Pandora, the world’s most powerful music discovery platform, today announced its return to Austin for South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference & Festival as the official audio music streaming sponsor. The fifth annual Discovery Den is back at The Gatsby from Wednesday, March 16 to Saturday, March 19, bringing a diverse lineup of talented newcomers to Pandora listeners across dance, Americana, hip hop/R&B, and rock genres.
Discovery Den will include performances by emerging artists including (additional acts to be announced):
Dance: Wednesday, March 16
MSTRKRFT, YACHT, Gryffin, Louis the Child
Americana: Thursday, March 17
Jack Ingram, Hayes Carll, The Cactus Blossoms, Margo Price
Hip hop/R&B: Friday, March 18
Kevin Gates, Anderson .Paak, Lil Dicky, Jacquees
Rock: Saturday, March 19
Bloc Party, Troye Sivan, Bleached, Tor Miller, Hinds
Fans will be able to immerse themselves in the live music experience whether they’re part of the action in Austin, tuning in from their earbuds or bumping it over car speakers. Launching February 16, the Pandora Discovery Den at SXSW station will give listeners a taste of the hottest artists to watch in 2016 with cross-genre mixtapes showcasing the featured performers, and exclusive access to four full days of livestreamed shows and behind-the-scenes interviews during the festival.
“Live music is a force that brings us all together. It has the power to unleash our emotions and awaken the spirit,” said Tim Westergren, founder, Pandora. “We can’t wait to share the SXSW experience with Pandora listeners everywhere and connect them to the musical magic that this festival has created for decades.”
“Over the past 30 years, SXSW has been the premiere event for artist discovery,” said James Minor, General Manager of SXSW Music. “We’re thrilled to partner with Pandora to showcase our curated selection of artists to a wider audience.”
Since hitting the stage in 2012, Discovery Den has been the ultimate destination for helping fans find their new favorite artists. After the 2014 Discovery Den showcase, Charli XCX went “Boom Clap” into your hearts (and station lists) with a 1,567 percent increase in station adds the six months following, and over 256 million spins to date. Breakout rapper Fetty Wap’s station adds boosted 1,549 percent in the six months following his performance of “Trap Queen” at the 2015 Discovery Den, landing the track at #7 on Pandora’s top thumbed up songs of the year list for 2015 with over 220 million spins.
“I want to thank Pandora for coming in at an early stage of my career and helping push it to new heights,” said Tor Miller, Discovery Den 2016 performer. “I am very excited to be one of their artists to watch and will put on a performance worthy of that accolade at this year’s SXSW.”
Pandora Discovery Den attendees will also be treated to custom activations from sponsors, including FedEx, LINQ Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Olay and ScottsMiracle-Gro®.
FestPop Editorial Team
