Partner Content

3/26/2026

Austin Ashtin at Billboard’s The Stage at SXSW at Moody Amphitheater presented by Carnival Cruise Line on March 15, 2026 in Austin, Texas. Ismael Quintanilla

Billboard and Carnival Cruise Line partnered at SXSW by bringing the fun directly to the fans. To start the weekend, Carnival installed four “LOL booths” (think New York phone booths) across high foot-traffic areas including Congress, 6th Street, and outside Moody Amphitheater. Each blue and white booth featured an old-school pay phone and a joke-filled phone directory — festivalgoers picked up the receiver to hear pre-recorded jokes, and some lucky participants were randomly rewarded with upgraded VIP tickets to Sunday’s Billboard THE STAGE, tickets to comedy shows at Esther Follies, and even the chance to win a Carnival cruise.

Speaking of Esther Follies, Carnival took over the iconic comedy venue for the weekend, with branded moments throughout the space and comedy performances stacked every two hours, giving festivalgoers a place to pop in, cool off, and laugh between shows.

Over at Moody Amphitheater, Carnival fully owned the back lawn experience. Across all three nights, attendees could grab animal towel creations that doubled as blankets for the shows, cool down with chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream, get airbrush tattoos, and snap photos at colorful backdrops for a chance to score VIP pit upgrades. With thousands filling into the amphitheater each night, the Carnival lawn became a destination in itself — just steps away from the stage, but with its own unique energy.

Sunday night was meant to be the grand finale at Moody, but high winds had other plans. In true show-must-go-on fashion, Carnival and Billboard quickly pivoted the event to a secret location — The Concourse Project — that perfectly complimented the EDM night in store and what could have been a setback quickly turned into one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend. Refunded tickets meant the show was effectively open to everyone, and fans immediately made the move from Moody to Concourse, forming a line that stretched well beyond the block (everyone got in). Instead of losing momentum, the energy doubled — the indoor space transformed into a neon-lit late-night playground, the Carnival activations picked right back up, and the crowd that packed the room felt like they were in on a secret. It became one of those surprise, unforgettable nights — a quick pivot that only added to the fun, making it a moment fans will remember for years.

The party ran until 2 a.m., with Austin Ashtin and Apex Martin setting the tone before Mau P hit the stage close to midnight, closing out the weekend with a packed dance floor and a neon spectacle of a Sunday night.

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