Kitely opens event and expo centers

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The Welcome Center remains Kitely’s central hub and meeting spot on the grid. It’s the first stop for new arrivals and a familiar landmark for longtime residents. Built with accessibility and community in mind, it serves as both an information hub and a gathering place.

But as Kitely has grown, so has its need for new ways to connect its community.

Kitely Events Center. (Image courtesy Kimm Starr.)

Now, two new regions, the Kitely Events Center and the Kitely Expo Center, join the Welcome Center as key parts of what keeps this long-running grid active and engaging. Together, these three places form the core of Kitely: a place to meet, celebrate, learn, play, and showcase what people can create in virtual worlds.

Events Center kick off party. (Image courtesy Kimm Starr.)

The Events Center: a place to celebrate

The Kitely Events Center was the next natural step in the grid’s evolution. The idea emerged when residents agreed that while Kitely was full of hardworking builders, creators, educators, and scripters, even the busiest people needed a place to play.

With the support of Kitely CEO Ilan Tochner, several residents collaborated to make it happen.

Kimm Starr, Cooper Swizzle, and Koshari Mahana built the foundation, while other community members brought it to life with entertainment.

Trouble Ahead added her sailing battles, Ada Radius and Iain McCracken brought Shakespeare, and Rosa Alekseev filled the dance floor with her DJ parties.

“I wanted to be part of creating the Kitely Events Center because it’s a great way to build community through social and educational events,” said Koshari Mahana. “Our hope was to provide a space where people can gather, get to know each other, and have fun.”

The center opened in June and, today, the Events Center hosts everything from live shows and themed parties to game nights and fireside chats. It’s where not only Kitely residents come together but also friends from all over the hypergrid come to hang out as well.

Starting in January 2026, the Events Center will also launch Cool School, a hands-on building and learning series run by Kimm Starr and Cooper Swizzle. Workshops will be held twice a month and last about three hours each.

Cool School. (Image courtesy Kimm Starr.)

“We want to share what we’ve learned about creating and building in virtual worlds,” said Kimm. “It’ll be a fun, roll-up-your-sleeves, hands-on kind of experience.”

The Events Center is also home to Shakespeare in the Park, produced by the Avatar Repertory Theater, a project of New Media Arts, Inc. It’s open to anyone who wants to participate, no experience or audition needed. Live readings and discussions take place every Friday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

“The Kitely Events Center has been a huge success,” said Cooper Swizzle. “There’s so much to do in Kitely now.”

The Expo Center: a space for big ideas

The newest addition, the Kitely Expo Center, opened in August and offers a dedicated space for large-scale projects and immersive exhibits. Its debut event is The Wrong Biennale Pavilion: Synthetic Dreams, part of an international art show that exists both online and in the physical world.

Kitely Expo Center hosting Wrong Biennale Pavilion Synthetic Dreams. (Image courtesy Kimm Starr.)

The exhibition, which runs from November 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, brings together creators from across OpenSim to share their art with not only OpenSim, but the world.

Designed for large exhibitions and immersive experiences, the Expo Center highlights the work of Kitely’s builders, artists, and educators.

Three centers, one community

The Welcome Center connects. The Events Center celebrates. The Expo Center showcases. Together, they reflect what Kitely has always stood for, a place where people come to build, learn, and imagine. But now, it’s also a place where they can dance, perform, and share their work.