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Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
SXSW London: Five live performances, film showcases and talks you must see
The world's creative eyes are on London this week as the capital's first SXSW festival kicks off. Across six jam-packed days, the likes of Idris Elba, Sophie Turner and Katherine Ryan will grace stages across numerous venues in Shoreditch, east London. And it's not just talks. Established and rising musicians make up an eclectic roster of live performances. Talking to Metro, festival CEO Max Alexander described this year's event as a 'love letter to London'. There's so much to see and experience across the week. Thankfully, Metro, as SXSW London media partners, has teamed up with festival curators for their five must-see events across music, film and conference. Metro's assistant editor (news) Rory McKeown has also given his five music acts to see this year. NAO Sasha Keable Alice Glass DJ LO Down Loretta Brown AKA Erykah Badu Lila Ike Alice Glass Amahla Heartworms Keg L'Objectif Ticketing app DICE has put together a list of their 25 grassroots artists you need to see in London over the next six months. With tickets ranging from free to £27.50, these shows will ensure a great night to suit all tastes and budgets. Click HERE to catch the full list. Cosmic Archeology: The films of Jenn Nkiru Unbound (world premiere) Plainclothes (UK premiere) Silent Observers (UK premiere) Lesbian Space Princess (UK premiere) A Conversation on AI – Demis Hassabis, co-founder & CEO, Google DeepMind & Francine Laqua, Anchor and Editor-At-Large, Bloomberg Engineering the Impossible – Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO, Colossal Biosciences & Sophie Turner The Future of Entertainment – Björn Ulvaeus & Laura Barton, Guardian The Brand the Brand the Brand! – Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO, VaynerMedia & Selina Sykes, Unilever Transforming at Scale – Mark Read, WPP and Katie Prescott, Technology Business Editor, The Times SXSW London takes place from today (June 2) until Saturday (June 7) at venues across London. For more information and tickets, click here. MORE: Rochelle Humes has moved on from music – what she's doing now might surprise you MORE: Rock legend, 78, wheeled off stage in coffin during bizarre exit MORE: SXSW London: Everything you can expect from festival's inaugural week in the Capital
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
SXSW London: Everything you can expect from festival's inaugural week
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page 'London – I think it's the greatest city on Earth'. Those are the words of SXSW London CEO Max Alexander as one of the world's biggest festivals finally rolls into down today. Famed for its eclectic mix of music acts, film showcases, A-list appearances, and industry networking, SXSW makes its way from Austin, Texas, to the Capital for a feast of innovative talks, live performances, and film premieres until Saturday. SXSW has grown into one of the world's most recognisable and vital creative industry festivals since launching in 1987. This year, more than 25 venues across Shoreditch in east London will host events including talks from Idris Elba, Katherine Ryan, Cesc Fabregas, Ian Wright, and Sophie Turner, and live music from Erykah Badu, Mabel, Alice Glass, and Pa Salieu, among a diverse mix of emerging and established talent. Fans can buy a variety of passes tailored around what they want to see across conference, music and film – or an individual music wristband to catch some of the 500 live performances over the week. SXSW CEO Max Alexander told Metro this inaugural festival will be a 'love letter to London' (Picture: SXSW London) Organisers hope the inaugural week will cement a legacy across London by supporting charity initiatives, shine a light on the city's grassroots venues, and represent important issues among the community through the newly launched SXSW London Advisory Council. Find out more about London's grassroots venues here DICE's 25 grassroots artists to see in 2025 Ticketing app DICE has put together a list of their 25 grassroots artists you need to see in London over the next six months. With tickets ranging from free to £27.50, these shows will ensure a great night to suit all tastes and budgets. Click HERE to catch the full list. One of SXSW's annual standout events is UK House, which showcases British innovation, creativity and technology through talks and immersive experiences. It also features live performances from the UK's best rising talent thanks to the British Music Embassy – a key partner of the Department for Business and Trade. The showcase has become a staple of SXSW and helped launch international careers of Sam Fender, The 1975, Little Simz, and many more. And this year it's coming to London's Devonshire Square. Venues that will be hosting events during SXSW London this year (Picture: Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Our creative industries are a powerhouse of global innovation and it's a real vote of confidence in the UK's attractiveness for investors that SXSW has chosen us as its first ever European location. 'I am proud that our UK House at SXSW London will reflect our position as a truly global destination for business. 