Free tickets were given to Apple Music, iTunes and DICE users who lived in the United Kingdom, through localized prize draws.

In London, the Apple Music Festival became an annual event taking place (from 2009) in September at the Roundhouse arts centre in Camden Town.

The series made its United States debut with five days of free performances at the Moody Theater in March 2014, alongside the South by Southwest (SXSW) music showcase in Austin, Texas.

The full line up was announced on 25 August 2016 via Beats1 by Julia Adenuga as a surprise during Chart with Brooke Reese.

The festival was heavily promoted with artwork, pictures and videos on Apple Music's Instagram and Snapchat stories.