Apple Releases Revamped iTunes Festival App Ahead of SXSW, iOS 7.1 Not Required - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Releases Revamped iTunes Festival App Ahead of SXSW, iOS 7.1 Not Required

Apple today updated its iTunes Festival app to version 5.0, ahead of next week's SXSW iTunes Festival, which kicks off on Tuesday, March 11. As noted by MacStories, the iTunes Festival app shows up in the iTunes Store with a revamped icon and is listed as having a "refreshed design" and support for SXSW, but the app isn't available for download in the U.S. just yet.

itunesfestivalapp
Clicking on the download link results in an error message that asks users to try again later, but it will presumably be downloadable shortly. Users in other countries have been able to download the app with iOS 7.0.6, suggesting SXSW streaming does not require iOS 7.1 as was reported earlier this week.

Apple's SXSW iTunes Festival is the first it has hosted in the United States, with previous iTunes Festivals occurring annually in London. The festival will offer five free nights of music, beginning on March 11 at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. Featured artists include Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Kendrick Lamar, Soundgarden, Pitbull, Keith Urban, and more.

All of Apple's iTunes Festival concerts are presented for free, with tickets available via a lottery system. Live and on-demand streams of the shows will be available through the revamped iTunes Festival app and the Apple TV.

Update 2:07 PM PST: The iTunes Festival app can now be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in September With These 10 New Features

Saturday May 9, 2026 6:03 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black Touch ID

Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: What to Expect Later This Year

Friday May 8, 2026 2:07 pm PDT by
While not too much has been reported about the next Apple Watch models, there are a few rumors about potential design changes and watchOS 27 features. Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 models are expected to be released in September, and we have outlined some of the key rumored hardware and software changes below. A new Apple Watch SE is not expected this year, as that model was...

Top Rated Comments

CosmoPilot Avatar
159 months ago
So much for Gruber's stellar record!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
159 months ago
There go any hopes of getting 7.1 anytime soon....
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sky Blue Avatar
159 months ago
That little birdie was wrong!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lucky736 Avatar
159 months ago
So much for all those stories of needing iOS 7.1

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
159 months ago
7.1 will be released when it's ready... If they rushed it you'd complain and taking too long means more complaining...

I've worked on 7.1 Beta 1-5, let me tell you - You don't want it until it's ready...
Ugh. Stop being so awkwardly condescending.

Of course he wants it when it's ready. He wants it because rumours were that it'd be ready in the first week of March.

Second, 7.0 has been out for almost 8 months with crappy performance. Taking 8 months is not 'rushing'.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Richardgm Avatar
159 months ago
I dont even know anymore

Hope in humanity is gone.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)