'With creative industries being identified as a key growth sector in our upcoming modern Industrial Strategy, we're not only helping to attract and secure investment, but delivering long-term growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the UK, backing our Plan for Change.' Max Alexander, who was also CEO of Secret Cinema, told Metro: 'SXSW's ambition is to become part of the cultural fabric of London. 'It's a love letter to London, but being incredibly respectful for what London already is, which is just a profound nexus of culture, business, creativity, ideas, technology, finance, and philosophy. 'We want to help amplify for London, for Britain, and indeed for Europe, technologies, business models, art forms, and music creatives, and give people a really explicit platform for presentation, discovery and investigation. Mayor Sadiq Khan on SXSW London Mayor of London Sadiq Khan poses next to the London Music Grassroots Venue Tube Map, supported by Metro (Picture: Belinda Jiao) I was lucky to be a part of SXSW in Austin in 2018, and I saw first-hand the electric atmosphere of innovation that the festival creates. From helping to shape the future of tech and AI, to providing a platform for major new artists, SXSW London is a significant opportunity to generate new ideas, promote our capital and help inspire the next generation. This week the creative eyes of the world will be on London as our capital becomes the first European city to ever host SXSW. Leaders from the tech, media, gaming and creative industries are descending on Shoreditch in East London as the world-renowned Texas festival comes to our capital. Across 34 venues there will be hundreds of talks, live music, and film and TV screenings, as some of the world's most exciting talent come together. It's a great addition to our cultural calendar and another boost to our creative industries. These vital industries generate more than £63bn for the UK economy, having significantly surpassed pre-pandemic levels. They help define how London is perceived around the world, and provide young people with positive opportunities and access to training and jobs. SXSW is also the start of the biggest ever month for business and investment in London, with the Concordia Europe Summit, London Tech Week and London Climate Action Week all taking place in June. This series of major business events will attract thousands of dealmakers, investors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, innovators and creatives from all over the world, demonstrating that London is truly the best city for creativity, talent and business in the world. Photographer Misan Harriman premieres his new film Shoot the People at SXSW London Globally renowned photographer and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Misan Harriman will be premiering his new film Shoot the People at the festival on Tuesday (June 3) before taking part in a UK House panel named Storytelling as a Force for Change on Wednesday (June 4). He told Metro: 'Shoot the People is a feature-length documentary on what it means to be an artist that refuses to look away in the age of apathy, what it means to document protest movements and how important protest is in our age and I can't wait to share that with the world. 'We added two extra screenings as all the seats sold out within 24 hours so a lot of people are excited to see this film because they have also been on a journey of understanding that their voice matters. 'We are the change that we are looking for – if there are things you are unhappy about maybe your whisper is actually a roar when you realise there is a community of thousands, if not millions, that are also whispering about something. And that's what this film is about.' SXSW has become one of the world's biggest industry festivals in the world since launching in Austin, Texas, in 1987 (Picture: Tina Rataj) This Morning's Rochelle Humes, a former member of The Saturdays, will be hosting her Ladies Who Launch Lunch that celebrates the podcast at UK House on Tuesday (June 3). 'I'm really excited that we're going to have a presence there', she told Metro. 'I'm so passionate about connecting women in business, and that's the very reason that the podcast exists. 'It's quite quickly built a community organically. I know that's such a buzz word now, but actually, that's what I love. We hosted a walk the other day that saw lots of female founders to go on a walk together – it's so nice to see women connecting in that way. SXSW London takes place from today (June 2) until Saturday (June 7) at venues across London. For more information and tickets, click here. Arrow MORE: Families of 1994 Chinook crash victims prepare to take government to court Arrow MORE: Defence Secretary says UK has 'lost control of borders' after 1,200 cross Channel
Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Times
12 things to see at this year's SXSW London festival
I n the first week of June, the world's largest arts, music and innovation festival, SXSW, will make its UK debut in London. Bringing together creatives and tech innovators, the European meet-up will host conference talks, screenings and music performances with an eclectic lineup that includes A-list actors, award-winning songwriters, Premier League footballers and new-age meditation gurus. From headline acts to leftfield oddities, here's who to try and catch at this year's festival. The actor, producer, DJ and campaigner Idris Elba is leading a future-gazing talk at the Truman Brewery on the theme of creativity as capital for change. The Luther star will be joined by a panel of special guests to discuss how music and art can challenge injustice, plus how we can unlock new economic models for global creators to sustain their work financially. June 4, 4.45-5.30pm, Truman Brewery
