Blossoms delivering the headline performance at Spotify’s Budweiser-sponsored AUX event in Manchester. Photo Credit: Spotify
Spotify has officially expanded its live initiative into the UK with a Budweiser-sponsored concert in Manchester.
The streaming platform just recently hosted that event, which arrived about 10 months after the launch of Spotify’s brand-focused music consultancy, AUX. One component of a wider advertising and marketing push, this consultancy’s rollout preceded the June debut of an in-house “Creative Lab” agency.
Keeping the focus on AUX, Spotify dubbed its first UK installment “Music Depot.” Having taken place at Manchester’s Diecast venue (which per the appropriate website has a maximum capacity of 5,000), the multifaceted happening attracted “more than 500 fans” in total, according to Spotify.
Said fans saw performances from Good Neighbours and Manchester-based headliner Blossoms, besides several DJ sets to boot, WPP-partnered Spotify summed up. And while it perhaps goes without saying, Budweiser factored prominently into the “fully immersive experience” as well.
That refers to the expected elements (branded cups, customizable apparel, and posters) along with “Budweiser-inspired add-ons” for a “street-food-style menu” and a well-stocked Budweiser bar.
Though the latter wouldn’t normally stand out, it enabled attendees to print messages and Spotify codes “directly onto the foam of their pints.” And for those inclined to spend a chunk of the night under the needle, local tattoo artists were on hand to provide “permanent or temporary ink.”
(The artists evidently found a number of takers for their complimentary tattoos. Per a series of posts from one attendee, the tattoo professionals couldn’t squeeze her in during the event but provided the sought ink at their main business free of charge the following day.)
“Spotify is committed to deepening the connections between artists, brands, and fans,” Spotify UK and Northern Europe sales head Ed Couchman elaborated in part. “With AUX Live Experiences, we’ve seen that our branded live events are cultural moments that get people talking and deliver results for advertisers.”
With FanDuel and Samsung among the other companies that have already partnered with Spotify “to build cultural relevance” and “cultivate fresh fandoms,” time will tell which AUX events 2025 brings. However, besides hardly lacking access to music talent, Spotify is continuing to diversify into other entertainment areas.
Podcasting stands out here, but amid an intensifying video battle with YouTube, the platform is also spearheading an aggressive expansion into visual media. At the points’ intersection, there’ll presumably be room to host “crossover” live events, harnessing music and more to plug brands, down the line.