Here at Sofar, we’ve teamed up with luxury lifestyle hospitality brand Virgin Hotels to present the Hear This!, a monthly concert series showcasing a roster of talented emerging Sofar artists, combining the intimacy of a Sofar night with the elevated yet unpretentious hospitality that Virgin Hotels has pioneered.
Hear This! concert series will be open to the public, with Virgin Hotels’ Know members receiving premier access to reserve tickets ahead of the public on sale. All attendees will also have access to exclusive Spotify and Apple Music playlists, featuring highlights and recommendations from Hear This! artists. In addition, members of Virgin Red, the rewards program from Virgin, are able to redeem Virgin Points to join Sofar Sounds events at Virgin Hotels, including the Hear This! concert series.
“Opening doors to unique cultural experiences has always been a huge passion point for Virgin Hotels, which is why it’s so exciting to launch Hear This!” said Neil Aline, global director of entertainment for Virgin Hotels. “This live concert series shows our commitment to highlighting artists with fresh and eclectic perspectives, and we couldn’t have found better partners in Sofar Sounds, who also have their finger on the pulse of the music scene. We hope Hear This! will keep surprising and delighting our guests as they’ve come to expect from the Virgin brand.”
As a part of Hear This!, Virgin Hotels will also offer preferred room rates for all Sofar Sounds artists, with the goal of alleviating the devastating financial effects of the pandemic on touring artists and the increasing demands of the live performance industry. This is the latest example of the brand’s commitment to championing music industry talents. Most recently, Virgin Hotels hosted INSTRUMENTHEAD Live, an immersive arts and music pop-up during the 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that benefited cultural workers and performing artists through the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Sofar Sounds to kick off Hear This!, which continues Virgin Hotels’ central mission of actively engaging and empowering local communities through heartfelt experiences,” said James Bermingham, CEO of Virgin Hotels. “Not only will this concert series connect emerging talent with music lovers across the globe, but it will also foster the health of the live performance industry by assisting artists with the little-known financial burdens of touring. Virgin Hotels has always been rooted in the music community, and we’re proud to support an exciting and diverse artist lineup through intimate performances through Hear This!”
“Sofar is deeply committed to connecting artists and audiences around the world. Virgin Hotels share that commitment and Hear This! furthers our mission of inspiring creativity, community and joy through live experiences,” said Jim Lucchese, CEO of Sofar Sounds. “Local artists are the soul of a city – they’re what make each city unique. We can’t wait to shine a light on emerging local talent at Virgin Hotels across the US and UK and appreciate Virgin recognizing the value of local musicians.”
Ready for a show? We’re kicking things off on Sunday, September 10 at Virgin Hotel Dallas, along with upcoming shows in Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, New York City, Edinburgh and the newly opened Glasgow location. The concert series is primed to expand to new markets in both existing and future Virgin Hotels locations.
Looking for details? Find out more about the Hear This! concert series.
