South by Southwest® dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW® is best known for its conferences and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture.
When a small group of people in Austin, united by a love of music and an interest in the arts, began talking about the future of entertainment and media, they couldn't have foreseen what would come next. SXSW® started in 1987 as an event focused on the local music scene, but from an initial 700 people, it's grown into a global phenomenon that attracted 300,000 in 2024.
Since 1987, SXSW has welcomed the world’s leading speakers and participants across a multitude of disciplines, including Christiane Amanpour, Deepak Chopra, Mark Cuban, Melinda Gates, Dave Grohl, Sadiq Khan, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Steven Spielberg, Dr. Lisa Su, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Tilda Swinton, Taika Waititi, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Webb, Michelle Yeoh, and Mark Zuckerberg.
SXSW also creates unrivalled showcasing opportunities for new musicians and filmmakers, with a roll call of firsts that has helped propel global cultural icons like Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran, and other influential artists such as Skepta, Stormzy and Wet Leg.
Whichever days of the week you attend SXSW London, you'll be able to take your pick of talks and presentations from world leaders in creativity and tech, politics and ideas. At the same time, you’ll make new discoveries and connections across different sectors and each day there'll be an incredible mix of arts and culture to experience.
With so many exciting developments in technology that will transform the way we learn and find solutions to some of the most challenging problems we face, it’s fantastic that SXSW is coming to London. I’m looking forward to the lively debates and opportunities to make new connections with innovators from different sectors from across Europe and around the world. And with it taking place in Shoreditch, it promises to be a brilliantly London experience for everyone attending.
SXSW is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the UK’s creative talents and businesses to global audiences and to collaborate with the international SXSW community.
Through its multidisciplinary conferences and cultural festivals, SXSW has become a global platform to celebrate new ideas, propelling the careers of innovators and creatives across sectors, from start-up founders to independent artists and filmmakers.
After a successful pan-Asian launch in Sydney in 2023, SXSW London means even more creative people from across Europe have the opportunity to come together to explore new possibilities, make unexpected discoveries and shape the future.
