03-03-2025
Which Austin roads will be closed for SXSW this year?
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The 2025 South by Southwest Conference & Festivals is just around the corner — as are plenty of road closures and disruptions in and near downtown.
The city of Austin outlined dozens of full and partial road closures related to the festival, along with areas near downtown that are available for local traffic only or will serve as Austin Police Department-run safety zones as needed.
With increased pedestrian, vehicular, bike and scooter foot traffic downtown, SXSW organizers are encouraging attendees to utilize rideshare services, public transit or micromobility resources as opposed to driving themselves. Those who still prefer to drive can find parking locations and availability online, as well as pricing details on the Austin Convention Center's two parking garages.
SXSW will also run a free circulating shuttle linking the Austin Convention Center with several venues in the downtown, south Austin and eastside neighborhoods. A breakdown of those stops and operational times by day are detailed in the map below.
25_SXSW_shuttle-map_WEBDownload
CapMetro will offer specialty extended rail services, with trains running until 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays during SXSW. Otherwise, rail will run until midnight all other nights of the festival.
CapMetro's MetroRapid 800, 801, 803 and 837 bus lines will run until 12:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, 12 a.m. Saturday and 11:30 p.m. Sundays. Other CapMetro bus routes that can transport attendees to downtown and east Austin include:
Route 1
Route 2
Route 3
Route 4
Route 7
Route 10
Route 20
Route 30
A handful of Night Owl bus routes will also offer regular services from midnight to 3 a.m. Riders can board those buses at Sixth Street and Congress Avenue, with the following routes offered:
481: North Lamar Boulevard
483: Riverside Drive
484: South Lamar Boulevard
485: Cameron Road
486: South Congress Avenue
Attendees interested in renting a bike during SXSW can bother borrow and return bikes from CapMetro's Bikeshare program, with 73 stations available.
A complete breakdown of CapMetro's SXSW service operations, bus and rail frequencies and final departure times are available online.
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