Submissions Open For SXSW Sydney 2024

Ahead of its return this October, submissions have opened for the Sydney edition of South By Southwest (SXSW).

SEE MORE: Highlights From SXSW Sydney 2023

Prospective presenters were formally invited to apply from this morning (February 13), covering both the conference and festival sides of the weeklong program.

The purpose-built Session Select initiative will manage conference submissions, with 23 areas of focus. Newly added conference tracks include Creator Economy, Cyber & Your Data, Education & Skills, Fashion, Lifestyle & Beauty, and Food.

In a press release, reps for SXSW explained that Session Select emphasises the organisation’s “our belief in the enduring power of an engaged community, to foster collaboration and creative exchange on a global scale”. They quoted Non-Obvious author Rohit Bhargava, who said at last year’s SXSW, “I believe that the only future we can make is the one that we can imagine.”

In a statement of his own, Colin Daniels – managing director for SXSW Sydney – described Session Select as “the spark for the SXSW Sydney Conference”. He explained: “It is how our brilliant creative community sets the agenda with their ideas for the conversations and stimulating content that shapes the conference. I am so excited to see and hear what our global thought leaders come up with for the second SXSW Sydney.”

Meanwhile, SXSW’s board are also taking submissions for this year’s gaming, music and screen showcases, boasting that they’re looking for “your innovative, abstract, genre-defying feature films, shorts, games, bands, solo projects, music videos and episodic works”. This year, too, they’re open to submissions for works that utilise virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality.

Daniels said of the showcase element: “For artists and creatives in the music, screen and games industries, their submission to be a part of the SXSW Sydney Festivals showcase and screenings lineup is the first step to having their work revealed and announced to the wider international world of early discoverers, tastemakers and industry champions that flock to SXSW Sydney. Don’t hesitate to make that submission and be on the path to achieving your global artistic and creative goals.”

Head here to read more about applying to present at SXSW Sydney 2024.

Last year’s SXSW in Sydney featured a mind-boggling 1,178 sessions and events, spread out across a week in October. It marked the first official SXSW to be held outside its usual home of Austin, Texas, and this year it’ll run across October 14-20. The event’s return was announced last December.