South by Southwest in Australia: Austin event plans a Down Under version in 2023

Kara Carlson, Austin American-Statesman
4 min read
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Austin's famed South by Southwest festival is going global next year, putting on a weeklong version of the event in Australia.

The first SXSW in Sydney, Australia is scheduled to for Oct. 15-22, 2023, with plans calling for a lineup similar to that of the signature Austin event, including music, technology, film and other programming, SXSW organizers said Wednesday.

SXSW's annual Austin festival will still go on as planned on March 10-19.

SXSW LLC, the Austin-based company that operates the annual festival, said SXSW Sydney will aim is to be be an Asia-Pacific version of SXSW. The technology, film and music festival, which started in 1987, has grown to a world renowned event that attracts close to 100,000 registered attendees, speakers and media members from around the world to each year.

More: SXSW is back! Here's how the festival's return looks in Austin

Hugh Forrest, SXSW's chief programming officer, said the SXSW's leaders are always looking to push the boundaries and evolve.

"SXSW connects people to each other year-round by developing events and content that celebrate the inter-relatedness of current and emerging topics," Forrest said. "We’ve been exploring doing something outside North America for a while and found the right collaborators. This gives us the ability to offer a new range of programming to businesses centralized in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region."

Here's what to expect from the SXSW Sydney lineup

Forrest said SXSW aims to help creative people achieve their goals, and said expanding to Australia serves that mission in new and innovative ways.

"So much of what has fueled the growth and development of SXSW over the last 30-plus years is the creativity of Austin," Forrest said. "We believe that Sydney’s similar future-focused, fast-moving culture that celebrates and cultivates creativity across many different industries makes it the perfect destination for an extension of our event."

Forrest said SXSW Sydney will offer programming in music, storytelling, gaming trends and tech, all focused on the Asia-Pacific region, which is generally considered to include countries in East Asia, Oceania, the Russian Far East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The event will also celebrate and showcase Australia's indigenous First Nations community and creators.

More: Austin businesses ready for a boost from SXSW's return

Sydney is in the Australian state of New South Wales, and SXSW is partnering with Destination NSW, the lead government agency for the state’s tourism and major events industry, the NSW government and TEG, an Australian ticketing and live event company.

"We couldn’t be more excited and honored to work with TEG and the New South Wales Government via Destination NSW on an event that brings to Australia the professional opportunities and unexpected discoveries that make SXSW unique," SXSW founder and CEO Roland Swenson said.

Colin Daniels has been named managing director of SXSW Sydney, with SXSW staff and programmers consulting as the event is planned. TEG will also hire full-time staff, contractors, suppliers and volunteers in Australia for the festival.

Swenson said the event will expand SXSW’s professional opportunities and discoveries in an environment that already reflects the company's values.

“The purpose of SXSW is to help creative people achieve their goals, and Sydney is the ideal city to serve as a home for the cross-collaboration that exists within the many industries we bring together,” Swenson said.

How to get involved with SXSW Sydney

SXSW Sydney is currently allowing industry professionals, talent, partners and others to register their interest at its website, sxswsydney.com.

More: Did you know fully driverless cars are now tooling about on Austin roads?

The expansion to Australia comes just a year after SXSW LLC gained new ownership as it dealt with financial strains following the cancellation of its 2020 festival and an online-only 2021 festival due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Pre-pandemic, SXSW was widely considered to the largest single event in Austin in terms of economic impact, with financial benefits to the metro area estimated at $356 million in 2019. This year, SXSW returned in person in Austin to a smaller-than-usual festival with slightly scaled down attendance and music acts.

In April 2021, SXSW LLC sold a 50% ownership stake to Penske Media Corp., publisher of number of magazines including Rolling Stone, Billboard and Variety. At the time, Swenson said the deal gave a lifeline to the festival.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: South by Southwest plans an Australian event, SXSW Sydney, in 2023

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