Introducing VKNY, a new visual kei and counterculture event set to debut in New York City on May 16 in Brooklyn. The multimedia showcase features six live bands, a themed vendor market, giveaways and more, marking the project’s inaugural edition.

Tickets are priced at $31.75 (USD) per person, including all taxes and fees. The event is open to attendees age 16 and up, and takes place at the venue The Meadows in Brooklyn, NY. VKNY aims to bring visual kei and counterculture to the forefront of New York’s event scene.

The full lineup includes:

• Shola Aurora
• Breathe In
• Saki Rose
• Canary Complex
• eve claret
• DREAMDRIVER

Get your tickets now!

ARTIST LINEUP

Shola Aurora is a New York City-based rock artist, songwriter, and producer crafting a sound that lives at the intersection of goth, metal, glam, and experimental music. His work is deeply influenced by Japanese visual kei artists such as Gackt, the GazettE, and LUNA SEA, blending theatrical intensity with raw, modern edge.

Driven by personal experience, Shola’s music explores the full spectrum of human emotion—joy, isolation, longing, and despair—told through the lens of a quiet observer navigating the world. Shola is also the vocalist on the band BREATHE IN.

BREATHE IN captures the moment before the leap—the breath you take on the edge of the unknown. It’s adrenaline, release, and the raw “fuck it” that comes with going all in. That energy drives the band’s sound.

Hailing from the tri-state area, the five-piece blends modern rock and metal with influences from Japanese visual kei. Drawing from video games, anime, and cinematic scores, BREATHE IN creates a sound that’s both explosive and immersive.

With soaring hooks, heavy dynamics, and a cinematic edge, their music pulls listeners into a world where emotion runs high and every moment feels larger than life.

Saki Rose is a rock vocalist and singer-songwriter based in New York City. Their sound sculpts the aesthetics of visual kei and Japanese rock into the shape of their brand of alternative metal, bridging the gap between western music and their roots. From high-energy soprano belting and brutal distorted screams to soft effervescent vocals, their melodic versatility is only matched by the intensity of their performances.

Saki Rose is set to release their twin debut singles this year.

In 2023, JROCK NEWS interviewed Saki Rose, where they first shared their desire to launch a visual kei event in New York. 

Drawing inspiration from LUNA SEA, SHAZNA, LAREINE and Malice Mizer, the visual kei solo project Canary Complex feels like a glimpse into an imagined, dreamlike past, drawing inspiration from the soft colors of Monet and Renoir to express an undeniable lust for life.

April 2025 witnessed the release of the third full-length album A Whisper of Spring, which received positive reviews in various visual kei publications across Japan, and even a glowing review from KAMIJO (LAREINE, Versailles).

“eve claret” is a multidisciplinary music project based in Queens, NY. Their practice unifies theatrical performance, poetry, and sonic obliteration to explore the patterned and existentialist nature of human emotion.

DREAMDRIVER is the first EDM artist to combine main stage festival sounds with visual kei influences. Mixing both a high energy DJ set into a dynamic live rock performance, DREAMDRIVER has been able to bring his one of a kind show to many stages across North America.

DREAMDRIVER prides himself on being able to introduce new crowds to Japanese influenced sounds through remixes and original music. DREAMDRIVER is excited to premiere new music from his upcoming release Endless Horizon, and is gearing up for a multi-show run across cities in the US through the summer.