Legends Come to Life: Second Life Turns 22 with a Mythic Celebration

June 20, 2025

Legends Come to Life: Second Life Turns 22 with a Mythic Celebration

Second Life, the internet’s longest-running virtual world, celebrates a remarkable milestone beginning today: its 22nd birthday. With the theme “Myths and Legends,” the anniversary festival—known as SL22B—unfolds across 76 regions from June 20 through July 20, 2025. It’s a grand, month-long celebration of storytelling, creativity, and community, offering residents a chance to explore, shop, perform, and reflect on their place in this ever-evolving digital landscape.

At the heart of the festivities lies an unescapable truth: Second Life is still here. Not just here—but thriving. In an online world where platforms rise and fall at breakneck speed, SL22B serves as a testament to the enduring power of user-generated content and meaningful virtual connection.

The festivities launch today (June 20th) with a dramatic opening ceremony at the Royal Keep, where avatars from around the globe will come together in fantasy-inspired regalia. From winged warriors to robed wizards, the parade of avatars will set the tone for what promises to be Second Life’s most thematically rich birthday yet, kicking off at 12PM Noon SLT (Pacific Time).

The “Myths and Legends” motif runs deep, not just in costuming or builds, but in the spirit of the event. Legends has many connotations, not just in RL mythology but in SL as well. If you ask any long-time SL’r about it, you’re likely to hear a few storied names from out of SL’s history that have become legendary. Ethan Westland gave me a few that he thought of, such as creative legends AM Radio and the late Eliza Wierwight, as well as media legend Saffia Widdershins. Our own Magnus Brody frequently refers to Skye Galaxy in the musical legend field in his weekly broadcasts.

One of the major draws of SL22B is the incredible lineup of performances. Over 500 performances will take place, spread out amongst four stages, offering constant entertainment and huge variety of type, style, and genre. There’s an unmistakable electricity in the air—an energy that has grown year by year as the platform’s creative ecosystem deepens.

Beyond the performances, the sprawling SL22B grounds are packed with interactive exhibits. Residents and communities both have transformed their parcels into fantastical expressions of identity and imagination. Whether it’s a mythic undersea temple or a mountaintop village built entirely out of ancient runes, each exhibit tells a story. And that, more than anything, is what Second Life has always offered: the power to shape your own story.

Shopping is another highlight, and the Shop & Hop event continues to be one of Second Life’s most beloved birthday traditions. This year, 480 merchants have filled 24 regions with discounts, exclusive gifts, and special products, including themed wearables and decor. For new and longtime residents alike, the shopping event is as much a celebration of SL’s creator economy as it is a marketplace. This opens officially with the launch of SL22B, but I was able to take advantage of the early entry yesterday and I can tell you from my visit that the shopping experience will be second to none. Make a special folder for all your freebies so you can find them later!

Special touches abound this year. Limited-edition avatar last names are anticipated. I’ve already received word that Myth and Dragonheart will be on the list from official sources, and I’ll update below when the rest of them are released. A prize hunt sends residents in search of dragon eggs. And physical merchandise—including t-shirts and stickers—are available through a partnership with Redbubble, blurring the line between the virtual and the real. Even the displays are full of iconic images that many will recognize from TV or movies, and yes, I can confirm that there is a dragon guarding their plunder!

But perhaps the most moving aspect of SL22B is its commitment to connection. Daily Q&A sessions with Linden Lab employees—known as “Meet the Lindens”—invite residents into the behind-the-scenes world of Second Life’s ongoing development. It’s a chance to ask questions, offer feedback, and celebrate a shared commitment to this remarkable experiment in online living. Watch them with everyone at the SL22B Astral Athenaeum or on the Second Life YouTube channel. Meeting others is also a huge draw for large events such as this. Avatars come together, meet new people, make new friends and strengthen their connections to the virtual world.

At 22, Second Life remains less a relic of early internet culture than a living, evolving archive of human creative imagination. Its birthday isn’t just a nod to longevity—it’s an invitation to reimagine what it means to live, create, and thrive together in a digital space.

And if this year’s legends are any indication, the story of Second Life is far from over.

See you at SL22B!

~Arabella

Post Notes: Updated list of new names includes Myth, Dragonheart, Minotauris, Izanagi, Eos, Gaia, Arcane and Legendary.