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Billboard’s iconic live music series The Stage at SXSW returned to Austin, March 13 to 15, 2025. This year they highlighted some of the biggest movers and shakers in Country, Latin and EDM. Billboard and Bulleit teamed up to elevate the experience and extend the celebration with an exclusive after party featuring the hottest music and the coolest cocktails.
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Bulleit and KSHMR during the Billboard THE STAGE After Hours on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel
As the Official Whiskey Partner of The Stage at SXSW, Bulleit curated a vibe that uplifted artists that not only push the boundaries of music but broaden their respective genres. Koe Wetzel and Grupo Frontera showed how they do it in Texas, repping their home state with electrifying headlining performances for Country and Latin nights. While John Summit, fresh off a globe-trotting series of shows, amped up the energy in the amphitheater with infectious beats and mind-blowing pyrotechnics.
The Bulleit bar during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Gilbert Flores
Billboard and SXSW deepened their connection this year thanks to Austin-native mixologist, Ryan Smith, who created custom cocktails with Bulleit to celebrate the creativity and innovation that can only be found at the festival. The Bulleit Bourbon Austin Calling enticed with notes of elderberry, while the Bulleit Rye Wildcard had the perfect balance of basil and strawberry. They perfectly captured the energy of the city and the culture it creates.
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Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel
At The Stage, guests cooled down in the Bulleit Lounge with whiskey drinks while basking in the beautiful orange neon lights. On the other side of the venue, Bulleit set up a stylish bar where you could sample Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye on the rocks or mixed in a Whiskey Sour or a Mule. Whether attendees were there to kick up their cowboy boots, celebrate Latin cultures, or dance to melodic beats, there was libation for every occasion.
Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 13, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel
John Summit may have closed out the stage, but the party continued downtown at the After Hours presented by Billboard and Bulleit. KSHMR, the producer and songwriter behind some of the biggest industry shifting hits, brought his one-of-a-kind sound to SXSW when he took to the stage, spinning high-energy tracks and pulse-pounding classics. Those lucky enough to make it to the after party before the venue reached capacity were treated to a performance from KSHMR and Izzy Bizu who performed an upcoming single live for the first time.
Izzy Bizu, KSHMR Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW After Hours on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel
KSHMR took a second to share a toast with everyone. With a Bulleit Cocktail in hand, he said “Thanks to Bulleit and Billboard for putting on this amazing party! I wanna put on a little toast… Austin, are we having a good time?” Which was met with thunderous cheers from the audience.
KSHMR Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW After Hours on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel
The evening offered the perfect amount of style and edge with genre blending tunes and classic cocktails like Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey Sours and Bulleit Rye Mules. Whether you’re into the tried and true or trying something new, Billboard and Bulleit created an intersection of music and spirits that could only by accomplished by this pairing.
Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel
For even more coverage of Billboard The Stage at SXSW and Billboard and Bulleit Present The Stage After Hours, including exclusive photos and video coverage, check out Billboard.com and Billboard’s social channels.
BULLEIT BOURBON Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 45% Alc/Vol. The Bulleit Distilling Co., Louisville, KY. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
Billboard returned to Austin for THE STAGE at SXSW from March 13 to 15, 2025. Each night brought together fans of Country, Latin and EDM to the Moody Amphitheater. Heavy-hitters in each genre made every evening unforgettable. This year, headliners included Koe Wetzel, Grupo Frontera and John Summit. Artists were gifted Azzaro Parfums’ new Forever […]
The Penske Media Corporation (PMC) announced its expansive slate of experiences and concerts at this year’s SXSW festival on Thursday (Feb. 13). The lineup of activations from PMC’s iconic brands — Billboard, Rolling Stone, Deadline, Variety, SHE Media, Sportico and The American Pavilion — will include panel discussion, concerts, fireside chats and must-see experiences during the annual conference and festival that will take place in Austin, TX this year from March 7-15.
The festivities will kick off on March 7-9 with Deadline‘s Deadline Studio and the On the Go with Deadline social activation at the Thompson Hotel, with to-be-announced talent stopping by for on-camera interviews and solo and group portraits.
