SXSW® London Announces First Year Programme Dates, Community Focus and New Hires

• 2 ^nd – 7 ^th June 2025 confirmed for inaugural SXSW LONDON festival dates

• Events across 20+ venues in Shoreditch to generate over £75 million for the UK economy.

• Programming to include arts and culture elements, as well as a community focus to encourage pathways for young people in the creative industries

• New hires include former Cannes Lions marketing director - Clare Morris, former BFI programmer - Anna Bogutskaya, and artistic curator - Beth Greenacre

London, 22 July – South by Southwest® (SXSW®) London has announced that its inaugural festival will take place 2 ^nd – 7 ^th June 2025 in the heart of East London’s creative industries, Shoreditch. SXSW London is the first European edition of the iconic SXSW, a global platform to celebrate the convergence of creativity, culture and innovation. SXSW London builds on the decades of success for the global festival in Austin, Texas and now in Sydney, Australia.

SXSW London is expected to attract over 20,000 attendees to its distinctive cross-cultural and tech programming, generating over £75 million in direct economic benefits according to newly released Nielsen data, a figure which organisers expect to increase as additional programmes for community and industry engagement are developed.

Aiming to put community at its heart, SXSW London will feature initiatives for workforce development including partnerships with independent and community-led venues throughout the festival’s Shoreditch campus. Organisers also plan to increase the festival’s impact further by offering a skills development programme that goes beyond the festival dates, creating a long-lasting legacy and pathway for young people into creative industries.

These initiatives will feature alongside the range of marquee tech, music and screen programming that attendees have come to expect from SXSW, as well as an increased focus on arts and culture programming that will bring a distinct flavour to the London event relative to the Austin and Sydney editions.

There will also be an opportunity for the SXSW London community to have a significant voice in programming conference activities. Artists, thought leaders and industry professionals will be encouraged to submit their ideas and work for consideration for the SXSW programming team via a platform to be launched in the autumn. Leveraged in both Austin and Sydney, this approach is critical to SXSW’s mission to showcase grassroots artists and thought leaders, and will shape the foundation for part of SXSW London’s inaugural year.

The festival also continues to build out its senior team with the announcement of additional new hires. Clare Morris, former Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity marketing lead, will join SXSW London in September as Director of Marketing and Communications. Her experience as a marketing strategist across global brands in media, entertainment, events and consumer products at Universal Pictures, ITV Studios and Samsung make her an invaluable addition to SXSW London.

Anna Bogutskaya joins as Head of Screen and brings a wealth of programming and production experience from the film industry, having worked with the BFI, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, El Deseo, and Underwire Festival, among many others. During her role at the BFI, Anna oversaw events and programming and curated many seasons as well as led the creation of the Woman With A Movie Camera Summit.

Beth Greenacre joins as Visual Arts Advisor, bringing vast experience navigating the art world with private and corporate collectors, commercial and non-for-profit organisations. From early in her career until his death, Beth was curator of the David Bowie collection and with the artist co-curated numerous exhibitions including Sound and Vision as part of Bowie’s Meltdown at the Royal Festival Hall in 2002, Bloc at County Hall, 2005 and The Window Pane Project at Tower Records, Piccadilly.

A shorter date format relative to SXSW in Austin will allow SXSW London to run its conference, music, screen and arts programmes at the same time, ensuring accessibility to multiple programming formats and diverse networking opportunities for attendees from different industries. Bringing SXSW to the streets of Shoreditch will allow us to create a festival like no other, one that unfolds across incredible indoor spaces whilst also showcasing creativity and artistic experiences in unique public spaces, allowing us to capture the energy and excitement of the summer.

Randel Bryan

SXSW London’s Managing Director

SXSW London is dream job territory for me and I am truly excited to join this talented team and bring this culture-defining brand to Europe.

Clare Morris

Director of Marketing and Communications at SXSW London

Having made London my home, I'm so excited to be a part of bringing the SXSW energy to the city. SXSW London is going to be the biggest creative playground in Europe for filmmakers, musicians, artists and creatives. I'm beyond grateful to be a part of the stellar team shaping the festival and to be given the opportunity to curate films, series and conversations.

Anna Bogutskaya

Head of Screen at SXSW London

With a deep-rooted interest in the convergence of visual art and music, I'm thrilled to be joining SXSW London as Visual Arts Advisor and working with the team to showcase artists who embrace connections between sound and visual art, and who explore the opportunities that technological innovation has afforded their practices.

Beth Greenacre

Visual Arts Advisor at SXSW London

ENDS

+++ Notes to Editors +++

About SXSW London SXSW

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 2 ^nd - 7 ^th 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.

About SXSW

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of opportunities to meet and connect with people. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and individuals come together. SXSW 2025 will take place March 7-15 in Austin.

SXSW’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region, with SXSW Sydney starting in 2023 and Europe with SXSW London in 2025, provides new possibilities at this iconic experience. These events, each with their own distinct flavour, make South By an indispensable three-stop tour for the global creative community.