Filip Novotny It's been seven years since Apple started its new corporate tradition called the iTunes Festival. It offers free performances by the best performers to the general public, and thanks to it, British London becomes the world's Mecca of music year after year. However, this year is different; Apple on Tuesday lowered iTunes Festival SXSW, which takes place in Austin, USA.
The London festivals have already built an excellent reputation shortly after their start in 2007. Among the big music events, they stand out for their unusually intimate and friendly atmosphere, which they have gained mainly thanks to a selection of smaller London clubs. Many were worried about whether the festival would survive the move to the American continent.
Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president for Internet software and services, himself commented on these concerns. "I also wasn't sure if we could bring it all over to the United States," Cue told the server Fortune Tech. "The festival in London is something really extraordinary. It seemed to everyone that if the event was held anywhere else, it wouldn't be the same," he admits.
The opinion of the visitors is confirmed by the author of the mentioned article, Jim Dalrymple, who knows the London vintages well. “I know exactly what Cue means. The energy that accompanies the iTunes Festival is incredible,” says Dalrymple. According to him, this year is no different either – the festival in Austin's Moody Theater still has a tremendous charge.
According to Cue, this is because the organizers correctly recognized what makes the iTunes Festival so unique. “You have to find the right place. The combination of Austin, which is a city with a big music culture, and this fantastic theater is perfect for music,” revealed Cue.
According to him, the fact that Apple does not approach the festival as a corporate event or a marketing opportunity is also important. “We are not trying to promote our products here; it's just about the artists and their music," he adds.
That is why the iTunes Festival does not take place in the biggest halls and stadiums, even though they would be full to bursting. Instead, organizers prefer smaller clubs – this year's Moody Theater has 2750 seats. Thanks to this, the concerts retain their intimate and friendly character.
Dalrymple illustrates the unusual atmosphere of the iTunes Festival with a specific example: "A few minutes after Imagine Dragons finished their incredible set, they went to sit in the box, from where they watched Coldplay's performance," he recalls of Tuesday night. “That's one of the things that makes the iTunes Festival so unique. It's not just about artists being recognized by fans. It's about recognizing the artists by the artists themselves. And you don't see that every day," concludes Dalrymple.
A number of well-known artists and performers are performing at the festival this year - in addition to those already mentioned, they are, for example, Kendrick Lamar, Keith Urban, Pitbull or Soundgarden. Since most of you most likely won't be able to make it to the Moddy Theater itself, you can watch the live streams using the app for iOS and Apple TV.