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SHE Media will also set up house from March 7-9 for its Co-Lab event at 304 E. 3rd Street for a series of conversations about women’s holistic health featuring women’s health advocates, actors, comedians and specialists including: Chelsea Handler, Naomi Watts, Christy Turlington Burns, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Tamsen Fadal, Scott Galloway, Stacy London, Emma Lovewell and Sophia Bush, among others.
Variety will host a live podcast taping with partner YouTube on March 8 with Hot Ones host Sean Evans and Variety Awards Editor Clayton Davis, followed by a March 9 screening and cocktail reception for the documentary Reef Builders: The Unlikely Partnership Restoring Coral and a panel discussion with actor Auli’i Cravalho, director/producer Stephen Shearman and others.
Sportico will host the two-day Sportico House (March 11-12) at Wanderlust Wine Co., which will feature top industry professionals dropping in for panels and live podcast tapings exploring the intersection of sports, media and business along with networking opportunities.
Rolling Stone will be back at SXSW for its third-annual Future of Music showcase presented by JBL, for a four-night (March 11-14) concert series featuring an as-yet-unannounced group of artists performing at ACL Live at the Moody Theater.
In addition, Billboard‘s THE STAGE at SXSW will return as well for three nights (March 13-15) of live performances at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, with each night highlighting a different musical genre. The party will kick off with county singer Koe Wetzel on night one, followed by Música Mexicana stars Grupo Frontera on March 14 and a closing-night set from dance star John Summit.
The American Pavilion will return for year two of its Worldwide Student Program — which last year gave 12 students access to some influential industry events — expanding its scope in 2025 to six days of “thought leadership programming and expert discussions” from creators in the worlds of film and TV.
Billboard’s parent company PMC is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.
Pepsi Super Bowl BoilThe tailgate-style event will feature two of the city’s favorite seafood boil restaurants battling for the title of Pepsi Super Bowl Boil Champion. Super Bowl LVI Champion Andrew Whitworth will be judging the final dish.Woldenberg Riverfront Park – 1 Canal St, New Orleans, La.12 – 2 p.m.
Pepsi NOLA Eats Fest featuring DRIPS by PepsiThe event will feature 20 dishes from 10 local restaurants, plus exclusive crafted beverages from DRIPS by Pepsi with NOLA-inspired recipes. Action Bronson and Larry Morrow are set to appear at the event, while Mannie Fresh and local jazz and brass legends will perform. Woldenberg Riverfront Park – 1 Canal St, New Orleans, La.12 – 5 p.m.
Celebrity SuperSlamThe family-friendly event will feature a charity basketball game, in which Team Mike McKenzie will face off against Team Landon Collins to generate support for underserved youth in New Orleans. Buy tickets here.XULA Convocation Center – 7900 Stroelitz Street, New Orleans, La.6 p.m.
The One Party by Uber Performance by Travis Scott, with special guests to be announced. The event is free for those with Uber One memberships, which you can sign up for here.724 Richard Street, New Orleans, La.7 p.m.
Bud Light Backyard with Post Malone Super Bowl ConcertFans over 21 years of age can enter to win tickets here.The Fillmore – 6 Canal St, New Orleans, La.8 p.m.
Shaq’s Fun HouseThe annual part-festival, part-carnival, part-circus event will feature performances by Shaquille O’Neal (a.k.a. DJ Diesel), Ludacris, John Summit and more. All-inclusive open bar tickets, VIP tickets and WYNN Nightlife Hosted VIP tables are now available here.Mardi Gras World – 1380 Port of New Orleans Pl, New Orleans, La.9 p.m.
UnKommon Events Pre-Game Party The celebration will feature performances by Diplo and DJ UnKommon. A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Red Cross to support those affected by the Los Angeles-area wildfires as well as the Southeast Louisiana Red Cross, who works to support the greater New Orleans area. Tickets available here.Generations Hall – 310 Andrew Higgins Blvd, New Orleans, La. 9 p.m.
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Gilbert Gottfried’s widow Dara, as well as director Neil Berkley (behind the 2017 documentary Gilbert) and friends of the late legendary stand-up comic and actor have come together to release Still Screaming, an album of his best bits and impressions — which will aid research on finding treatment for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2, the rare, progressive disease that led to his death in 2022.
