Building on the momentum of its inaugural landmark edition SXSW London Announces it is Open for Business for 2026

22 October 2025 - Press release

 

• SXSW London builds on the success of its inaugural year with its 2026 programme.
• Passes for access across the festival are now available to purchase on the SXSW London website.

 

The leading European platform for the convergence of technology and the creative industries, South by Southwest^® (SXSW^®) London, today announces passes on sale for its 2026 event. 

Taking place in Shoreditch, East London from 1-6 June 2026, SXSW London 2026 will present a global platform for big moments from independent thinkers. The festival upholds a commitment to its distinctive programming mix of conference, film, music, technology and the visual arts. 

 

The 2026 programming vision
Today, SXSW London unveils the programming tracks for its Conference strand – fifteen bold and forward-thinking themes at the forefront of innovation, creativity and societal transformation.

From the disruptive power of AI and the future of human-machine collaboration to the breakthroughs reshaping health, finance, and urban life, this year’s programming will explore the ideas and technologies defining tomorrow.  

Attendees can expect thought-provoking sessions on frontier technologies like quantum computing, robotics, and space exploration, alongside deep dives into the evolution of entertainment, immersive storytelling, and the gamified worlds that are rewriting cultural norms. The festival will also spotlight the rise of the creator economy, the reinvention of marketing in an attention-driven age, and the strategies powering corporate transformation and startup success.

The SXSW programme is reflective of the community in which it takes place. The conference and festival are hosted across a campus of historic buildings such as Christ Church and iconic venues such as Truman Brewery, as well as an array of grassroots music venue, showcasing one of the city’s most diverse and influential areas and its unique spirit. 

 

Building on a successful inaugural entrance to Europe
During its inaugural European event, the festival welcomed a remarkable lineup of global leaders and cultural icons – from His Majesty The King, Mayor Sadiq Khan and former Prime Ministers, to Idris Elba, Dr. Jane Goodall and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind – embodying the event’s ethos of beautiful collisions across disciplines. The festival welcomed 20,500 visitors and delegates from more than 80 countries, focused on gathering uniquely independent insights and discovering future trends.

A festival of firsts, the inaugural event spotlighted breakthrough moments across film, music tech and business. From Björn Ulvaeus announcing the making of the first AI-assisted musical, to Dame Caroline Dineage’s pledge to launch a fan-led review into live music, the conference track was home to pivotal industry moments. 

SXSW London will once again become a home for platforming big moments and big ideas across a wide spectrum of industries. This includes supporting disruptive entrepreneurs through the return in 2026 of SXSW’s Venture Spotlight competition that attracted over 100 submissions from leading universities across Europe. This year, the competition awarded funding for: Kneu Health, a precision neurology platform for Parkinson’s and dementia; Mimicrete, an advanced materials science startup developing self-healing concrete; and XRLabs, which revolutionises surgical care through integrating XR, AI and advanced computer vision. 

Building on the success of last year’s multiple world and UK premiere screenings, Screen at SXSW London 2026 will capitalise on the festival’s placement just ahead of Emmy voting with a greater focus in television programming and will also expand into underrepresented territories such as North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. 

SXSW London’s music curation will continue to serve as a launchpad for global creativity, spotlighting everything from grassroots artists to showstopping headliners, such as Tems and Mabel in SXSW 2025,  SXSW London showcased rising talent and discovery, with acts such as Pa Salieu and Lila Ike on its stages – with Salieu’s Afrikan Alien going on to earn a Mercury Prize nomination, and Lila Ike later named Female Reggae Artist of the Year. The festival will continue to provide unique opportunities, to headline talent, such as Idris Elba and Erykah Badu, who both DJ’d at the inaugural festival. 

In 2025 the visual arts program featured marquee artists, such as Beeple, Andy Warhol and Maria Abramovic, making the connection between technology and visual culture. In 2026 the visual arts program will take on a greater European focus and continue to explore the link between art and technology. 

 

Katy Arnander, Director of Programming at SXSW London, said, “SXSW London 2026 is about deepening the convergence of technology, business and creativity in one of the world's most dynamic cities. Our editorial intent is to spotlight bold ideas, unexpected perspectives and diverse voices and we aim to offer our independently minded community the connections, insights and discoveries they need as they navigate an increasingly complex world.”

In September, SXSW London announced it would begin accepting session proposals from the public across its Conference, Music and Screen strands. Thought leaders, mavericks, experts and all others are invited to submit their bold and unexpected ideas for the Conference via the submission portal. 

 

Platinum Passes are strictly limited and offer premium access to the complete festival for £1300. The Festival Pass provides access to the premiere business conference, trailblazing music festival and pioneering screen festival for £1000.

Music Passes & Screen Passes with access to the Music and Screen festivals, and selected conference programming, will be going live on Monday 27th October.

For more information, please visit: sxswlondon.com