event.
Grammy Museum Digital Programs (Various Dates)
The Grammy Museum is one of countless museums that has had to close its door during the COVID-19 crisis. However, they are releasing several digital programs for multiple artists in the coming weeks.
In the next few weeks, you’ll be able to access the public programs for artists including Courtney Barnett (April 22), Ben Platt (April 25), Sabrina Carpenter (April 27), and Brett Young (April 29). This represents an unprecedented opportunity for you to learn more about some of the greatest artists in music without leaving the house.
To stay up to date on future public program releases, be sure to bookmark their website.
The 320 Festival (May 8-10)
What if a music festival could also serve as social commentary? That was the idea behind the 320 Festival, intended to change our national dialogue about mental health. The event was created by Talida Bennington, wife of the late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, who tragically committed suicide in 2017. Talida teamed up with Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman to create the event.
The original event was going to take place in Los Angeles, but COVID-19 put the kibosh on that. Now, fans can tune in digitally to a diverse lineup featuring musical artists, DJs, academics, and more. Collectively, they hope to approach mental health in a holistic and wholly innovative way.
You can check it out May 8-10 via Youtube, Facebook, Roku, and Apple TV. There is no better time than our forced isolation to learn more about mental health and happiness.