The world’s leading festival celebrates creativity and technology with European expansion
South by Southwest (SXSW), the world’s leading festival celebrating the convergence of creativity, culture and technology, is launching in London in June 2025. Through its multidisciplinary conferences and cultural festivals, SXSW has become a global platform to celebrate new ideas, propelling the careers of innovators and creatives across sectors, from startup founders to independent artists and filmmakers.
SXSW London expands the footprint of the world’s leading and most sought-after cultural platform created over almost four decades in Austin, Texas. Every year, hundreds of thousands of creatives converge at SXSW to discuss and debate some of the most challenging issues of our time, with innovation in technology and science presented alongside the world’s biggest music and entertainment stories. From AI to climate change, politics to society, and the first outings for game-changing startups such as Twitter and Airbnb, SXSW has been at the forefront of ideas and providing platforms for the world’s most critical and impactful voices.
Since 1987, SXSW has welcomed the world’s 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 creates unrivaled showcasing opportunities for new musicians and filmmakers, with a roll call of firsts that has helped propel global cultural icons like Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and Ed Sheeran, and other influential artists such as Skepta, Stormzy and Wet Leg.
SXSW London will bring a distinctive personality, driven by London’s internationally renowned cultural life and creativity, its status as a global meeting place, and its proximity to other major creative and tech centers in Europe. For a week in June, SXSW London will take over dozens of venues, galleries, clubs, and other spaces in Shoreditch, east London, renowned as a vibrant center for creativity and technological innovation, as well as for its diversity, energetic youth culture, global cuisine and nightlife.
SXSW London will build upon London’s place within the community of over 20 million people working in the creative and technology sectors across Europe. In the UK alone, the cultural and creative industries contribute £125 billion, with London contributing more than half of the UK’s entire creative industries economic output.
In addition to inspiring and challenging keynotes, music showcases, and innovations in tech, gaming and screen, SXSW London will introduce boundary-pushing visual arts, design and fashion programming, with exhibitions and interactive and immersive experiences in public spaces across its east London campus.
As SXSW’s European edition, SXSW London will focus creative talent across Europe. SXSW London will continue to encourage the convergence of creativity and culture, unexpected discoveries, and connections between visitors, creating opportunities for attendees, performers, and the broader London community to collaborate and innovate. SXSW London will also continue to develop Austin’s focus on climate action and sustainability and to drive positive change for future generations.
More details about the SXSW London 2025 program will be announced in the coming months, with badges due to go on sale in October 2024.
The wait is over, the cat's out of the bag, the world’s most incredible creativity and tech event is coming to Europe. London, June 2025
Sign up to find out about exclusive ticket releases and to be the first in the know – link in bio 🔗 pic.twitter.com/MAgMVedr7U
— sxswlondon (@sxswlondon2025) May 8, 2024
