Block by Blockwest is a Minecraft music festival raising money for coronavirus relief

Block by Blockwest, or BXBW, is a Minecraft music festival hosted by Courier Club, which is raising money for coronavirus relief efforts led by the CDC Foundation. 

BXBW is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, and like the many other Minecraft-based coronavirus efforts, it sounds like a good, wholesome time. Anyone can join the festival by hopping onto the designated server using this server address: fest.blockbyblockwest.com. You'll need the Java edition of Minecraft to participate, and to tune into the music itself - contributed by several dozen artists, from Pussy Riot to Argonaut & Wasp - you'll need to join the dedicated Discord server. Failing that, you can watch the whole thing on Twitch or YouTube. 

With all this being free, you might be wondering how BXBW will be raising any money. Well, between acts, players will be encouraged to explore the stadium grounds and purchase their favorite band's merch. Interacting with in-game merch will bring you to real store pages for the corresponding item. As the BXBW reads, "all proceeds from the event will go to the Coronavirus Emergency Response fund." 

"Block by Blockwest aims to forge a hub of human connectivity in this time of social distancing through livestream acts, competitive minigames, a vast art gallery featuring rising fine artists, as well as a handful of other features for festival-goers to explore," Courier Club says. 

BXBW is the latest in a growing line of Minecraft-based coronavirus initiatives. Another Minecraft music festival called Elsewhere is also raising money to fund relief efforts, and to help entertain kids stuck at home in quarantine, Microsoft and Mojang released several free Minecraft Education lessons. 

Here's a broader look at how the gaming community is battling coronavirus.