Photo via the US Department of Commerce.

President Obama to Host Music Festival at the White House

President Barack Obama will host South by South Lawn, a music and arts festival that will “bring together creators, innovators, and organizers who work day in and day out to improve the lives of their fellow Americans and people around the world.” The festivities are set to go down on Monday, October 3.

Unsurprisingly, the event is inspired by Austin’s annual South By Southwest festival, which featured an appearance by Obama earlier this year. Much its predecessor, South by South Lawn will be comprised of three distinct parts–interactive, film and music.

Few details about the programming have been revealed, but the interactive component will feature numerous panel discussions and engaging booths. The film portion will include the 3rd Annual White House Student Film Festival, as well as programming from the American Film Institute. Finally, the musical aspect will showcase “well-known and emerging artists who are using their music to inspire audiences,” though none of them have been announced at this time.

While a full on music festival has never been attempted on the White House lawn, Obama has welcomed performers to his home before. Past event, such as a Fourth of July barbecue, have featured sets from artists like Kendrick Lamar and Janelle Monae, while his 55th birthday brought saw performances from Stevie Wonder and Usher. The Obamas also brought Usher, Sam Moore, Demo Lovato, Yolanda Adams, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, The Band Perry and more together for a tribute to Ray Charles at the White House earlier this year.