Nintendo is celebrating 30 years of Kirby with an anniversary concert

Kirby-themed concert incoming

Kirby is one of the most beloved video game mascots out there, and for good reason — he’s adorable and round, his games are fun, suction-filled romps, and his music always goes hard. That’s why, to celebrate the little pink blob’s 30th anniversary, Nintendo is putting on an official concert later this summer.

The event will feature a “large big band-style ensemble of 35 musicians performing in a variety of genres,” as well as an LED screen with a giant moving Kirby. The concert kicks off on August 11, 2022 at 18:00 (JST) at the Tokyo Garden Theater, but don’t worry, it will also be streaming live to Kirby’s official YouTube channel free of cost. It’s certainly one of those events we wish we could see in person, so it’s nice that they thought to open it up to those who won’t be able to make it.

📅 Mark your calendars, Kirby fans! A special #Kirby30 anniversary concert will be livestreamed for free on August 11!

🎵 Get more info: https://t.co/hlaUpsrlL0 pic.twitter.com/711uOInaXo

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 14, 2022

The 30th anniversary is officially on April 27, which was the Japanese release date of Kirby’s Dream Land back in 1992. We’re anticipating that the concert will also feature music from the newest mainline game, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, whose release date is quickly approaching on March 25.

30 years is a staggeringly long time for a series to be around by video game standards, and it’s not even Nintendo’s oldest franchise by a long shot. Kirby is younger than Donkey Kong, Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Fire Emblem, to name a few other properties that are still hanging in there after all these years.

Kirby’s music has already been making headlines recently, as a big band arrangement of “Meta Knight’s Revenge” from Kirby Super Star by The 8-bit Big Band was nominated for a Grammy Award last year. Tunes have become one of the most iconic parts of the Kirby brand, especially after the theme song from Kirby’s Dream Land became a meme in recent years. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to honor our favorite circular video game protagonist.