The Austin, Texas-based SXSW festival has been running for almost 40 years, traditionally taking the form of a loosely connected series of conferences, events, showcases and more — covering film, interactive media, music and art. In recent years it has also been a pivotal showcase for the UK’s resurgent jazz scene, with promoters Jazz re:freshed bringing many rising stars of the British scene to the event for the past eight years.
Now the SXSW is coming to the UK capital for the first time from 2-7 June 2025, with SXSW London’s Music Programme set to feature cutting-edge music, culture and creativity from London, Europe and beyond. Seventy-eight individual events across 20 music venues are being planned, offering more than 600 individual performances. The main music hubs will include Shoreditch Town Hall, Village Underground and 93 East as well as many smaller, grassroots venues.
SXSW London has announced it will begin accepting submissions from 28 October for session proposals across its Conference, Music, and Screen verticals. Artists, performers, thought leaders, community representatives and industry professionals are encouraged to submit their bold and unexpected ideas for the inaugural 2025 Conference via the SXSW London submission portal.
Integral to the SXSW London vision is the central philosophy of open submissions – creating an inclusive programme of diverse voices with public involvement. Submissions for the Conference Programme will close on 29 November, and then from 9-17 December the community will be able to view and vote for sessions they want to see in the vertical. Submissions for Music and Screen will close in January 2025.
Along with submissions, SXSW London also announced its programming vision for the week-long festival, which was inspired by the key themes of convergence and unexpected discovery. The intersection of Conference, Music, Screen, and Visual Arts & Fashion provides a unique environment for imaginative and innovative content. Detailed programming will be announced in the coming months, surveying the convergence of all art forms at a grassroots level.
The worlds of technology, business, society, music, screen and more will be reflected in SXSW London’s wide ranging Conference programming with 23 tracks across four broad categories: Technology, Society, Culture & Creative, and Business. The Conference Programme will be comprised of over 400 sessions across four days in a mix of formats ranging from keynotes and presentations to mentor hours, meet-ups and book readings.
SXSW London invites thought leaders, mavericks and experts to share insights and foster debate – converging tech, innovation and creativity to forge meaningful connections. The Conference Programme will also feature a dynamic Pitch Competition for companies from around the world to compete and showcase their leading tech and business innovations.
The adventurous Music Programme will spotlight international music scenes that transform the culture of their communities through the lens of London and focus on what’s new and what’s next – highlighting iconic moments where music and technology collide with culture coming from diasporic communities and underground movements.
The Screen Programme will incorporate the best parts of SXSW and infuse it with a brand new, distinctively European and uniquely London flavour. With over 250 sessions featuring 80-90 international premiers, the Screen Programme will feature a heavy European focus pulling in UK premieres from neighbouring countries.
The Screen Programme will be imbued with the transgressive, boundary-pushing and creative force that East London has become globally known for.
The Visual Arts & Fashion Programme will reflect London’s position as a centre of creative excellence, celebrating the convergence of art forms– visual art, performance, fashion, sound, moving image and technology. There will be unexpected bespoke and never-before-seen projects from internationally renowned artists and local emerging talents.
Commenting on the London edition, Katy Arnander, Director of Programming for SXSW London, said: “SXSW London provides a global platform for creative and innovative voices to showcase their unconventional and alluring talents. Convergence in tech and creativity is often where we see the most exciting discoveries emerge, and we can’t wait to see the submissions we’ll receive for this theme. Today marks an exciting step closer to our inaugural festival in Shoreditch in June 2025.”
Coming to Shoreditch from 2-7 June 2025, SXSW London will be one of the biggest events on the creative and tech calendar with its own distinctive personality and is set to become the ultimate platform for creative discovery and artistic convergence across Europe.
For more information and to access the session submission portal visit www.sxswlondon.com