Multimedia producer Dara Gottfried, who was married to the comic’s comic — known for his manic, squinching delivery, and voiceovers as the parrot Iago in Disney’s Aladdin and the duck in AFLAC Insurance Company commercials — for 15 years, says a portion of proceeds from sales of the album will benefit the Gilbert Gottfried Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2 Research Fund at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY. “They are leading the way in research for treatments and hopefully eventually a cure,” she says. “Right now, there is no cure, and they’re working on developing treatments with the money I’m raising.”
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Dara, who previously ran top 40 promotion for Interscope Records, says the album will be the last recording of Gilbert’s comedy released, in part, because her husband “didn’t update his act much… He was still doing jokes about Molly Ringwald, Gary Coleman and O.J. Simpson, and he refused to put out an album [because] he thought it would jeopardize his act,” she explains. “That’s why we didn’t put it out while he was alive.”
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Still Screaming is a collection of jokes that Dara says was Gilbert’s “main act.” They were culled from Berkley’s documentary, who filmed two years of the comic’s performances. The album is available in digital and physical formats, including a limited-edition deluxe double album. The gatefold packaging was designed by art director Grammy-nominated art director Perry Shall, a close friend of the comic. “Perry went through all of Gilbert’s archival material and scanned everything,” Dara says. “The track listing is Gilbert’s handwriting.” In addition to photos of Gottfried over the course of his career, there is a reproduction of a Super 8 motel notepad. “Gilbert was so cheap, he collected soaps and perfumes from the hotels and motels where he stayed when he was on the road, and that notepad was one of the things he brought home,” she says.
Comic and illusionist Penn Jillette also contributed a biographical essay about his close friend, and another pal, roast specialist Jeff Ross, came up with the album title, and one side of the double album is etched with a reproduction of Gilbert’s artwork, Chico Needed the Money. “No one knew that he drew,” Dara says. “Underneath his bed, I found all these incredible R. Crumb-esque drawings. Her discovery led their then-15-year-old daughter Lily Gottfried to make the documentary The Hidden Talent of Gilbert Gottfried.
In October 2001, Gottfried made headlines when three weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he told the crowd at a Friars Club roast of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in New York, that he couldn’t get a direct flight from New York to California because “they said they have to stop at the Empire State Building first.” After cries of “Too soon” — which Dara had inscribed on his tombstone — Gottfried redeemed himself by telling his version of “The Aristocrats,” a classic joke (and arguably the filthiest in comedy), which is personalized by the darkest thoughts of the comic telling it. Gasps of prolonged laughter followed at a time when few people were laughing at all.
The performance inspired Jillette and comic Paul Provenza to direct The Aristocrats, a documentary in which a cavalcade of funny people told their versions of the joke.
It was a big reason, Dara says, that “people didn’t realize Gil was actually a clean comic. When we started dating, he would say it’s lazy and cheap to work blue. If you listen to all of his old jokes, they were all clean.” She adds that after The Aristocrats, which also featured Gottfried, her husband began ending his show with a series of dirty jokes “to fill time, because he was bored with his act.” That’s when, Dara says, she convinced Gilbert to put out his only other recording — a collection of classic dirty jokes called, appropriately, Dirty Jokes.
Almost 10 years after his Friars roast performance, Gottfried lost his job as the voice of the AFLAC duck after tweeting jokes about a deadly earthquake that hit Japan. Gottfried may have avoided working blue, but, Dara says, “He said whatever he wanted, and paid the price for it.”
In addition to raising money to fight Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2, Dara says Still Screaming is another way for comedy fans to revisit — or discover — and enjoy the comedy of her husband, who didn’t archive his jokes. “Unlike Joan Rivers, who had her note cards and filing cabinets, Gilbert never wrote anything down,” she explains. “All I have is three pieces of notebook paper, where he scribbled the name of each joke he knew.”
“I wanted to share his genius,” she says.
