SXSW® London Announces Canva and Converse as First Major Brand Partners
28 January 2025
·3 min read
·28 January 2025
3 min read
Sponsors join forces to support SXSW London's inaugural festival coming to Shoreditch in June
London, UK – 27 January – South by Southwest® (SXSW®) London festival which takes place 2nd – 7th June 2025, announced today their first major brand partners for the inaugural European festival: Canva and Converse - These industry leaders will have a significant presence at the festival, hosting large-scale activations within the exclusive SXSW London campus.
Each year at SXSW hundreds of official partners create incredible activations whether creating ‘brand houses’, sponsoring unmissable events, or sharing their innovation and expertise through speaking on stage about future-facing ideas. In 2025, SXSW London promises to set new creative and commercial standards in Europe as the festival comes to the UK for the first time with 25+ venues and more than 40 creative spaces all within walking distance in the heart of East London, Shoreditch.
Canva, the platform for visual communication and collaboration, have come on board as the Major Design Sponsor. The company, whose London HQ is home to its 450-strong European team opened a new event space in Shoreditch and will be a key partner.
SXSW’s unique blend of tech, culture and business makes it a perfect fit for Canva, our design platform used by more than 220 million people each month. We've recently unveiled our expanded HQ and event space in London’s Hoxton Square, reinforcing our commitment to the city’s vibrant and thriving creative scene. We’re thrilled that SXSW share this passion for the capital and are proud to be the official design partner.
Duncan Clark
Canva Head of Europe
For the inaugural festival, Converse, the lifestyle brand, will be a Major Music sponsor.
Converse is thrilled to partner with SXSW London in 2025, continuing their legacy of supporting unsigned artists and shaping the future of music, following their successful partnerships at SXSW in Austin.
Simone Deocares-Lengyel
Converse Head of Marketing Europe
Other partners include Angry Orchard, Sportico, Tag, Globant, Stoksy, Aveva, WWD (Fairchild) and Artforum
ENDS
+++ Notes to Editors +++
Contact: sxswlondon@freuds.com
About Canva: Launched in 2013, Canva is the world’s leading all-in-one platform for visual communication and collaboration. Built to empower everyone to design, the company serves the creativity and design needs of enterprises, small businesses, consumers, and students in more than 190 countries worldwide. Whether you’re a novice taking your first steps in design or a creative professional seeking powerful tools, Canva ensures users have what they need to transform an idea into something beautiful. Underpinned by one of the world's largest content libraries, Canva is powered by a suite of products and proprietary AI tools which elevate how individuals and teams create, collaborate, and communicate with ease.
In London, Canva's HQ is home to its 450-strong European team. In June 2023, Canva announced the expansion of its London Campus with the acquisition of three buildings including its current HQ, enhancing the company's presence in the UK and supporting its team’s rapid growth across Europe. Included in one of the new buildings, The Bersey, is a new event space where the company is opening its doors to the vibrant creative scene in Shoreditch and beyond.
SXSW LONDON COMMERCIAL
Supercharge your brand in 2025 as one of the limited, exclusive partners for SXSW London. Our partners have a unique opportunity to stand out and shine through dynamic brand house activations, delivering measurable impact and unrivalled return on investment.
For more information please visit: sxswlondon.com/partners
About SXSW London
A global platform celebrating the convergence of creativity, culture and innovation, SXSW’s inaugural European edition SXSW London builds on the brand’s decades of success in Austin and now Sydney.
Between June 2nd - 7th 2025, SXSW London will take over dozens of venues, galleries, clubs and spaces around Shoreditch in east London, including many independent and community-led spaces. In addition to the inspiring keynotes, music showcases, and innovations in tech, gaming and screen that fans have come to expect from SXSW, SXSW London will introduce new arts and culture programming in a first for the brand globally. SXSW London will also feature a particular focus on creative sectors and talent from across Europe.