SXSW Sydney an unparalleled coup for our city

Sydney is getting its very own South by South West festival, bringing together the best and brightest creative minds from across the globe for a celebration of music, screen, gaming, technology and innovation in October 2023.

SXSW is not just your average event and I need to explain its significance in a Sydney context. This is a very big deal for our beloved harbour city.

Rapper Joey bada$$ performs at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Sydney is already home to many stellar global events – Vivid, the Sydney Film Festival and Sydney Festival among them – and these events are critical to our local creative industries. SXSW is an unparalleled convergence of the creative industries, and the Sydney version has the potential to be the biggest creative industries gathering in the Asia Pacific. The addition of SXSW Sydney to the events calendar signals a new era for the city’s creative industries and will be a much-needed seismic shift in the right direction.

So, what can Sydneysiders expect? I’ve only been once, but it was the five wildest days of my life. It was 2017, and I booked a last-minute ticket, jumped on a plane, frantically searched for accommodation, and found myself landing at Austin airport weary and with not much sleep. But the sound of live music playing in the airport terminal – and I don’t mean just one band, but several – was a pretty clear indication that this was going to be a fun few days. What happened next floored me.

The streets of Austin during SXSW have an electric energy, with thousands of people everywhere, live music playing on every street corner and shopfront, and so many different things to see and do. No matter how much time you spend, or how many streets you walk, you know you’re only ever seeing the tip of the iceberg. While you may spend hours planning your perfect schedule, going with the flow is key. It’s all about where you are at any given moment and chances are, something great will happen close by. I remember walking down one of the streets to an open parking lot where about a thousand people were milling about – and three minutes later Lizzo, who was just on the cusp of breaking it globally, performed one of the greatest live sets I’ve ever seen.

At SXSW there is the official program, and then there are the parties. The official program is hefty and mind-blowing with showcases of some of the best new global talent, to keynotes featuring people like Lady Gaga, Snoop Dog, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Marie Kondo and the Obamas.

Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto attended the premiere of WeCrashed during the 2022 SXSW in March.

The parties are when the local scene put on a huge array of showcases and events. I stumbled across a Kasey Chambers show in a small country bar, stood in the street and ate tacos while watching a Mexican pop band, and was taught how to dance the two-step by some friendly and patient Texan cowboys. I also met many people, many of whom I am still connected to through my work.

Networking opportunities are a key component of SXSW. Whether you’re a tech entrepreneur or an up-and-coming R&B singer or a budding cinematographer – you will expand your mind and your networks and change the way you think about your creative future.

SXSW Sydney will need to put its own spin on what the Austin experience has been delivering for many years. Sydney is uniquely positioned to bring together brilliant people from all over the Asia Pacific, showcase exceptional talent, and provide a platform for a new kind of creative connectivity in our region. With Australia being home to the oldest living culture on the planet, as well as some of the most exciting new creative talent in the world, SXSW Sydney will elevate our creative industries to a whole new level, at just the right time.

While you might not find a Texan cowboy to teach you how to dance the two-step, buckle up because SXSW Sydney in October 2023 is going to be the start of something truly special for this city.

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