A link to donate to the research fund can be found at gilbertgottfried.com
Following a feel-good performance from Post Malone who sang “Sunflower,” which he called “my only good song,” Sir Lucian Grainge introduced the 2025 Industry Icon, Jody Gerson – but not before acknowledging the tragedy Los Angeles has just endured. “The wildfires this past month have inflicted enormous levels of suffering and loss upon way too many people, including many of our colleagues and artists and songwriters. Let’s take this moment to remind ourselves that, as a community, we must remain united in our resolve to help bring relief to those who have been affected…But even as we begin to recover from this tragedy, we must not fail to celebrate those things in life that deserve celebration. They provide the inspiration for the better future we envision and will build together…So, tonight, it is my privilege, and, indeed, it is my great pleasure, to introduce and celebrate Jody Gerson, a true industry icon who rightly deserves celebration.”
And after sharing just some of her career highlights across the past three decades — during which she’s championed artists including Adele, Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and more — Gerson herself took to the stage to reflect and rejoice in her many successes, starting with the first time she successfully snuck into this exact party years ago. “When I finally did receive my first official invite to attend, it was a big moment in my career,” she recalled.” I remember it well; It was the year Alicia Keys released her debut album, Songs in A Minor, and, Clive, I was so happy to share in its success with you.” She then shouted out the work she and Keys continue to do together through their foundation, She Is the Music, which increases the number of women working in the music business.
Gerson went on to share that when Harvey Mason Jr. called with the news of her honor, she was “stunned.” She thought back to being a “precocious little girl” who would hang at her father and grandfather’s New Jersey club where everyone from Sinatra to Diana Ross and the Supremes would perform. “I spent a lot of time at the club, often backstage, watching the artists and musicians before they went on stage. I studied them…I saw how my dad dealt with them. I watched everything, missed nothing, and definitely saw more than I should have. After all, it was the 70s…Even at that young age, I knew that I wanted a career in the music business.”
“But I want my impact to reach beyond the boundaries of the music business,” she continued, sharing that she recently joined the board of the non-profit Project Healthy Minds, which makes mental health services more easily accessible. She noted that in conjunction with material losses from the wildfires, “there is an unprecedented toll on the mental health of many who live here. We are anxious. Many of us are depressed and traumatized and we feel out of control. What is happening in Los Angeles now is reflective of what is going on in our country as a whole. We have a mental health crisis that must be dealt with…But by normalizing the pursuit of mental health care, we should applaud iconic artists like Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Chappel Roan and so many more who have helped to lessen the stigma surrounding mental health care and made it ok for many to seek help for the first time.”
Despite all the good Gerson has done for the music community and beyond, she concluded by saying her greatest joy is being a mom. “My mom always said that I could have it all, and I do: An incredible career and a wonderful family.” (Her daughter was later heard saying, “I’m so proud of you.”)
But before stepping off stage, Gerson brought the focus back to the evening’s main mission: to help a hurting community heal. “Music can brighten even our darkest days, and we surely need artists to bring light into the world,” she said. “Now, more than ever.”
Newly minted Academy Award nominee and Emmy-, Grammy- and Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), actress-director Teyana Taylor (A Thousand and One), Emmy-nominated industry veteran Marla Gibbs (227) and Emmy-nominated creator, writer and-producer Raamla Mohamed (Reasonable Doubt) are 2025’s honorees for the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards. The 18th annual gala will take place Feb. […]
FanDuel and Spotify are teaming up for the ultimate Super Bowl bash with an invite-only event in New Orleans featuring performances by Blink-182, Megan Thee Stallion and DJ Pee .Wee (a.k.a Anderson .Paak), Billboard can exclusively announce. The party, powered by in-house music agency Spotify AUX, will take place Friday (Feb. 7), just two days […]
Since its 2022 debut at Barclays Center, MetaMoon Music Festival has built itself up as a New York City stalwart for Asian entertainment and talent worldwide with concerts, industry panels, block parties, and more. At the top of 2025, MetaMoon is officially going global with its first overseas iteration.
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Billboard can exclusively reveal that MetaMoon in Dubai will take place this February in the United Arab Emirates’ Al Wasl Plaza – Expo City Dubai. Singer-songwriter-actor Henry Lau and Korea’s viral singer-rapper Lee Young Ji will headline the inaugural UAE fest. The festival rounds out its lineup with rising Japanese-American singer-songwriter mikah, 2024’s Red Bull Dance Your Style champion MT Pop of Vietnam, and DJ and radio veteran Poon from New York. Rapper and comedian MC Jin, who participated in the 2022 and 2023 MetaMoon events, will host the event.
