[Sydney, NSW] The legendary South by Southwest (SXSW®) festival, known as the epitome of cool and the breeding ground for cutting-edge ideas, has been a staple in Austin, Texas, for 37 years. A true melting pot of creativity and innovation, it brings together music, film, TV, gaming, technology, and thought-provoking speakers, making it a sought-after event for the world's best thinkers and creatives.
But now, the excitement is growing as SXSW announces its expansion, adding a second annual event in the Asia-Pacific region. The inaugural SXSW Sydney is set to take place this October in the vibrant city of sunny Sydney, Australia. This move comes at a perfect time, with the New South Wales (NSW) Government currently in discussions with the creative community to develop the state's first arts, cultural, and creative industries policy.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, couldn't be more thrilled about the arrival of SXSW in Sydney. He sees it as a unique opportunity to incubate bold and exciting ideas, setting the stage for the development of various creative sectors in NSW. The event's inaugural lineup boasts an impressive 1000+ events, featuring an array of speakers and music acts that are not to be missed.
The foundational pillars of SXSW Sydney are Music, Tech, and Screen, and they are well represented in the lineup of headline speakers. The festival will host luminaries like Paul Tollet, the CEO of the legendary festival; Cal Henderson, visionary Co-Founder of Slack; and beloved television star Tan France, bringing together a diverse and captivating range of expertise and insights.
With over 700 world-leading speakers and industry leaders already announced, SXSW Sydney promises to be a melting pot of knowledge and inspiration. Speakers such as Ben Lamm, an entrepreneur in de-extinction; Charles Rivkin, CEO of the Motion Picture Association; David Droga, an advertising icon; and Mel Silva, MD of Google Australia, among many others, will grace the stages.
With more than 300 panels and sessions, the festival delves into various cutting-edge topics, including brain-computer interfaces, the future of lab-grown meat, AI fluency, Big Tech transparency, and re-imagining news media, just to name a few.
But SXSW Sydney isn't just about thought-provoking discussions; it also celebrates the arts with over 400 artist performances lined up. Artists from around the world, such as Flyana Boss, almost Monday, South Summit, Chanel Loren, SORRY, ADOY, Lil Cherry & GOLDBUUDA, Daily J, MELODOWNZ, Molly Payton, Isyana Sarasvati, and Lunadira, will grace the stage and showcase their talent.
Colin Daniels, the Managing Director of SXSW Sydney, is brimming with excitement as the event draws near. With just under three months to go, the team is hard at work, preparing over 1,000 events and experiences that will surely captivate attendees. Daniels, a seasoned visitor to SXSW in Austin, is eager to witness the unique gathering of entrepreneurs, artists, futurists, and innovators in Sydney, making it a creative United Nations of sorts.
As the countdown begins, anticipation builds, and Sydney eagerly awaits the arrival of SXSW, ready to embrace the convergence of cutting-edge ideas and creativity in this groundbreaking event. The inaugural SXSW Sydney promises to be an unforgettable celebration of innovation, culture, and the boundless potential of human creativity.
