Sydney to host Australia’s first South by Southwest conference
It’s a star studded live event heralded as a mecca for music, film, gaming and culture in the USA — and now Sydney will host its first South by Southwest conference next year.
NSW
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A futuristic conference combining music, film, gaming and culture is making its way from America to Sydney next year.
The South by Southwest conference — which has hosted Lady Gaga, Steven Spielberg and Barack Obama at its US iterations — is expected come to NSW in October 2023.
Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said the “iconic” event will help make Sydney “the major events capital for the Asia pacific”.
“South by Southwest is one of the most iconic events anywhere in the world. And this will be the first time that South by Southwest is leaving North America in its history,” he said at the launch.
“We want to make sure that those people who are shaping the future direction of our economy, of our community and our country, and into the world, see Sydney as the place to do business.”
TEG chief executive Geoff Jones will be the event producer for the new event.
“Put simply, SXSW is the Olympics of events for the creator industries, and we are thrilled to bring this legendary festival of gaming, music, screen, tech and innovation to Sydney in 2023. I want to thank the NSW Government and Destination NSW for their support,” he said.
The Sydney debut will mark the first time the event leaves North America in its 36 year history:
The 2023 event, known as a festival for innovation, will see more than a thousand sessions, screenings, performances and parties.
The event builds on the success of this year’s Vivid Sydney light festival that saw record crowds brought into the city — a reprieve after two years with lockdowns.
Overall, crowd numbers at Vivid reached 2.58 million — up by 7.5 per cent from 2019.
What is South by Southwest?
* SXSW combines technology, music, education and culture in one popular event
* It began in Austin, Texas in 1987
* Over the years, the event has become the “global destination” for “creative people to connect, collaborate and achieve their goals”, according to its website.
* It will run for seven days and seven nights when it comes to Sydney in October, 2023.
* It will include a film, music and comedy festival.
* Some iconic moments include musician Kendrick Lamar in 2013; President Barack Obama’s keynote conversation in 2016; and Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in 2019.
* Applications are now open for the 2023 event
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