Can South by Southwest's London debut recreate Austin's star-making power?

The Guardian

2 days ago

South by Southwest London could become a launchpad for 'music's global superstars of the future', according to the organisers of the event, which starts its inaugural edition on Monday.
SXSW London's director of programming, Katy Arnander, and the event's managing director, Randel Bryan said that despite huge competition in the capital, the event, which has been billed as 'Olympics of the mind' and is known as SXSW, could become a star-maker.
'We had Amy Winehouse playing in tiny venues back in the day,' says Bryan, referring to the Austin event. 'We've had Adele and Ed Sheeran, and we're hoping that South by Southwest in London is the same platform to really launch the global superstars of the future.'
The original event, which launched in the Texas capital of Austin in 1987, has grown to a London-wide festival that attracts hundreds of ­thousands of visitors to the city in March.
A mix of cutting-edge music, tech, talks from business and political figures and a film strand, previous guests to the event including Barack and Michelle Obama, Johnny Cash, Matthew McConaughey, Kelly Rowland, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
The London event has been welcomed with open arms by everyone from music figures to the city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, who said he was 'delighted' to have SXSW in London, where it will take over multiple venues in Shoreditch in the east of the city.
But launching in London is a risk.
When SXSW is in the Texas capital, it takes over the city's downtown area – a feat that's impossible in London. The UK's capital is not Austin, which is a big city but without the myriad cultural offerings of London.
On the music front, nearby Brighton's Great Escape has long been billed as the UK's answer to SXSW, while this summer season is packed with park festivals that started last weekend at Brockwell Park despite a row over use of public space.
Events such as Intelligence Squared already offer access to the great minds of our time, and the London film festival brings in talent from all over the world.
So what does SXSW London offer?
'We really do believe that it's truly unique in the ability to combine creativity with technology and bring some of the greatest thought leaders together on a platform,' says Arnander, who previously worked at the Barbican and Sadler's Wells. 'And so in that sense, we think it's something truly remarkable to bring to the UK.'
'Austin is very music focused, but we're sort of broadening it out and introducing other elements to it,' adds Arnander, highlighting the visual arts programme that features Alvaro Barrington.
In the 2000s and 2010s, the Austin event became known as a key launchpad for musical talent, particularly British artists, who went to Texas and came back after planting a flag in the notoriously difficult to break American market.
Amy Winehouse, Dua Lipa, Skepta and Stormzy all made waves in Austin, but over recent years, that kingmaker status has faltered.
Last year, more than 80 artists withdrew from the 2024 edition in support of Palestine after Israel's invasion of Gaza, citing SXSW's ties to the US army and the defence contractor RTX Corporation.
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The US army was listed as a 'super sponsor' of the 2024 festival, and SXSW initially defended the partnership, while also supporting the boycotting artists.
SXSW said it defended the artists' right to free speech but added that the 'defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today'. In June 2024, the festival ended its US army partnership after the backlash.
When asked if the row had affected bookings, Arnander said: 'No, just to be clear, we're quite independent from Austin, and while Austin had sponsorship from the US army, we don't have any such sponsorship.'
The UK and US events are owned by different companies.
London's musical offering has some big names: Afrobeats star Tems is playing a show at the Troxy, Wyclef Jean is in town, while Erykah Badu was a late addition to the lineup. Mabel is another highlight.
But compared with the US event's usual musical lineup – where Drake, Lana Del Rey, John Legend or Iggy Pop might show up – London's first edition feels underpowered.
SXSW London's talks programme is where most of the star wattage is found. The CEO of Google's AI laboratory DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, is over for a chat about artificial intelligence; Hollywood spiritual guru Deepak Chopra imparts wisdom; while the former Arsenal star Cesc Fàbregas discusses the rise of Como, the Italian side he manages.
Fitness influencer Joe Wicks will give his thoughts on integrating fitness into office life (working meetings, apparently), while actor Idris Elba talks about creativity and comedian Katherine Ryan discusses immortality.
The US event also evolved to include film programming, alongside the traditional tech, talks and music. SXSW London will take over the Barbican, hosting premieres of Eminem's fan documentary Stans and Tom Kingsley's comedy Deep Cover starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom, while there's a retrospective for British film-maker Jenn Nkiru at Christ Church in Spitalfields.