hololive is arguably the premier VTuber firm, and hololive fes is the massive annual live performance for its feminine skills. I’ve been watching avidly for just a few years now, and it’s develop into a convention I more and more stay up for each time. Nevertheless, 2025 noticed fairly just a few main challenges for hololive, notably the departure of a number of skills. So whereas I used to be simply as enthusiastic as ever about watching this 12 months’s seventh fes, I puzzled how in another way I’d find yourself feeling with so many acquainted names gone.
Regardless of the potential setbacks, I got here out of it with typically optimistic vibes. I at all times recognize that we get performances of all stripes, with every expertise bringing a narrative of their very own that was created by their experiences as VTubers and the fanbases they’ve cultivated.
Venue and Different Particulars
This was the primary 12 months that the occasion befell over three days—a change that affected its related conference, hololive Tremendous Expo 2026, as nicely. Moderately than having two live shows per day over two days, that they had one on Friday, two on Saturday, and one on Sunday. Furthermore, whereas a type of live shows was an “additional” stage that utilized skills from the opposite three, this time round noticed all 4 live shows that includes distinctive performers. Watching the stream dwell meant messing with my sleep schedule, in some methods higher in comparison with earlier years and in different methods worse, because of time zone shenanigans and a pesky factor referred to as a “work week.”
As soon as once more, the venue setup used a number of levels as a method to have extra individuals in a position to get higher views of no less than just a few performances. The mysterious pod from sixth fes didn’t return, and was changed by a brand new transferring cart/trolly contraption with screens on the perimeters, which acted as “home windows” to see the VTubers and vice versa. It moved by a diagonally positioned lane that lower by the viewers part, with the seeming purpose of additionally offering extra up-close viewing and interactions with the abilities. Whereas it was positively much less complicated and weird than the pod, it didn’t have fairly the novelty issue, for higher or worse.
The Debuts
Whereas it stung to lose some beloved members of hololive in 2025 and to have each Inugami Korone and Haachama not taking part, the general variety of performers stayed near the identical as final 12 months due to the 2 most up-to-date generations making their fes debuts: Justice on the English facet and Stream Glow on the Japanese facet. Whereas the graduated skills had been actually particular and might by no means get replaced, the performances by the latest blood saved them nicely out of their predecessors’ monumental shadows.
Justice showcased every of their distinctive approaches—Liz’s versatile vocal vary, Cecilia’s emphasis on magnificence and accuracy together with a violin solo, Gigi’s boundless vitality and a singing type that hangs on a razor’s edge, Raora’s bubbly pop. And when Stream Glow hit the stage, they placed on a show of why they’re probably the most stage-focused group ever in hololive due to their well-honed abilities and expertise in singing, dancing, and general leisure.
Leveling Up
For the returning fes veterans, their laborious work got here by greater than ever of their performances, with some having come significantly removed from the place they began.
Along with her attribute awkward grace, Shiori Novella sang her recently-released first authentic tune, “Monsters and Males” and got here throughout as extra comfy than any earlier efficiency—presumably as a result of the tune was made for her. Biboo (Koseki Bijou) found prior to now 12 months a technique for singing decrease, which she utilized for her authentic tune “Rock In” whereas exhibiting growing consolation with dancing. Ichijou Ririka took on the problem of masking “Darling Dance” and its pretty difficult choreography regardless of having two left ft when she first debuted. Ouro Kronii in all probability wins the award for biggest general vocal enchancment, exhibiting a unique and extra vibrant high quality as she carried out a shock new authentic of her personal titled “Storm.” And Airani Iofi pulled off a formidable cowl of “Unison of Smiles,” the primary heroine’s signature tune from You and Idol Precure!, emphasizing simply how far she’s are available all points.
Not everybody involves hololive as a robust singer or dancer (talent in both doesn’t appear to be a strict requirement), so seeing proof of the abilities’ laborious work and progress in these areas provides me pleasure.
Conquering Nice Hurdles
Even these with extra expertise and talent pushed their limits. Baelz Hakos, already a prime dancer, gave a shocking efficiency of the primary Oshi no Ko opening, “Idol.” One stand-out second was when Bae seamlessly transitioned right into a squat as she went into the rap portion of the tune, however extra considerably, she additionally threw in a cartwheel and a few fundamental breakdancing strikes on the finish. These are extra acrobatic strikes that she has been afraid to do due to the potential head trauma, and for her to confront her worry instantly was an actual factor of magnificence.
