South By Southwest To Debut In London Next Year

South by Southwest is set to debut in the UK next year. Austin’s beloved conference and festival will head to London in June 2025, marking the first time the event series will be held in Europe.

Similar to Austin’s SXSW festivities, the London version will follow the same format with keynote speakers, musical performances, and a showcase of leading innovations in tech, gaming, and film. Lineup and further details are said to come in the next few months.

SXSW first debuted in Austin, Texas in 1987, and has since grown to become one of the biggest events of the year, bringing in hundreds of thousands of musicians, creatives, filmmakers, media companies, and music industry executives every March. Previous musicians to have graced the SXSW stages include Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, Duo Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, and many more. Guest speakers over the years have included Dave Grohl, Barack Obama, Steven Spielberg, Michelle Yeoh, and Mark Zuckerberg, to name a few. Additionally, previous SXSW events have helped tech start-ups become global phenomenons, famously including Twitter, Foursquare, and Airbnb.

The inaugural SXSW London marks the first European event amidst a global rollout that began in 2023. The first international event took place in Sydney, Australia, which is already gearing up for its second edition this October 14th-20th, 2024. SXSW Sydney, SXSW London, and the main SXSW conference and festival in the U.S. will make the event series “an indispensable three-stop tour for the global creative community,” said organizers in a press release. 

While details are still yet to be revealed for SXSW London, organizers said the event will be held across dozens of venues, art galleries, and clubs in the East London district of Shoreditch and will have its own “distinctive personality,” to reflect the city’s vibrant culture.

The conference will also include innovative visual arts, design, and fashion programming, featuring exhibitions and interactive and immersive experiences across East London. The city’s proximity to other major creative and tech hubs in Europe will also shape programming as organizers look to attract creative talent from across the continent.

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