South by Southwest (SXSW), the futurist conference and festival, has unveiled its plans for its first-ever event in Sydney, Australia. For the first time, the world-renowned event will be held outside of Austin, Texas and is set to bring together the most innovative and creative minds from the Asia-Pacific region.
SXSW has a long history of gathering visionaries, entrepreneurs, and creatives from a variety of industries in Austin, Texas. The conference was founded in 1987 as a regional music festival and has since expanded to include technology, film, and more. The conference has become a staple in the tech and creative industries, offering a unique platform for innovative thinking and collaboration.
SXSW Sydney will take place from Sunday, October 15 to Sunday, October 22, 2023, and will bring together the Asia-Pacific’s pre-eminent creative industries across the content pillars of Tech and Innovation, Gaming, Music, Screen, and Culture. The event will feature keynote speaker, American futurist, author, and CEO/Founder of Future Today Institute, Amy Webb, as well as a host of other featured speakers and musical acts.
Event Precinct
Supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, SXSW Sydney will encompass a walkable footprint within the Sydney CBD and surrounding neighbourhoods. True to the spirit of discovery at the core of SXSW®, areas such as Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more will transform into a vibrant, interconnected hub of event formats including festivals, performances, premieres, exhibitions, meet-ups, speakers, pitches and networking opportunities, with ideas and surprises to uncover on every street corner.
Event Formats
A core part of the event is the SXSW Sydney Conference, taking place in multiple venues including ICC Sydney, UTS, The Powerhouse Museum and more, featuring more than 400 keynotes, presentations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions with inspiring thinkers and leaders. The SXSW Sydney Technology & Innovation Exhibitions will showcase innovative and emerging tech and entertainment companies from across the Asia-Pacific region, while the Startup Village serves as a seminal spot for meet-ups, presentations and workspace areas with showcases from the brightest up-and-coming businesses across all industries and sectors.
Geoff Jones, Chair of SXSW Sydney, said in a statement, “SXSW Sydney will be a complete game-changer for Sydney and the Asia Pacific. Locally, it will increase visitation and bolster the creative economy. Within APAC, it will facilitate a special connection between creative industries and businesses in the region – the kind that can lead to collaboration and innovation on a global scale. I can’t wait to see the opportunities flow on from October this year.”
The event is expected to have a significant impact on Sydney’s visitor economy and creative industries. Ben Franklin, NSW Minister for Tourism and the Arts, said in a statement, “Sydney is the economic and leisure gateway to Australia with a global reputation for hosting major international events that capture the world’s attention. 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.”
Colin Daniels, Managing Director of SXSW Sydney, added, “Today’s announcement is simply the first port in a voyage of discovery. Over the next eight months, we will reveal more speakers, more music, more screen, and more gaming content from Australia, the Asia Pacific, and from around the world. I’m excited to partner with some of the leading innovators in the creative, business, and technology communities to enable people to see their world, their work, and their ingenuity from a series of new and inspiring angles.”
Jann Baskett, Co-President and Chief Brand Officer of SXSW, said, “We’re excited to see SXSW Sydney come to life with its first programming announcement. From Austin alumni including Amy Webb, Guy Kawasaki, and Yiying Lu to innovative speakers from the Asia Pacific region, this lineup serves as a testament to SXSW Sydney’s commitment to providing a platform for creative thinkers across the many industries the event will highlight.”
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney 2023 festival has revealed more details about its upcoming event, set to take place in October of this year. The festival, which includes both a music festival and a screen festival, will take over multiple venues in central Sydney and feature official showcasing artists who will perform in front of industry reps, media, and fans from around the world. Musicians interested in participating can now apply to perform.
The SXSW Sydney Screen Festival will offer a program of film, episodic content, digital, XR, and social content premieres, showcasing screen culture’s diversity in the Asia-Pacific and beyond. The festival will feature red carpet premieres, immersive screen experiences, Q&As, and panel discussions with creators, offering both industry and public access to world-leading screen ideas and perspectives.
The SXSW Sydney festival is set to be a dynamic event, showcasing the best in music and screen culture from around the world. Get ready for an exciting lineup of performances and exhibitions in the beautiful city of Sydney!
SXSW Sydney promises to be a must-attend event for anyone interested in the future of the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The first badges for the event are now available for purchase at early bird pricing. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as the event unfolds.
