How Justin Bieber’s New Years concert at Beverly Hilton came together

Justin Bieber’s New Years Eve concert was a fixture for his millions of fans, not just because it was available to everyone for a reasonable price of $ 25 (free for T-Mobile customers) a night where much of the world remains on lockdown due to the relentless coronavirus pandemic, but also because the engagement represented its first show in three years. To top it off, the performance (a collaboration with Moment House and VenewLive) was to take place in a secret location and feature a visual spectacle powered by T-Mobile’s 5G technology.

The night did not go entirely without a hitch. Logging into the VenewLive streaming platform proved problematic for many Beliebers who took to social media to complain about the difficulties accessing the concert (example tweet: “We don’t even need a ball drop in New York because Venewlive did it early”). Although the company has in the past hosted virtual concerts by BTS (“Map of the Soul ON: E”, which drew 993,000 viewers who received tickets), Blackpink and AJR, among others, the recording process confusing required of each user delayed the issuance of starting with at least 30 minutes. In fact, as the clock neared 8:30 p.m. PT, it looked like the production was in danger of missing the East Coast New Years altogether.

As ingenious as ever, Bieber followers found unauthorized streams on YouTube and Twitch, but second-generation screen sharing was a far cry from multi-camera 1080p webcasting on the official platform. Fortunately, VenewLive fixed its problems – the site crashed due to “too many people trying to validate their tickets at the last minute,” he posted on Twitter (where he started the night with less than 400 subscribers) at 8:10 p.m. PT.

In a statement released Jan. 1, VenewLive said, “Justin’s performance start time has been delayed to meet unprecedented demand. The extraordinary number of last minute tickets that were issued and sold was of an overall volume and rate that far exceeded any pay-per-view we have ever seen. That demand equates to more than 1.2 million T-Mobile customers, according to the company.

At 8:45 pm, once “inside” the virtual show, it was finally possible to see the high-quality production that had gone into Bieber’s performance. Most impressive: the multi-camera control which allowed spectators to see additional angles from behind the stage and above with a crane (see screenshot below).

Going “inside” meant being outside for friends and family invited to attend the concert in person at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The iconic building, opened in 1955 and home to the Golden Globes since 1961, was designed in a V-shape by architect Welton Becket, allowing almost all of its 500+ rooms to have balconies and views. The “stage” was actually the roof of the ballroom, which also hosts Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party (going virtual this year, Variety recently added) and on which half of the rooms

Spectators were checked in to single rooms with strictly enforced maximum occupancy (two or four depending on the size of the venue). No one was allowed to interact with other guests in public areas, and hotel services were mostly closed, but T-Mobile generously footed the bill for all attendees to receive a generous allocation including the dinner, dessert, wine and champagne. Social media posts suggest that the west-facing balconies really were the best seats in the house as they allowed a view from which to admire the full scale of lights, lasers, pyrotechnics, fireworks, and fireworks. firework and the 150 drone screens (Bieber’s initials, a cross) used throughout Bieber’s 85-minute set, as well as in the intricate choreography of his eight dancers.

The idea to use the Beverly Hilton as the venue for the New Year’s show came from Bieber’s management team at SB Projects, specifically Jules Ferree, responsible for brand partnerships. Talk to Variety Ahead of the main event, she highlighted a long-standing relationship with T-Mobile, Bieber’s tour partner for his upcoming trip in 2021 (AEG is Bieber’s tour promoter and CAA his agent), which made the spectacle possible. “They have a great commitment to Justin and us and have helped make some crazy ideas come true,” she says. The NYE plan was first implemented in late fall with support from Scooter Braun and Allison Kaye of SBP. Their goal, says Ferree: “To create an innovative and exciting way for fans to experience a Justin livestream that was grounded and differentiated by the look of the place and where we could do it on a large scale to reach as many people as possible within. the world.”

Thinking global, however, they acted locally. Los Angeles is currently the zero point for coronavirus infections and safety was of paramount importance. Says Ferree: “We followed all local and industrial COVID-19 protocols, making sure everyone had been tested,” in addition to strict accommodation regulations.

Obviously, Bieber had a personal interest in the look and sound of the evening. “Justin worked so hard on this show,” adds Ferree. “He’s been extremely involved every day since he went to rehearsals, which was back in November. He wanted to act, and it’s a huge production.

Indeed, the 21-song set tested Bieber’s energy and vocal cords – after starting the song “Lonely,” Bieber asked to stop so he could drink some water (“I’m literally going to die He said from the stage) – and shot a lot of heart. The song “Holy” was one of those moments, as Bieber declared his love for his wife Hailey, wherever she might move (Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas, who co-wrote “Lonely,” were also present). For her latest issue, Bieber debuted a new song, “Anyone,” which was officially released at midnight.

From ideation to execution, Bieber’s New Year’s bow really couldn’t be pulled out other than COVID. Consider: When is the high-turnover Beverly Hilton completely vacant on New Years Eve? “That’s the silver lining, I guess,” Ferree adds. “It was the right time to do it. And, to be honest, we all needed something to save the year.

Setlist:

All around me
Sorry
Second emotion
Forever
Boyfriend
Baby
I’m the only one / no brain
Love yourself
Everything that matters
Where are you now
What do you mean?
Run on
Come around me
Get me
Delicious
Usual
Holy
Intentions
Monster
solitary
Anybody