Kiss co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are gearing up for the next futuristic chapter of the band’s legendary career. In a recent interview with Melissa Ruggieri of USA Today, the rock icons shared new details about their highly anticipated avatar-based live experience. The immersive Kiss production is currently aiming for a 2028 launch in Las Vegas.
The yet-to-be-titled production will mark the first major United States venture for Pophouse Entertainment, the prominent Swedish music investment firm co-founded by ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus. Pophouse, the same company responsible for the groundbreaking “ABBA Voyage” concert series, recently closed its debut fund after raising over $1.3 billion to invest in music catalogs and intellectual property. The firm’s massive deal with Kiss, reportedly worth over $300 million, gave the company ownership of the band’s song catalog, master recordings, publishing rights, and their name, image, and iconic face paint likenesses.
Discussing the sheer scale of the upcoming digital residency, Paul Stanley expressed his absolute confidence in the project’s visual impact.
“What we’re doing will absolutely blow people away,” Paul told USA Today. “It’s as real as you and us sitting here. It’s immersive; it will be mind-boggling.”
The frontman also noted that a reported $200 million custom-built venue is currently in the works to specifically house the high-tech avatars and ensure a flawless visual presentation for every single attendee in the room.
“You have to build an arena to make sure everybody’s seat is the perfect viewing distance and angle. But quite honestly, I don’t think anybody is going to sit. It’s not going to be like, ‘Gee, that looks just like an amplifier.’ It’s not a concert in that sense; it’s an immersive experience,” he added.
Gene Simmons expanded on the cinematic nature of the massive Las Vegas venture, promising fans an entirely new way to consume the band’s legacy.
“There’s a motion picture. There’s a script. There are directors … We’re like that caterpillar that looks like it’s at the end of its life and goes into its cocoon, but what comes out is more beautiful than it’s ever been,” he said.
Speaking earlier this year with Pollstar magazine, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons offered fresh details on the virtual experience, which promises to expand the legendary rock band’s universe with unreleased music.
When asked by Pollstar‘s Katherine Turman which specific era or lineup of the band would be represented in the virtual concert, the bassist kept things open-ended.
“It’s going to be the iconic face personas, The Demon, the Starchild, and so on. Who you want to place into that lineup is up to you,” Simmons explained at the time.
Regarding the setlist, Paul confirmed that fans can expect the staples. “We will have all the classics through the years and some surprises.”
However, Simmons quickly added a massive revelation: “You’re gonna get all that stuff, and also new songs.”
Pressed for clarification on the “new” material, he confirmed: “Exactly what that means, written by us. We have songs done.”
Unlike the hyper-realistic 1970s concert recreation of “ABBA Voyage,” the Kiss experience will lean heavily into the supernatural. When early prototypes of the avatars were previewed at the band’s final concert at Madison Square Garden in December 2023, the digital replicas appeared as eight-foot-tall, floating, fire-breathing superheroes.
Pophouse CEO Jessica Koravos told Pollstar that the technology and the vision have only grown since that initial MSG tease.
“What the crowd got to see at MSG was an early prototype of the Kiss avatar concept. A lot has evolved since then — both in terms of creative concept for the show and avatar technology. We are now deep in development with a top-flight creative team headed by Thierry Coup — the team was on set last week testing out pyro effects against a new generation of LED screens to make sure we max out the Kiss signature flame throwing. The show concept is a crazy 4D roller coaster ride through the hits, the comic book worlds and personas of Kiss.”
With this launch, Kiss is positioned to become the first major American act to fully transition into a virtual, touring avatar entity.
