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

WWDC26 MR Live Coverage Article

WWDC 2026 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 27, Revamped Siri, and More

Monday June 8, 2026 9:15 am PDT by
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day. We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements today, headlined by a reset on Apple's push into AI that should see a significant overhaul...
iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Tuesday June 9, 2026 11:29 am PDT by
If you pay for extra iCloud storage on your iPhone, beyond the 5GB included for free, you might receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. First, Apple said there will be daily usage limits for some of the new and enhanced Apple Intelligence features on iOS 27, including image generation. However, the company noted that "increased access" is available with "most" iCloud+ storage ...
macOS Golden Gate Mac

Apple Announces macOS 27 Golden Gate With New Siri and 'Tons' of Refinements

Monday June 8, 2026 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today announced that macOS 27 is named macOS Golden Gate. Much like Mac OS X Snow Leopard in 2009, Apple said it focused on improving macOS's performance and dozens of underlying technologies this year. Apple says macOS Golden Gate offers quicker AirDrop transfers, faster network file browsing, improved syncing in the Messages app, better Spotlight search suggestions, and other...

Top Rated Comments

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

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
160 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
160 months ago
I dont even know anymore

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