Maybe the largest story of all was the astounding restoration made by Kazama Iroha from holoX. In 2024, she was with a psychological situation that left her unable to talk, and her voice solely barely managed to come back again by the point sixth fes rolled round. However whereas a few of her speech was nonetheless noticeably halting and unsteady in 2025, a 12 months of speech remedy and streaming resulted in an Iroha at seventh fes who nearly made me neglect the tribulations she’s skilled. We noticed her sing and dance with confidence, and even have heartfelt and off-the-cuff exchanges together with her frequent collab accomplice (and idol) AZKi.
Preludes to Upcoming Concert events
Talking of holoX, they’ve their large live-attendance live performance, First Mission, developing. They’re not alone both, as Ninomae Ina’nis and Takanashi Kiara from Fable are solely days away from their very own live performance in Los Angeles, Drawn to Daybreak. Whereas I can’t make certain how the rehearsal timelines lined up, I actually felt that their follow for these main occasions are evident at seventh fes, particularly within the case of Kiara and holoX’s chief, La+ Darknesss.
Kiara’s dancing and singing confirmed a brand new stage of refinement, whereas La+ as soon as once more centered primarily on singing for her solo efficiency…after which threw everybody for a loop by humorously and abruptly tossed her prop guitar on the bottom initially of her tune. When Kiara and La+ then carried out collectively their authentic, “Glow within the Darkish,” they jogged my memory that 1) Kiara is without doubt one of the most versatile skills round, and a pair of) at the same time as the general stage of dance in hololive retains going up, there’s actually one thing particular about the way in which La+ strikes. On the similar time, it felt like each of them had been holding again a bit, as in the event that they’re saving the massive weapons for the upcoming live shows.
IRyS has additionally simply introduced her first solo dwell live performance for October 2026. I had thought her extremely stable efficiency of her Eurobeat authentic “Carbonated Love” might need been out of a want to characteristic at fes a tune she personally adores, however now I additionally suspect it’s as a result of nearly all of her vitality goes into this main challenge.
Different Stand-Outs
There have been nonetheless different performances that caught my consideration.
I really feel that everything of hololive Indonesia actually confirmed up this 12 months. Moona Hoshinova particularly introduced a few of my favourite performances of your complete occasion, with “100%,” her tune that includes Nerissa Ravencroft, being one of many absolute highlights for me.
On the Japanese facet, Nekomata Okayu’s deep and sultry singing is at all times a shock, nevertheless it actually hit laborious this time round. Natsuiro Matsuri can go below the radar, however she seems to have made some unbelievable strides this 12 months on prime of her already underrated abilities.
I additionally received a kick out of Todoroki Hajime’s new solo choreography for “Countach,” and Otonose Kanade’s voice rang out loud and fantastically on “Best.” And whereas Juufuutei Raden isn’t fairly the musical performer of her fellow ReGLOSS members, the truth that she turned a Japanese artwork historical past lesson right into a tune after which had hundreds singing alongside (and thus studying within the course of!) actually confirmed me how VTubers can attain individuals in distinctive methods.
Last Ideas
As I completed watching seventh fes, I started to consider the construction of the occasion itself and what it could possibly accomplish. fes is a gathering of each the hololive skills and their followers, and since these fanbases don’t overlap completely, the live shows may also be somebody’s introduction to different VTubers. In that context, I find yourself questioning what sort of first large impression these unfamiliar viewers members get. The way in which this format encourages followers to department out previous their quick faves by offering this comfy environment actually appeals to me, particularly with the dwell viewers there to react. That’s why, although fes costs out a variety of followers (and one thing just like the New Yr’s Countdown is arguably a greater introduction as a result of it prices nothing to look at), I feel it could possibly go a good distance in igniting somebody’s profession and serving to somebody uncover a brand new favourite.
So whereas I actually missed the presence of the abilities who left or couldn’t be there, it was additionally a possibility in some ways. I simply hope that hololive can foster an atmosphere that provides these artists the possibility to develop their craft within the methods they need, and in ways in which preserve them wholesome in each thoughts and physique.
