The annual Sips and Sounds Fest started on the first day of SXSW this year in Austin with some impressive artists, including night one headliner Halsey, who played rock inspired versions of her hits. Fans had lots of activations to enjoy, including a Silent Disco and Coca Cola Fan Zone, where they could relax and grab a drink.
There were many fun musical highlights from day one. Ashe arrived in a sparkly pink dress and twirled the stage as she sang her hits, along with a cover of “Unwritten” by Natashia Beddingfield and “Love Story” by Taylor Swift.
Disko Cowboy DJ’d a hype set of country hits mixed with EDM beats, and the crowd was loving it. He was accompanied by two dancers donned in sparkly cowboy hats.
Suki Waterhouse brought out Ashe as a surprise guest to sing their collab song, “Pushing Daisies.” Australian trio Blusher had choreographed moves to go with their upbeat pop-inspired songs.
The two-day fest was sponsored by Coca Cola, with an option to recycle bottles and cans to redeem festival swag. To make recycling easy and accessible, “Recycle & Refresh” stations were set up throughout the festival grounds, supported by volunteers from Keep Austin Beautiful. With Austin food favorites like Amy’s Ice Cream and Southside Flying Pizza, there were plenty of tasty options for festival goers.
The Cinemark activation provided a bit of shade in the hot Texas heat, with a cool building you could enter to watch movie trailers and get free popcorn.
The Austin skyline sparkled prominently in the background as the sun set over the city, and Khalid serenaded the crowd with hit after hit, including fan favorites “On The Way,” and “Location.”
Halsey pranced around in black cowboy boots and a white dress, singing her songs to the large crowd in downtown Austin, including her new single, “Safeword.” She closed the Friday fest with her popular song “Without Me.”
Day two was a bit cooler in temperature but with just as much excitement. Paul Russell kicked off the day with his TikTok hit “Boo Thing.” Nessa Barrett brought the brooding vibes and strummed guitar to her set.
Musicians Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker performed emotional songs from their collaboration project “Brent.” Singer songwriter Claire Rosinkranz told the crowd that she would be performing mostly new material to get a feel from the crowd if they like them or not (they liked them!).
AJR was a wild set of chaos, dancing, and hats. Brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan (hence the name) performed their hit songs, building up the songs and creating fun moments for the crowd. They ended with their song “Weak.”
Benson Boone closed out the weekend with a performance full of backflips, fireworks and glitter. He kept the crowd entertained and singing along despite the chilly weather.
This iteration of Sips and Sounds Fest was the best yet. Fans loved the downtown location, impressive lineup, and great weather. We can’t wait to see what’s in store next year.
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