Named by some as “the Olympics of festivals,” SXSW Sydney is returning for its second year this October.
What can you expect at the conference? How can you get tickets to enter? And what is SXSW anyway?
Find out all about the incredible festival with an established history in the US and a blossoming history in Australia.
What is SXSW Sydney?
SXSW is a week-long conference featuring several expos and festivals all rolled into one.
Specifically, it consists of:
Tech & Innovation Expo
Speakers, panels, Q&As, workshops, showcases, and more with people in the tech industry. Learn with the best, find out about emerging tech, and network with others in your field.
Screen Festival
Long films and short films as well as TV programmes.
Workshops, speeches, and more all about different elements of the filmmaking industry.
Games Festival
Live plays, demos, panels, speeches, workshops and more all about the video game industry.
Music Festival
Live performances by musical artists big and small. Workshops for anyone involved in the music industry.
2024 will be the conference’s second year in Sydney, and hopefully, it will keep on returning! Such a huge gathering of talents and experts across these industries gives the APAC region a notable platform that the world can see.
What About Food & Drink and Lodging?
In partnership with SXSW Sydney, the city of Sydney is prepared to provide accommodations and recommendations to SXSWers no matter where they hail from.
There will also be a few activation spaces within local establishments where live music will play and where some brands will be hosting food services.
How Did SXSW Start?
SXSW began as a tiny music festival in Austin, Texas, USA. The first year the festival was held was 1986. Since then, it has completely exploded, expanding into four separate festivals (music, film, games, and tech & innovation) and establishing events internationally, like the one in Sydney!
One of the major reasons for the creation of SXSW was to boost local artists’ visibility and give them a larger presence. Even though today, artists can spread awareness and share their music online, live exposure is still one of the best ways for bands to gain momentum and recognition. Many smaller artists have performed at SXSW and were successfully “discovered” by people in the music industry who helped elevate them to great heights.
With SXSW Sydney focusing on the APAC region, it’s a great opportunity for artists, bands, filmmakers, tech companies, etc to be seen by the rest of the world and possibly ascend to great heights as well.
SXSW Sydney 2024 Dates
This year, SXSW Sydney will be held from 14 October to 20 October.
The majority of the conference will be in and around the International Convention Centre in Sydney, located in Darling Harbour. There will also be many events in nearby areas, like Tumbalong Park.
How Does SXSW Work?
Those who were interested in presenting at the conference submitted applications months ago. So, if you want to attend SXSW next year as a contributing partner, be sure to look out for applications!
For the rest of us, there is the option to purchase admission.
SXSW Sydney Badges
There are a few different tiers for admission to SXSW.
Beginning a few months in advance, badge sales will open at a discounted price.
However, it’s worth noting that the most expensive badge, the Platinum Badge, always carries a hefty price, generally over AUD $1500. This badge will get you into any event you want, plus some exclusive ones only for Platinum Badge holders.
If you can forego the Platinum perks, you can purchase a badge for primary access to a specific festival (one of the four mentioned above). You can also access the other three festivals beyond the specific one you purchased, but you will have secondary access only. These tend to be around AUD $1000. The Weekend Tech & Innovation badge is only about $300, though!
Wristbands are much cheaper, but they only grant you secondary access to one festival. If you’re really only interested in one element of the convention, this is a great choice. They tend to be around $140.
Lastly, you can opt for a ticket to one day of the Tech & Innovation expo ($40) or one film screening ($25).
Remember that there are also some free events all week long! We will give some more details on these events in the next section.
SXSW Sydney Schedule
The schedule for SXSW is extensive, with over 1000 events including speeches, panels, discussions, Q&As, screenings, musical performances, video game demos, video game competitions and live play, workshops, and more!
Therefore, it’s not possible for us to list the whole schedule. Thankfully SXSW has a comprehensive line-up on their website where you can learn more about each event and even build a schedule for yourself!
Throughout the week, from Monday 14 October to Sunday 20 October, prepare to find a wide swath of events to choose from in each festival category!
Some of the best can’t-miss events you need to know about include:
Space – How Moments Create A Movement With Katherine Bennell-Pegg
The Australian astronaut and space systems engineer will be speaking about her experience as an astronaut and what the future of space travel (and possibly tourism) might look like.
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – And How To Get Your Brain Back With Johann Hari
One of the keynote speakers of the entire conference, Johann Hari, will be speaking in more depth about the subjects he has come to be known for in recent years: technology and mindfulness.
Diversifying Diversity: Beyond Buzzwords Towards Inclusive Innovation
Associate Professor Rashina Hoda, who is an expert in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), will discuss what the term means as our understanding of such things evolves and how it benefits humanity as a whole.
The name “South by Southwest” is a play on the name of the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film North by Northwest.
Film Screenings
There are also 100+ movie and TV screenings taking place, with a variety so large you will surely find something incredible to watch!
You can find free screenings at Tumbalong Park, but the majority of the screenings will be taking place within the paid portion of the expo.
Musical Performances
With over 300 performances scheduled, your days and nights can also be full of music from all genres.
Many of these performances will also be available on the free stages in Tumbalong Park.
Video Games
There are over 120 video games set to be featured at SXSW, and those are just the games that are getting a showcase! There will also be opportunities to play existing games with others in friendly matches.
SXSW Sydney Free Events
Not every free event has been announced or scheduled, but there will be events that are free to the public every day during the conference.
These events will be taking place at Tumbalong Park.
The main events to look out for are:
The Innovation Showcase
The STEM fields are highlighted as companies share some of their recent developments. One of the anticipated highlights is the ZERO Australian 100% electric bike showcase, where they will be displaying the new ZERO SR/X prototype.
Screen, Music, and Games Programming
Find free events across these more interactive elements of SXSW, including a Fortnite contest between two high schools, where one will earn the first-ever Acer Predator League Academy championship trophy presented by Team PWR and Fortnite icons Lachlan and Loserfruit.
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A showcase of South Asian musical artists performing all day! Supported by the Centre for Australia-India Relations, this showcase will highlight 6 musical acts from India and the Indian diaspora.
The Dome
The Growth Distillery Dome will host a variety of talks and speeches, meet & greets, book signings, demonstrations and more all through the week.
Local Activation Spaces
Beyond the stages, you'll find brand activations throughout the city. CommBank will be hosting an event to help you recognise scams more easily, Zeekr will have a test-driving zone, the ALL.com lobby will have its own mini-expo in the lobby, Suntory minus 196 will return with its giant-sized vending machine drink stand, ARN will be showcasing some of the behind-the-scenes magic of radio, and finally Papa Salt will celebrate the debut of the Papa Salt Paloma drink with a screening of The Endless Summer 60th Anniversary.
Overall, SXSW has become synonymous with a modern cultural showcase and networking event. Whether you want to attend for business or pleasure, you will find a copious amount of events that will meet your needs! And if you can’t make it to SXSW this year, be sure to be on the lookout for next year’s information in the coming months so you can begin planning early.
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