These Can’t-Miss Virtual Events Are Actually Well-Worth Your Time

It feels like all too quickly we've come up with virtual surrogates for all the events that once filled our calendars. Now, we even joke about double-booking Zoom happy hours and leaving Houseparty functions early because we forgot we had a FaceTime date. However, as usual, all we want to do is burrow ourselves in our comforters and play Animal Crossing or watch YouTube videos and skip the virtual yoga class. If only the family group chat would pipe down.

But that hasn't deterred celebrities, creators, and institutions from turning their canceled IRL functions into easily accessible URL events. In the same way, virtual events are helping a host of out-of-work professionals add structure to their days and maintain some semblance of normalcy. These virtual events are an inspiring display of creativity and tenacity. And they've made trying new things — like attending a drag show or a design festival — all the more accessible. Because, yes, the internet is a place where bad things like hacking and surveillance happen, but it's also a place where people are coming together to connect and find community.

From talks and conferences to drag shows and film festivals, these virtual events are well-worth your socially-distanced time and we'd likely attend even if there wasn't a shelter-in-place order. What’s more, a lot of these events serve as great ways to support struggling artists and independent businesses in what is likely their greatest time of need.

The following list will be updated weekly, and we'll be adding upcoming events as well as recurring ones so you don't experience any digital FOMO.

If you like Latinx music, LiveXLive's Music Lives virtual concert is for you. Stream it on TikTok or on LiveXLive's website, J Balvin is headlining and hosting a "Pa La Cultura" bloc. If you're not a Latinx music stan, some of the other 30 plus artists on this lineup are sure to tickle your fancy.

This is the kind of global broadcast that joins megastars in an effort to raise money for front-line healthcare workers. Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert all host from the safety of their own homes. Global Citizen and Lady Gaga worked together to bring you a star-studded lineup for the digital concert special with artists like Lizzo, Billie Eilish, and Kacey Musgraves.

This grass-filled event featuring music, comedy, and prizes is being hosted by Weedmaps, a top-source for 21+ adults looking for legal means to obtain weed. Starting on 4/20, you can tune into the live stream for DJ sets, music debuts, and shared sessions. The lineup will be announced on April 13.