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What a hologram really is, how Pepper's Ghost creates the effect, and how Sidhu Moose Wala's Toronto show was built
When Sidhu Moose Wala appeared on the stage of Toronto's Scotiabank Arena as part of his "Signed to God World Tour," fans described the projection as looking real. The tour is billed as a hologram show, but the production team itself says the technique is not true holography. It is an illusion called Pepper's Ghost, combined with a body double, prosthetics and the singer's original vocals.
This guide explains what a hologram really is, how Pepper's Ghost works, how the Moose Wala show was reportedly built, and what the technology can and cannot do.
A true hologram is a recording of light itself. It is made by splitting a laser beam in two: one beam lights the object, and the other, the reference beam, meets the reflected light on a recording surface. The pattern created by their interference stores the light's direction as well as its brightness. When the recording is lit correctly, you see a genuine three-dimensional image that changes as you move your head.
Genuine holograms like this exist, such as security images on banknotes and cards. But they need controlled lighting and are small. As one holographic projection provider told the Association for Computing Machinery, there are no actual holographic projection systems commercially available for stages. Concert "holograms" are special effects.
Pepper's Ghost is a 19th-century stage illusion that uses reflection. In its modern concert form, it works like this:
Because live musicians and dancers can stand beside the reflected image, the effect feels three-dimensional. Rolling Stone and the Italian firm behind the Moose Wala show describe it as 2D projection that creates a 3D optical effect.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 19th century | Pepper's Ghost developed as a theatre illusion |
| 1995 | Musion Eyeliner, a large-scale modern version, is created |
| 2012 | A Tupac Shakur image appears at Coachella alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg |
| 2014 | Michael Jackson appears at the Billboard Music Awards |
| 2020s | Posthumous shows for artists including Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison |
| 2026 | Sidhu Moose Wala becomes the first Indian artist with a hologram-based world tour |
ABBA's "ABBAtars" in London used a different approach, relying on motion capture and screen-based visual effects rather than Pepper's Ghost.
Reports describe a layered production:
Some commentary describes AI as part of the synchronisation. The producers, however, told Rolling Stone that the visual recreation was made without AI. Where reports differ, the producers' own account is the more direct source.
Mansuri told Rolling Stone the team had to be very careful about every frame and light, because the projection can only be seen from certain angles. Making the effect work for an entire arena is a big task. This is a core limitation of Pepper's Ghost: the angled screen must be positioned and lit so that the reflection looks right from seats all around.
| Can do | Cannot do |
|---|---|
| Make a figure appear to float on stage | Produce a true 3D image visible from every angle |
| Let live performers stand beside the image | Let the figure touch real objects or people |
| Sync with recorded audio | Improvise or respond live to the crowd |
| Work for thousands of seats with careful design | Look identical from every seat |
For fans, the show offers a way to see Moose Wala on stage again more than four years after his death. His father, Balkaur Singh, told Billboard India that the sight gives him pride in his son's legacy while also reopening the wound of his absence. Posthumous holograms also raise broader questions about consent, legacy and commercialisation. In this case, the project has the blessing of his parents and team.
Is it a real hologram?
No. The production says it uses Pepper's Ghost, an optical illusion based on reflected projection.
Is the voice AI-generated?
Reports say the show uses Moose Wala's original vocals.
Was AI used to make his image?
The producers told Rolling Stone they tried AI but chose a body double and prosthetics instead.
Who built it?
The Concert Production and Platinum Events led the project, with Italian firm Studio Tangram reported as the creator of the hologram.
Is he really performing live?
No. It is a recorded tribute presentation, not a live performance.
Where does the tour go next?
Vancouver on October 15 and Calgary are next, with more North American dates reported.
Information is based on reports from Rolling Stone India and Canada, Il Sole 24 ORE, The Tribune, Billboard India, Communications of the ACM and others as of October 10, 2026, and may change.
