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PAUL STANLEY On Upcoming KISS Avatar Show: ‘The Idea Was Never To Replicate A Concert’
Paul Stanley says KISS’s planned avatar show is being developed as an immersive, music-led experience rather than a digital recreation of a live concert. Tentatively planned for Las Vegas in 2028, it is intended to appeal beyond the band’s existing fans and could mark the first major US project for Swedish music company Pophouse Entertainment.
The show will feature the band’s iconic personas, classic songs, surprises and, according to Gene Simmons, new music. The avatars previewed at KISS’s final concert in 2023 were described as eight-foot fantasy superheroes; Pophouse says the concept and technology have since evolved. The reported deal, worth more than $300 million, gave Pophouse rights to the band’s catalogue, name, image and likeness, while Simmons previously said about $200 million was being invested in the show.
In short
- KISS is developing an immersive avatar show, tentatively planned for Las Vegas in 2028.
- Paul Stanley says it will be an experience, not a recreated concert.
- The show is expected to include classics, surprises and new songs.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
An immersive, music-led show could give KISS’s catalogue and theatrical personas a new form, reaching audiences who might not attend a conventional concert. With substantial investment and the band’s involvement, the avatars could offer creative possibilities that live performance cannot, while helping preserve the group’s work for future audiences.
The case against
A digitally staged experience may struggle to match the spontaneity and human presence that make a concert meaningful, especially if audiences expect to see the band perform live. The scale of the investment and the sale of rights to KISS’s catalogue and identity also raise questions about whether commercial and technological spectacle will serve the music and the band’s legacy.
Explained simply
KISS are an American rock band whose members became known for loud stage shows, face paint and larger-than-life characters. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are two of the band’s founding members, and their catalogue includes songs that have remained popular for decades.
The proposed show uses digital versions, or avatars, of the band’s personas. Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment has acquired rights to KISS’s music and identity, and is developing the production with the band. Avatar shows combine recorded or recreated performances with digital imagery and other stage effects.
The project is planned for Las Vegas, where large-scale entertainment shows are a major part of the city’s visitor offering. Its approach may help shape how artists’ music and images are used in future productions, while raising questions about how such shows relate to live performance.