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Lewisham-born comedian and BGT finalist who got Alesha's golden buzzer
A Lewisham-born comedian has made it to the final of Britain's Got Talent after leaving the judges and the audience in stitches with his performance last weekend. Joseph Charm returned to the BGT stage on Sunday (May 18) in front of judges Bruno Tonioli, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, and Simon Cowell for the live semi-finals. The 32-year-old won the hearts of the audience and judges at his audition with his relatable rant about being a parent. Joseph returned to the stage after running past the audience and greeting the theatre. He told the audience: 'This is one of the biggest nights of my life. 'We are going to break records tonight.' He went on to say he'd waited a 'LONGGG time for this moment', which became a recurring joke for the rest of the performance. In his audition, he explained how he quit his job to pursue his dream as a comedian. He joked: 'In a short space of time, I've grown a huge following, and an even bigger overdraft. 'I didn't sign up for that. 'But then, everybody, I did the greatest thing anyone could do as a Brit: I did Britain's Got Talent.' He admitted that being on Britain's Got Talent has made him more famous and recognisable, though people assume he's Idris Elba. He added: 'The only thing worse than being famous is being famous and broke. 'I'm trying to be like these guys [the judges] and be rich and famous. 'But it has been incredible. 'I've had cousins from overseas trying to claim me.' He said cousins from Sierra Leone have gotten in contact with him, telling him that they hadn't spoken to him for 'a LONGGG time', and that they've asked him for money now that he's 'rich and famous'. He joked that the correct term was that he was 'broke and famous' and if they were waiting for him to send them money, they would be waiting 'a LONGGG time'. Joseph went on to talk about the struggles of being unemployed during the cost-of-living crisis and humorously pointed out that weekly shopping now costs £200 after three items. He didn't know where the family holiday would be this year and said that he told his kids that if he won Britain's Got Talent, they'd be going to Jamaica, but if he lost, they'd be going to Jamaica Road in Bermondsey. Before wrapping up his performance, he shared an anecdote about after his audition, where he called his mother to inform her that he'd gotten through to the semi-finals. His mum's first question was apparently about if he had met and spoken to Simon Cowell, and if the iconic judge had asked about her. But he supposedly responded with a running gag from the performance: if his mum was waiting for a call from Simon Cowell, she'd be waiting 'a LONGGG time'. The judges and the audience were on their feet in applause as Simon Cowell welcomed Joseph's mum on the judging panel and embraced her. Alesha Dixon, the judge with the power to send a contestant straight to the final with the Golden Buzzer, took Mrs Charm's hand and pressed it down on the buzzer with her own. Joseph broke into tears of joy as he fell to his knees. As his performance time came to an end, he told the audience, judges, and viewers at home: 'It has been exactly a year today since I left my job to pursue this dream, so here I am. 'Thank you, God. Thank you, everyone.' Joseph will return to ITV screens on May 31 for the BGT Live Final.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Jersey actor to appear in movie with Idris Elba and Jared Leto
A Jersey actor has landed a prominent role in the upcoming Masters of the Universe movie, starring Idris Elba and Jared Leto. James Wilkinson is set to play Mekaneck in the blockbuster which will see the return of 1980s comic book character He-Man. Speaking to BBC Radio Jersey, the actor described the night he found out he had got the part as "mad". "My wi-fi was terrible so I had to run a kilometre [0.6 miles] down the road to this restaurant that I knew had good wi-fi, but it was closed so I was just stealing their wi-fi while on the phone to my agent finding out what was going on," he said. Discussing the Masters of the Universe franchise, Wilkinson said: "I had heard of it but it was before my time."I'm 35 as of Wednesday and it was just that little bit before my time, but my older sister loved it. "She told me how much of a huge deal it was when I got it." In order to familiarise himself with universe of He-Man, Wilkinson said he sat down with a bowl of cereal to watch all the cartoons, which he described as the "easiest research ever". Acknowledging the franchise's large fanbase, Wilkinson said: "It's such a responsibility because you want to make sure the fans are being looked after and represented."At the same time, it has to be fresh and new for new audience members to grasp onto."He added: "When you get on set, you see just how grand a scale it is with hundreds and hundreds of people working on this. "And I'm just fortunate to be there." When asked about his love for Jersey, the 35-year-old said: "I miss it so much when I'm away."Growing up on the island you just get used to being by the ocean, especially in the summer. "There's nothing worse than being in London when it's hot and there's nowhere to escape, you can't go to the beach, you can't go in the water."I love it and I love coming home to see the family."
