Spotify hosts first-ever RADAR Festival showcasing remarkable growth in local music

Spotify commemorated the one-year anniversary of its groundbreaking RADAR Pakistan program as it hosted the first ever RADAR festival globally at the LUMS Campus in Lahore. This event featured riveting performances by all four RADAR artists: Hasan Raheem, Taha G, Maanu, and Hassan & Roshaan.

The event was a night full of music and discovery as the music streaming service once again showcased how it continues to champion the bright future of Pakistani music.

RADAR is a program designed as a way to support emerging artists and giving creators a global platform to help grow their careers and reach new and existing fans through bespoke social content, marketing, and editorial opportunities.

Over the past year, Spotify’s RADAR program in Pakistan has effectively propelled these talented artists to new heights, fostering remarkable growth not only in terms of listeners but also in exposure. Throughout its first year in Pakistan, RADAR announced four featured artists, one for each quarter, with Hasan Raheem, Taha G, Maanu and Hassan & Roshaan emerging as the flag bearers for the program.

Moreover, the RADAR Pakistan playlist has achieved a remarkable number of streams, capturing the attention of listeners from 74 different countries. The majority of these streams, a resounding 91%, originate from Pakistan, underscoring the passionate support and fervor for local music. India, USA, Canada, and UK round off the top five countries contributing to this global listenership.

Starting this quarter RADAR’s new look gracing the program’s global collection of playlists, as well as billboards, platform marketing, and social content. Featuring a distinctive paper cutout visual identity, RADAR will put a strong focus on bringing rich storytelling to the mix in addition to a prominent feature on the RADAR playlists.

The RADAR Pakistan playlist has also seen an impressive increase in followers, growing by an average of 33% each month. Notably, 43% of RADAR Pakistan listeners belong to the age group of 18-24, reflecting the program’s profound appeal to a vibrant and youthful audience.

“We are proud as Spotify Pakistan to launch the first ever RADAR Festival from around the world, it’s monumental in so many ways. Since launching RADAR Pakistan we’ve showcased Pakistani artists in iconic OOH locations around the world, we introduced emerging Pakistani talents to a global audience & now showcased the first RADAR Festival on home ground.”  

Khan FM, Artists and Label Partnership Manager for Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh

In 2023, the most played artists on the RADAR Pakistan playlist include Hasan Raheem, Taha G, Maanu, Abdul Hannan, and Hassan & Roshaan, among others. Similarly, the most played tracks on the playlist for the same year include hits like Maanu’s “4U,” Hassan & Roshaan’s “Bandhan” and “Sukoon,” Hasan Raheem’s “Joona,” Taha G’s “Dil Kay Isharay” and many more, which continue to captivate the audience.