South by Southwest London
| South by Southwest London | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Conference and festival |
| Dates | June (dates vary) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | London, United Kingdom |
| Inaugurated | June 2, 2025 |
| Organized by | SXSW, LLC |
| Website | sxswlondon |
South by Southwest London (SXSW London) is a music, film, and tech festival hosted in Shoreditch and Hoxton of London, England.[1] Its programming includes live music, keynote speeches, panel discussions, and other kinds of events.[2]
Inaugurated in 2025 with a specific emphasis on artificial intelligence, SXSW London is the first European iteration of the South by Southwest festival annually hosted in Austin, Texas.[3]
History
[edit]SXSW first began in Austin, Texas in 1987 as a multimedia festival with music, film, and tech programming.[4] Since then, the festival has been restructured and managed by the Penske Media Corporation, with festival offshoots, like SXSW Sydney, being operated in order to help "the bottom line" following financial difficulties during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][5]
SXSW executive vice president Darin Klein stated that "The U.K. has a huge creator economy" as a reason for expanding the festival to London.[1] The first SXSW London festival was launched in 2025 and was scheduled to run from June 2–7.[2] On the first day, London mayor Sadiq Khan delivered a kickoff speech, and guest speakers included Demis Hassabis, Beeple, Katherine Ryan, Peter Kyle, Dan Clancy, and Tony Blair.[6][1][2] Films, such as the Eminem documentary Stans, were due to premiere at the Barbican Centre. Musical acts like Tems, Alice Glass, and Mabel headlined the music program.[2][5] Over 25 venues across East London, with hundreds of events total, were tapped for festival programming.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Nayeri, Farah (2025-05-30). "It's Still South by Southwest, but This Time It's in London". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ a b c d Connellan, Shannon (2025-06-02). "SXSW launches first London festival with its eye fixed on AI". Mashable. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ Rayfield, Jillian (2025-05-30). "London Brings Its Own Musical Touch to South by Southwest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ Bakare, Lanre (2025-05-31). "Can South by Southwest's London debut recreate Austin's star-making power?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ a b Duffy, Thom (2025-06-01). "TEMS' Headlining Set & 7 Other Highlights to Watch for at Inaugural SXSW London". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "SXSW: 'The creative eyes of the world will be on London'". Metro. 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "SXSW London: Everything you can expect from festival's inaugural week". Metro. 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2025-06-02.