Phoebe Bridgers Will Unveil ‘Lost Weekend’ Album in Planetariums in More Than 30 Cities

Phoebe Bridgers will premiere her “Lost Weekend” album to the public in planetariums, it was announced Thursday, with a global series of listening sessions accompanied by visual content taking place over a five-day period. Two different presentations will be taking place to augment the planetarium listening “experience”: a laser show designed by Laser Fantasy, or a custom show put together by night-sky photographer Babek Tafreshi. The shows will take place in 25 North American cities, plus nine overseas locations. (Scroll down for a list of participating planetariums.) Spotify is producing the shows in partnership with Bridgers and her label, Dead Oceans. Popular on Variety It may be an unusual way to publicly debut a full album, but one element will be familiar to Bridgers fans: All phones and smart watches will be locked up in Yondr pouches to keep the album from leaking to the public. For fans eager to hear the album who don’t have a handy planetarium nearby, there will be midnight listening parties in more than 300 cities on Aug. 13, the night “Lost Weekend” officially comes out. As for the planetarium shows, the announcement promises that “both presentations offer their own atmospheric perspective that turns the album’s first listen into a shared sonic and visual experience.” Babak Tafreshi’s “Lost Weekend” experience was described as “a breathtaking audiovisual journey that travels from the star-filled skies of Madagascar and the shimmering Northern Lights above Iceland’s glaciers to the powerful storms across Texas. Filmed in nearly 20 countries, with no computer-generated imagery, this show brings audiences closer to the natural world through stunning nightscapes that blend music, science, art, and a sense of discovery.” The Laser Fantasy version of the “Lost Weekend” experience may require less explanation, at least for anyone who’s attended a Laserium show in years past. The official description calls this presentation “an immersive light spectacular that fills the dome with dazzling animations, kaleidoscopic abstract imagery, and immersive aerial beam effects that surround you in light. Paired with each planetarium’s powerful surround sound system, the experience creates a stunning fusion of music and visuals that you can see, hear and feel.” “Lost Weekend” is especially anticipated among fans due to Bridgers not having released a solo album since 2020, although she took part in a joint Boygenius album and tour that managed to grow her fan base even more in the meantime. The list of participating planetariums for the Aug. 10-15 showings: USA & Canada: Boston, MA – Museum of ScienceBozeman, MT- Museum of the Rockies – Taylor PlanetariumBridgeport, CT – SHU Discovery Science Center and PlanetariumChicago, IL – Adler PlanetariumColumbus, OH – COSI PlanetariumCosta Mesa, CA – Orange Coast College PlanetariumDayton, OH – Boonshoft Museum of DiscoveryDes Moines, IA – Science Center of Iowa – Star Theater PlanetariumDetroit, MI – Michigan Science CenterEugene, OR – Eugene Science CenterFort Worth, Texas – Jane & John Justin Foundation Omni TheaterGrand Rapids, MI – Chaffe PlanetariumJersey City, NJ – Liberty Science CenterKansas City, MO – Union StationLaramie, WY – UW Physics & AstronomyLas Vegas, Nevada – CSN PlanetariumMiami, Florida – Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of ScienceNashville, TN – Sudekum PlanetariumNewport News VA – Virginia Living MuseumOrono, Maine – Versant Power Astronomy Center & Jordan PlanetariumPeoria IL – Peoria Riverfront Museum – Dome PlanetariumPhoenix, AZ – Arizona Science Center – Dorrance DOMEPleasant Grove, UT – Christa McAuliffe Space CenterRichmond, VA – Science Museum of Virginia – The DomeRochester, NY – RMSCRowan NJ -Edelman PlanetariumSacramento, CA – Museum of Science and CuriositySalt Lake City, Utah – Clark PlanetariumSan Francisco, CA – Morrison PlanetariumSeattle WA – PacSciSpruce Pine, NC – Earth to Sky ParkTallahassee FL – Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee FLTucson AZ – Flandrau Science CenterVancouver, Canada – The H.R. MacMillan Space CentreWichita KS – Exploration Place Europe: Luzern, Switzerland – Verkehrshaus der SchweizParis, France – Planétarium de la Cité des sciences et de l’industrie UK & Ireland: Armagh, N. Ireland- Armagh Observatory and PlanetariumGlasgow, Scotland – Glasgow Science CenterAustralia & New Zealand:Auckland, New Zealand – Te Whatu StardomeDunedin, NZ – Tūhura PlanetariumMelbourne, AUS – Scienceworks – Melbourne PlanetariumWellington, NZ – Space PlaceWollongong, NSW – UOW Space Space