Sydney has become the first-ever host city of an annual South by Southwest (SXSW®) event outside Austin, Texas. This was announced by Destination New South Wales (NSW). The inaugural Asia Pacific edition of the iconic creative industries festival kicks off today and will run from Sunday 15 October to Sunday 22 October (AEST).
SXSW Sydney will feature over 1,200 events and sessions, including a line-up of luminary speakers from various creative industries. This will include Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman, Grammy-winning artist Chance The Rapper, creator of Black Mirror Charlie Brooker, filmmaker and director Baz Luhrmann, Australian actress Naomi Watts and many more.
The NSW Government, in partnership with TEG, secured the event. SXSW is famous for being the launchpad of what is next, famously providing a pitch platform for Uber and X (formerly known as Twitter) and the first global stage to a young Billie Eilish. This time, the event will showcase Sydney as a hub for the creative industries in the Asia Pacific. It will bring together creatives, tech pioneers, musicians and culture enthusiasts from across the region and beyond.
SXSW Sydney is a city-wide music festival, futurist think tank, a showcase of the latest games, alongside film and TV world premieres and next-gen technology expo. This one-of-a-kind event will take place at various locations in Sydney’s central business district, including Darling Harbour, Darling Quarter, Haymarket, Ultimo and Chippendale. The event will activate a large number of venues throughout the city, supporting the entire ecosystem of Sydney’s visitor and night-time economy.