Lau was last year’s MetaMoon headliner, where the former Super Junior member not only delivered his mix of pop and classical music but sat down for a career-focused fireside chat with SiriusXM’s Michael Tam as part of The Summit, which MetaMoon launched in partnership with the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment. “I’m just excited to share what I’ve learned,” the Berklee College of Music graduate told Billboard ahead of the fest. “I’ve gotten to an age where there are a lot of aspiring musicians, and I hope that my experiences can help give them a good idea of what to expect and what they need to work on in certain aspects.”
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Live Nation Middle East is promoting and producing MetaMoon in Dubai.
“Live Nation Middle East is proud to partner with MetaMoon to bring this unique celebration of Asian pop culture to Dubai,” said James Craven, President of Live Nation Middle East. “The UAE is a vibrant and diverse region and this event is a perfect reflection of the incredible cultural exchange we aim to foster through music and entertainment. We are thrilled to debut such an exceptional lineup of talent, and we look forward to creating unforgettable memories for fans in the Middle East.”
After showcasing nearly two dozen different API stars, MetaMoon founder Grace Chen sees the overseas expansion as a considerable way to help spread Asian pop culture at large.
“Our partnership with Live Nation Middle East to bring MetaMoon to Dubai signifies our commitment to introducing Asian artists and pop culture to new fans while giving existing fans a chance to see their favorite artists live,” Chen said in a statement. “We are excited to be debuting an incredible lineup of Asian talent for their first appearances ever in the region and for what will be an entertaining evening for fans.”
Citing a growing Asian diaspora in the Middle East as well as increased interest in Asian pop culture in the region, MetaMoon in Dubai says it hopes to “bring a full fan experience to audiences in the Middle East in the coming years” in a press release.
Tickets for MetaMoon in Dubai go on sale Jan. 8, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Dubai time exclusively through LiveNation’s Middle East site and United Arab Emirates’ Ticketmaster site.
Over the years, as Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and producer Alissia was growing her career, she started hosting kickbacks at her New York-based studio called The Spaceship. She’d invite artists, musicians and DJs in hopes that they would connect – and maybe even collaborate.
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“Organically, I would invite people to come through, and they’d be like, ‘Oh, send me a playlist of this.’ And then they would connect and exchange numbers,” she says. “Nowadays, features happen by sending a track through text or email. We were losing a little bit of that humanness and that magic that happens when you really get to know the person and vibe.”
But last year, her gatherings outgrew The Spaceship; in June 2023, Alissia expanded the series into an exclusive party called Boogie Nights, with its first edition launching at New York’s Virgin Hotel. “There’s a photo booth, there’s little popcorn holders. There’s logos and stickers, and it’s all disco balls. There’s a Le Freak C’est Chic Martini,” she says. “I wanted to make it a cute, elevated experience.”
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Alissia and Anderson .Paak
Kathy Rosario
Inspired by Studio 54, Boogie Nights became the grooviest alternative option for creatives in the music and fashion industries, who were craving something more meaningful than the club scene but still wanted to be outside. Boogie Nights has since become one of the hottest tickets in town, with just five gatherings happening so far, including this February during Los Angeles’ Grammy week (held at the West Hollywood EDITION hotel) and most recently this September for New York Fashion Week (held at the event’s PUBLIC hotel homebase).
“At the last Boogie Nights [during NYFW], Ravyn Lenae sat in and we did a song that’s coming out that we did together,” says Alissia — adding that a goal is to feature new music that recently dropped or is just about to. And prior to that, Alissia’s frequent collaborator Anderson .Paak (who spins vinyl as DJ Pee Wee) had A-list guests like Lucky Daye and Leon Thomas dancing under the 400 disco balls that cover the ceiling of Los Angeles’ Sunset at EDITION during her pre-Grammy party earlier this year.
As for the upcoming Grammys? Alissia confirms she plans to bring Boogie Nights back to LA, previously telling Billboard: “LA is the perfect place, Grammys is the perfect time.”
