US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have been announced as part of the lineup for this year's SXSW festival in Austin, Texas later this month.
As much as we'd like to say they'll be there as a synth pop duo, that's not the case; POTUS will be part of a Keynote Conversation at SXSW Interactive next Friday, March 11, while FLOTUS will open the Keynote at SXSW Music on Wednesday, March 16.
Unsurprisingly - though disappointingly, when you think of Bill Clinton's mad sax skills - it's the first time that a sitting President and First Lady have got in on the action at the globally renowned showcase event, which has seriously established its credentials as far more than a simple music festival.
A SXSW press release reveals more about the exact roles they'll be playing. President Obama will sit down with Editor in Chief of The Texas Tribune Evan Smith for a conversation about civic engagement in the 21st Century. He will call on the audience to apply their ideas and talents to make technology work for us – especially when it comes to tackling big challenges like increasing participation in the political process and fighting climate change. In the lead-up to the event, The Texas Tribune will also source questions for the discussion from its online audience.
The First Lady, meanwhile, comes to SXSW Music to discuss the Let Girls Learn initiative, which aims to break barriers for the 62 million girls around the world who are not in school today, more than half of whom are adolescent. The SXSW Music Conference brings the global music industry together and offers the perfect platform to celebrate Women’s History Month, as the First Lady provides her call to action to support girls’ education.
SXSW 2016 takes place in Austin, Texas, from March 11-20.