Kaskade & Deadmau5 Come Together to Light Up Billboard’s The Stage at SXSW 2023

24 March, 2023

During SXSW 2023, Billboard returned to Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park for 3 nights of concerts spanning 3 different genres. Billboard and Carnival Cruise Line teamed up for the final night to deliver a fun, unforgettable experience for music fans at THE STAGE. Carnival Cruise Line brought two fun activations to the party in Austin that elevated the consumer experience on-site.

Trailblazing electronic producers Kaskade and deadmau5 joined forces to create a new DJ duo under the moniker Kx5. The timing of this headlining performance couldn’t have been better as Kx5’s debut album had only been released to the world 24 hours before the show. 

Guests at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Guests at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

While waiting in line on Red River Street, festival goers were greeted by a giant Carnival Cruise Line-themed slide inspired by the water slides on Carnival cruise ships. 

Guests at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Guests at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Guests at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Guests at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

Prior to the electrifying set from Kx5, DJ Logan Garrett and DJ Soxxi kicked the party off with high-energy sets featuring some of the hottest electronic dance music songs. In between performances, fans made their way to Carnival’s Cherry on Top™ activation, which was inspired by the candy store of the same name on board all Carnival Cruise Line ships. Upon arrival, fans with general admission tickets could upgrade to VIP at the Cherry on Top™ activation. 

Carnival at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Carnival at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Carnival at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Carnival at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

Kaskade and Deadmau5 delivered an hour of nonstop, back-to-back transitions that kept fans dancing through a chilly Austin night. Notable content creator Eric Sedeño joined the party on Saturday and interacted with fans on-site before sharing his perspective of the show on socials!

K5; Kaskade; Deadmau5 at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
K5; Kaskade; Deadmau5 at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

The Carnival Cruise Line slide and Cherry on Top™ activations were key moments for attendees at THE STAGE. Fans took full advantage of the additional fun on-site and our ten lucky fans were elated to receive ticket upgrades to experience Kx5 up close & personal. Stay tuned for more from Billboard at SXSW and check out the content Eric created for a recap from the night.

Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Celebration™, is now sailing out of Miami and her sister ship, Carnival Jubilee™ will be setting sail soon in 2023 out of Galveston. Plus, two new ships will be bringing a unique Fun Italian Style™ flair to the fleet, Carnival Venezia™ setting sail this Spring out of NYC and Carnival Firenze™ setting sail out of Long Beach in 2024. Head to carnival.com to explore destinations and book your next cruise.

Ricky and guest at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Ricky and guest at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

James Dinh

Billboard