With in-person concerts being mostly on hold for the foreseeable future, any type of entertainment featuring top stars has been welcomed over the last few months. In the wake of stay-at-home orders and social distancing, artists have found unique ways to connect with their fanbase. As binge-watching seasons of TV shows or spending quality time in the house with family and friends started to get less and less fun for many people, pop stars offered escapes from reality through show-stopping, interactive and futuristic performances. It’s difficult to imagine having to navigate 2020 without live streaming. Here’s a look at some of the best live streamed events of 2020 so far. 

Loud Stream

Streaming Platform: Twitch 

Rolling Loud didn’t let a global pandemic get in the way of turning things up. Hip-hop’s biggest festival partnered with Twitch to present Loud Stream. The first of the three digital Loud Stream concerts took place in September. More than four million viewers tuned in to watch Swae Lee, Polo G, NLE Choppa, Lil Keed and others hit the stage.

VERZUZ

Streaming Platform: Instagram Live

Hosted by super producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, VERZUZ has featured legendary head-to-head showdowns between the likes of Brandy and Monica, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg and DMX and Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight. The highly anticipated second season of the hit-for-hit Instagram Live battle series is set to launch with a matchup between kings of the south T.I. and Jeezy. 

The Weeknd Experience

Streaming Platform: TikTok 

The innovative The Weeknd Experience was live-streamed on TikTok LIVE and featured a digitized Weeknd character performing hits from the singer’s chart-topping After Hours album. The virtual event pulled in more than two million views in total and also raised $350,000 to help fight mass incarceration and racial injustice.

Fortnite and Travis Scott Present: Astronomical

Streaming Platform: Fortnite

Described as an, “other-worldly experience inspired by Cactus Jack’s creations,” Travis Scott’s Astronomical took things to another level. Scott premiered his No. 1 hit “The Scotts” with Kid Cudi during the event that was viewed by more than 27 million Fortnite players in three days.

BET Awards 2020

There was a lot to celebrate at this year’s BET Awards. And BET showed out in honor of the award show’s 20th anniversary, the network’s 40th anniversary and of course Black culture. The ceremony featured Amanda Seales as host, tributes to Kobe Bryant and victims of police brutality, and explosive performances from Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, Alicia Keys, DaBaby and others.

Photo via Epic Games