SXSW 2026: The Standout Performances

Hopefully you read our Top 5 SXSW 2026 Performance list, but we cannot only mention our Top 5. We became fans of pretty much everyone we heard, which is a testament to the talented artists who perform night after night at SXSW. So, this list will not be in any particular ranking order; instead, we are ordering it by the day and time that we caught their sets.

Grace Sorenson

We kicked off our SXSW days in the early afternoon with some local R&B vibes from Austin native Grace Sorenson, a perfect way to ease into the festivities. The set took place at an outdoor patio venue, set on the grass and surrounded by wood fixtures. It provided a nice, country Texas R&B vibe as the sun was setting. Grace put on a great set, leaning into a more traditional R&B sound rather than a fully modern, auto tuned take, and she truly did her thing. We cannot wait to see her continue to grow in the R&B space and watch how she molds her sound.

Benny The Butcher

Benny The Butcher popped out representing New York rap, looking fly in a glow in the dark Diplomats hoodie. He threw his own showcase and had at least ten up and coming artists perform before his set, giving them a valuable opportunity to show out for his fanbase. The elite lyricist definitely stole the show, however. He is one of the more solidified New York artists to emerge in the past decade, selling plenty of records but not touring very often. Having him pop out at SXSW was a massive look for the South, bringing that undeniable New York energy to Texas.

Amie Blue

Amie Blue provided one of the most unique sets we heard. Flying in from South London, she performed at the British Embassy House. She is currently positioned in a very niche sounding genre that blends folk and R&B, and she executes it beautifully. You can tell she has the vocal chops to go full R&B or even create cool, punky pop records; exploring those avenues might really take her sound to the next level. For now, though, we are just happy her fanbase is growing and that listeners are getting a chance to hear her raw talent and intentional songwriting.

Aaron Page

Aaron Page put on a stellar show at the Kaash Paige and Friends Showcase. The Houston based singer, originally from New Haven, Connecticut, is one of the few artists to break through in this algorithm driven viral era and maintain relevance purely through his quality R&B music. Naturally, he performed his viral hit, "Lord Knows," and the crowd went crazy. He also showcased a few other records off his debut project of the same name, alongside a couple of unreleased tracks.

Mai Anna

We knew Mai could sing before she even hit the stage because she was booked for one of SXSW’s only dedicated R&B showcases at Marlow. Hailing from Queens, New York, she might only stand four feet eleven inches tall, but her voice is absolutely unbelievable. Rocking an iconic backward Kangol hat, she made the trip with her producer, and together they brought an immaculate vibe. Her set proved that true artistry does not need to hide behind heavy backing tracks; she commanded the room with effortless vocal runs and a magnetic stage presence that kept the audience completely locked in.

JeRonelle

Marlow was truly going off that night, because right after Mai, Omaha native JeRonelle took the stage. The Los Angeles based singer originally made waves on the show The Four and has since collaborated with heavyweights like Drake, Kanye West, and Durand Bernarr. He has also been featured in VIBE Magazine, on BET, and on Apple Music Radio with Ebro. Hearing his soaring vocals live is a completely different experience. He bridges the gap between classic soul and modern R&B seamlessly, delivering a masterful performance that showcased exactly why he is sought after by some of the industry's biggest names.

Remey Williams

The night just kept getting better, as Remey Williams followed JeRonelle’s set at Marlow. Remey is a two time Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, and producer hailing from New Jersey. He also happens to be the son of O’Jays bandmate Jimmy Williams, so music is quite literally in his blood. Having worked with Usher and Ari Lennox, he was also the touring drummer for Summer Walker. That deep musicality translates flawlessly to his live show. By incorporating live instrumentation and rhythm into his set, he elevated the standard R&B performance, laying down deep pockets and infectious grooves that easily made him a standout of the evening.

Yakiyn

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Yakiyn was undeniably one of the highlight performers of all of SXSW. The Dallas native hit the Billboard Stage and performed at the TDE Presents Showcase right before Ray Vaughn. We were thrilled to catch one of his sets, especially after his massive 2025. After dropping two major singles, he secured features in XXL, HotNewHipHop, and across all the major Texas blogs, capping off a breakout year. Catching his live set was entirely worth it because he knows exactly how to rock a crowd.

Quiet Money Dot

We first caught wind of Houston’s Quiet Money Dot on AJ Snow’s project, which was produced by Sledgren. Our immediate reaction was, “Who is that?” and he absolutely killed it. He brought that same energy to Devin The Dude’s SXSW event, crushing his live set. Dot opened for Lil’ Flip before Devin closed out the night, making for an epic trio of classic Houston performances. Dot recently took the game by storm with his new label partnership, earning shoutouts from Houston legends in various interviews. It is clearly his time right now, and SXSW was the perfect platform to maintain that momentum.

Lil’ Flip

We are closing out this list with Flip because, man, what a performance, especially celebrating the release of his new album. Seeing Lil' Flip perform in Texas is a legendary experience. The venue was smoked out, everyone knew the words to the songs, and it provided a purely authentic, Southern player vibe. It is comparable to seeing Snoop Dogg or The Game perform in their hometown of Los Angeles. There is just something undeniably special about seeing an artist perform in their home region; the energy is completely different.

We could easily keep going with more artists, but again, this list serves as a chronological recap of the incredible performances we witnessed.