South By Southwest Sets London Expansion For Branded Cultural Film, Music & Tech Festival
08.05.2024 - 06:39
/ deadline.com
The South by Southwest festival is expanding to London in June, 2025.
The SXSW brand, which originated in Austin, Texas almost four decades ago, has grown to become synonymous with the celebration of the convergence between creativity, culture and technology. London is the latest expansion outpost, after SXSW launched a branded festival in Sydney, Australia last year.
Like the festivals in Austin and Sydney, SXSW London will combine entertainment, music and technology, and the debate and discussion of challenging issues including AI, climate change, politics and society.
Since 1987, SXSW has hosted 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 provided early showcases for musical acts including Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran.
“As a life-long fan of SXSW I truly believe that it’s more than an event – it’s a movement, a platform where the world’s greatest minds, musicians and motivators come to share their passion and their vision of the future,” said Randel Bryan, Managing Director of SXSW London. “SXSW London will build on Austin’s incredible legacy…and also provide a platform for the next generation of creative talent and we will be working hard to ensure that opportunities for learning, employment and community uplift are at the heart of everything we do.”
Over the course of a week in June, SXSW London will take over dozens of venues, galleries, clubs and other spaces in Shoreditch,