SXSW Reveals First Look At Inaugural Event

SXSW Sydney has today launched the first look of their inaugural 2023 event, unveiling their inner city location, event formats and their first badges on sale at Early Bird pricing.

Sydney will be the first city outside of Austin to gather at SXSW, as a collection of the world's most inspired thinkers, creators, innovators and artists gather for the first time in the southern hemisphere. 

The full-week program will run from Sunday, October 15th until Sunday, October 22nd this year.

The event precinct will encompass a walkable footprint within the Sydney CBD and surrounding neighbourhoods throughout areas including Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo and Chippendale. The area will transform into a vibrant hub of event formats including festivals, performances, premieres, exhibitions, meet-ups, speakers, pitches and networking opportunities.

The featured venues and areas include The Lansdowne Hotel, The Abercrombie, Central Park Mall, UTS, Goods Line Walk, Haymarket, The Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, Tumbalong Park, Sofitel and Event Boats in Sydney Harbour. 

The SXSW Sydney Conference will feature more than 400 keynotes, presentations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions. 

Importantly, the SXSW Sydney 2023 Music Festival will take over multiple live music venues in Sydney where official showcasing artists will perform in front of industry reps, media and thousands and fans and fellow musicians. Artists can still apply HERE to participate. 

Also featuring on the line-up of events is the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival and the SXSW Sydney gaming festival.

Ben Franklin, NSW Minister for Tourism and the Arts says on the significant benefits to Sydney’s visitor economy and creative industries: “Sydney is the economic and leisure gateway to Australia with a global reputation for hosting major international events that capture the world's attention. One of Sydney’s greatest assets is its numerous world-class event facilities, located within close proximity to the CBD. 

"An event of this scale will activate a large number of venues throughout the city, supporting the entire ecosystem of Sydney’s visitor and night-time economy. South By Southwest Sydney will put a spotlight on the Harbour City as the major events and creative industries capital of the Asia Pacific.”

SXSW has today revealed the first international music acts on the festival program, with many more to be announced this year. Nigerian British Indie-pop songwriter Connie Constance, Canadian new-wave artist EKKSTACY, London-based quartet Los Bitchos, Japanese punk four-piece Otoboke Beaver and US rapper-producer redveil will all make their SXSW debuts in Sydney.

You can explore the first speaker list via the SXSW website HERE.