Video chatting app Houseparty is set to host the next star-studded live stream event with its "In the House" event, slated on May 15 to 17.
According to initial reports from Variety, the three-day virtual "house party" will include a variety of activities such as at-home performances, workout sessions, and cooking lessons from more than 40 celebrities, including Katy Perry, DaBaby, Snoop Dogg, Terry Crews, and Lohn Legend.
Perry is set to perform her new song, "Daisies," in its official Friday release. In an Instagram post on Thursday, May 14, the American Idol judge has announced that she will be "crashing" her fans' "Daisies" video conferencing parties and has requested that they send their links for her to visit.
John Legend, CHVRCHES, DaBaby, and Idina Menzel will sing songs from their respective homes and have intimate sessions with their fans. Meanwhile, rappers Snoop Dogg and Bad Bunny, together with professional cooks Ray Choi, Jose Andres, and Chef Mike, will be teaching viewers their culinary signatures.
Other exciting performances in the three-day Houseparty event include Keegan-Michael Key's Friday comedy masterclass, Terry Crews' Saturday workout session, and Neil Patrick Harris' magic show.
Sima Sistani, Houseparty CEO and co-founder told Variety that "The In the House series allows you to watch videos within Houseparty while chatting with your friends." Sistani added that Houseparty is bringing back appointment viewing with their live-streamed show, emphasizing "trying to capture that feeling of sitting on the couch for that special show with your family or friends on a Friday night."
Houseparty's live-streamed event will also include a co-viewing feature, where audiences can add the ongoing segment to their respective group chats for their private viewing parties.
Sistani also told the online media portal that aside from just singing and dancing, the audience can have an "up-close and inside look at the celebs' lives and interests." The former CAA agent and Tumblr media executive added that the three-day event is free from any advertisements and sponsorships, focusing on the event's aim "to connect people in these crazy times."
The lineup of performances, which are sorted into five categories: Music, Workout, Cooking, Dance, and My Life, is available on the Houseparty website. "In The House" is free to all users of the video chatting app, which is available online via web browsers or through iOS and Android. Each exclusive session can not be played or skipped once it has started, although it will be aired again 12 hours after its original stream.
Houseparty is the latest to adapt to the coronavirus-enforced shift towards using the online platform. People under shelter-in-place orders and social distancing created a surge in the use of video conferencing and chatting apps to keep in touch with friends and loved ones. From March to April, Houseparty saw a 50 million account increase in its base, with the average conversation time being above 65 minutes. The app was founded in 2016 and was acquired last year by Epic Games, the developer, and media company behind the hit video game "Fortnite."
