Review: Coca-Cola Sips & Sounds Music Festival 2025

The Coca-Cola Sips & Sounds Music Festival took Austin, TX by storm last Friday and Saturday with a solid lineup and great vibes. Though not an official SXSW event, the overlap with Austin’s yearly film and music conference certainly drew music lovers looking for a change of pace for two days, with plenty of SXSW badges spotted amongst the crowd. Two stages meant nearly nonstop music from open to close each day – but no overlaps, so it was possible to see every single artist if you really wanted to. The festival grounds were situated in Austin’s Auditorium Shores Park just across the river from downtown, and right beside the larger Zilker Park which hosts Austin City Limits each year (there’s a reason Austin is often called the Live Music Capital of the World). Parking was readily available around the venue, and getting in and out of the grounds was a breeze. This theme of good organization would continue throughout the fest: though sold out for both days, it never felt overly crowded, and there were never long lines for food, restrooms, or water filling stations.

Upon arriving Friday, I caught the end of Dazzle Camoflauge’s DJ set, which got the crowd ready before Ashe took the main Coca-Cola stage shortly after. She made sure to play “Till Forever Falls Apart” as well as a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” and was overall a perfect choice as the main opening act to kick off the festival. Following her on the main stage was a performance by the gorgeous and talented Suki Waterhouse, who definitely had my favorite outfit of the weekend with a sparkly black bodysuit and fur jacket (props to her, too, for wearing this in the scorching Texas heat).

Over on the smaller Coke Studio Stage, Friday saw sets from Disko Cowboy (& his bedazzled dancers), Australian girl-group Blusher, and singer-songwriter Gus Dapperton to close out the second stage that night. The three sets couldn’t have been more different, but they each stood out in their own way.

It was tough to tell if the majority of Friday attendees were there for Khalid or Halsey, but the grounds were packed by 6pm waiting for Khalid’s set to begin. This would be the R&B singer’s first performance since a short set at a Jingle Ball festival back in December, and one of only a very few performances from him in the past year. Though he certainly didn’t forget anything about performing, turning out hit after hit with “Better,” “lovely,” “Eastside,” and “Young Dumb & Broke.” He introduced “Location” as the song that changed his life, garnering cheers from the huge crowd around the main stage who were lucky enough to watch his set during the sunset over Austin’s skyline.

Closing out the main stage on Friday was Halsey, who used her set as a kind of soft launch for her upcoming tour. This was the set I was most excited to see at the festival, and Halsey did not disappoint. The set was a mix of old and new, including really new with a live debut of the powerful “safeword” released at the end of last month. Halsey has overcome a multitude of health struggles over the past few years, which she alludes to on her latest album The Great Impersonator. Seeing her performance, though, you would have no idea about any of this. She is known for her stage presence and live vocals, but seeing it in person was a whole different experience. The sheer power of her voice is hard to describe without hearing it yourself, and getting to hear her older hits like “Colors” and “Gasoline” as well as a reimagined rock version of “Closer” was a treat. “Lonely is the Muse” was easily the highlight of the night, and anyone who has tickets to her upcoming tour is in for a treat.

After the great day on Friday, I was excited to return for an equally talent-packed lineup on Saturday. Paul Russell opened the main Coca-Cola Stage, while Austin Ashtin kicked off the party on the Coke Studio Stage. Nessa Barrett was up second on the main stage, and hers was definitely one of the highly anticipated sets early on in the day. She played a selection of songs mostly from her latest album, AFTERCARE, including “PASSENGER PRINCESS” and “MUSTANG BABY.”

After Nessa’s set, some of my fellow photographers and I decided to walk around the fest to check out some of the food and popups scattered around. Popups were mostly Coca-Cola (and Minute Maid) themed, with a silent disco handing out lemonade samples and a lounge handing out samples of the new orange cream flavored Coke (which was delicious). The Coca-Cola “&” lounge served a variety of cocktails, as well as allowed attendees to craft their own drinks from a selection of mixers. An indoor Cinemark theater popup served Coke and popcorn, and was a popular spot with fans who wanted to get away from the heat. Artist merch was also available for the bigger artists playing the festival.

Food options included basic concessions along with a selection of local food trucks. I opted for some barbecue from one of the trucks, while a friend grabbed a vegan wrap from another. Both were very tasty, and held us over for the rest of the evening.

Next up on the Coca-Cola Stage was a joint performance with Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker. The two have been collaborating on music for years, and have coined their project “brent.” brent iii is the latest installment and first full-length album of the series. Fans were clearly familiar with the first EP’s hit “you were good to me,” which they played around halfway through their set. Cutler and Zucker make beautiful music together, and their set was a nice calm stretch before the energy would pick up later in the night.

Heading back to the Coke Studio Stage, fans got to enjoy sets from DJ Cassandra, Arcy Drive, and Claire Rosinkranz. DJ Cassandra radiated positive energy, and brought with her some brass musicians to spice up and bring something unique to her DJ set. Arcy Drive performed some picture-perfect indie music, down to lead singer Nick Mateyunas’ Laffy Taffy t-shirt. Their bus may have broken down on the way there, but they gave it their all and were happy to be there, mentioning that this was one of the biggest crowds they had performed in front of to date. 

Closing out the second stage for the festival was Claire Rosinkranz, who used her set as a chance to experiment with some new music while she’s in the process of crafting her new record. “Wanna Be in Love So Bad” and “Lucy” were two of these debuts alongside established songs like “funeral” and “Frankenstein.” She of course wrapped up with “Backyard Boy,” which everyone was able to sing along to.

Second to last on the main stage was AJR, a trio of brothers from New York City with a fun, unique approach to pop music. Fans may have noticed one brother missing – Adam, the bassist, has recently gone to work on his nonprofit Planet Reimagined, which is dedicated to renewable energy education and sustainable music touring. He also works as a professor at Columbia University. Though he hasn’t been touring with the band lately, AJR still put on a stellar, full-energy performance of their hits. “Sober Up,” “Way Less Sad,” “100 Bad Days,” “Karma,” and “Bang!” were just some of the radio hits that the group played as the sun set over the festival grounds.

As the night went on, it definitely started to get a little chilly – audience members started to put on hoodies, hats, and coats as the desert night started to creep in. A common theme was Benson Boone hoodies, as he was the only artist selling a sweatshirt as merch at the festival. But fans would be appropriately dressed for the final set of the night when it was finally time for Boone to take the stage. Boone has had quite a crazy year or so, blowing up in pop culture from seemingly nowhere to now headlining festivals and performing at The Grammys. It is well deserved, though, as he has an incredible voice and great songwriting skills. He promised fans a second album this year, and even debuted some new songs at the festival. He opened with his new song “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” and later on debuted “The Momma Song” about the support of his parents, and which he referred to as the “In The Stars” of the new album (aka the emotional track to listen and cry to). He of course made sure to play “Cry” and closed with “Beautiful Things.” Boone went on to perform later in the week at Rolling Stone and SXSW’s Future of Music Showcase.

Overall, Sips & Sounds 2025 was a resounding success. With a more mainstream lineup than previous years, a new location, and new dates overlapping with one of the busiest times in Austin, the festival made a name for itself and hopefully cemented itself as a yearly staple for local fans and those visiting for the weekend. Keep up with any future announcements on the festival’s website and social media pages, and thanks to them for having me for the weekend!