TikTok has introduced a new global in-app event, “Community Fest,” designed to shine a spotlight on its livestreaming creators and deepen user engagement through real-time interaction. Running from June 15 through July 5, the initiative serves as a lead-in to the platform’s larger “LIVE Fest 2025,” a months-long celebration of TikTok LIVE content.
According to the company, Community Fest is intended to foster deeper community connections, while giving creators an opportunity to grow their audiences through livestreams across categories like music, education, cooking, and gaming. TikTok describes the event as “an invitation for everyone, whether going LIVE, gifting, or just tuning in, to come together, support one another, and share the moments that matter most.”
This push comes as TikTok aims to make livestreaming a more central part of its ecosystem – particularly for its eCommerce ambitions. The app’s Chinese counterpart, Douyin, has demonstrated the lucrative potential of livestream shopping, generating $490 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2024 after previously generating $354 billion in 2023 – with livestreams accounting for approximately 60% of that figure. In contrast, TikTok generated approximately $30 billion in GMV globally last year.
In the U.S., where TikTok Shop has seen a 120% year-over-year increase in sales, the company hopes that boosting livestream participation will lead to similar success. To that end, TikTok is also expanding its LIVE Fest initiative to new markets, including Japan, the Middle East, and North Africa, and has launched a new in-app “LIVE Journey” feature to gamify livestream engagement.
As regulatory uncertainty continues in the U.S., TikTok is making a strong push to solidify its value proposition—both as a community hub and as a growing player in the online shopping space.
