SXSW Kicks Off Tomorrow - Here's What You Need To Know

Firstly, what is SXSW? 

South By Southwest - or SXSW as it's now more commonly known - is an annual conference and festival that brings together the interactive, film and music industries, with keynote addresses and one of the world's most regarded showcasing event series (which Australian artists are regulars at). 

Held in Austin, Texas the conference was founded in 1987 and has been a staple since. In its first year, the event drew in 700 people on its opening day. In 2019, around 417,000 people attended across the two weeks.  

See the full history here.

You've got me, I'm in. How do I watch? 

This year SXSW is heading online (following on from last year's abrupt cancellation due to emerging COVID-19 pandemic) making it easier for Australians to attend than ever before. Running from 16-20 March, this year will include the following as part of the digital ticket. 

• Conference Keynotes & Featured Speakers
• Mentor Sessions & Workshops
• Film Festival* Exclusive Premieres, Screenings, and Q&As
• Music Festival Showcases & Events
• Comedy Festival Showcases and Podcasts
• Online Exhibitions
• Networking Meet Ups and Other Opportunities
• Professional Development

SXSW Online Passes are still available for $399 USD. Check out the video below with more information about what you can expect. 

And when does this kick off? 

Music showcases are due to run from 2.30pm-10pm Austin time from 16-20 March. This means we can expect a start here in Aus around 6.30am AEDT on Wednesday morning. SXSW has the following notes regarding music showcases. 

• For attendees in the eastern hemisphere, the schedule repeats over the next 12 hour cycle. 
• Music Festival Showcases are appointment viewing so don’t miss them when they air.

If you're still struggling with the time zone conversion, this website has some handy tools to help. 

Who's representing Australia this year? 

It's a very, very exciting list of acts representing Australia in 2021: 

• Alexander Biggs - Melbourne 
• Alice Skye - Melbourne 
• Baker Boy - Melbourne 
• Beans - Geelong 
• The Chats - Sunshine Coast 
• Death By Denim - Perth 
• Didirri - Melbourne 
• Hachiku - Melbourne 
• Hauskey - Perth 
• Indigo Sparke - Byron Bay 
• Jaguar Jonze - Brisbane 
• Kee’ahn - Melbourne 
• Kota Banks & Ninajirachi - Sydney 
• The Lazy Eyes - Sydney 
• Luke Howard - Melbourne 
• The Merindas - Melbourne 
• No Money Enterprise - Brisbane 
• Shannen James - Melbourne 
• Sophie Hutchings - Sydney 
• Sycco - Brisbane
  
  

Where can I see the full performance list? 

Head right on over here to see the list of showcasing artists from all over the world. 

What about the conference part? 

Like every other year SXSW has delivered when it comes to their conference speakers. Here's just a few: 

• Willie Nelson
• Carole King
• Queen Latifah & LL COOL J
• Alexi Pappas & Bill Hader
• Mick Fleetwood
• Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson & Mary J Blige 
• Demi Lovato
• Ava DuVernay
• Wyclef Jean
• Matthew McConaughey
• Anthony and Joe Russo & Elizabeth Banks
• Lenzo Yoon
• Samantha Bee
• Taraji P Henson
• Stacey Abrams
• George W. Bush
• Sir Richard Branson
• Steve Aoki

Check out the SXSW website for specific session times and details. 

I still need more info. Where can I find that? 

Head over to the SXSW official website here and they'll have all the answers you're looking for.