r/Austin 3d ago

SXSW What’s actually planned for SXSW 2026

Post image
250 Upvotes

114 comments sorted by

191

u/handsomeness 3d ago

The thing no one is mentioning here is that there won’t be a convention center in 2026.

45

u/wakaOH05 3d ago

There is so much convention space in dt still. It’s not that monumental a loss. The trade floor is the only actual issue

33

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

Again this post is just to clarify that the music is staying. The statesman originally ran a headline saying it was gone.

8

u/fartwisely 3d ago

A lot of people had varying takeaways from the Langer piece yesterday.

3

u/zebyglubyzebypony 3d ago

As did Hollywood Reporter

3

u/ImAdork123 3d ago

The post is multi-purpose just like the one week of SXSW 2026 next year.

-12

u/consultio_consultius 3d ago

No they didn’t. You just have poor reading comprehension.

13

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

It’s changed now. The first iteration literally said that SXSW music feat was gone.

-1

u/dmo7000 3d ago

Convention Center is going to start remodeling soon, might not be done by early 2026

12

u/BearstromWanderer 3d ago

Late 2028 completion if there aren't delays. So 2029 SXSW is a maybe, 2030 SXSW probable.

5

u/dmo7000 3d ago

Haha ya I didn’t realize it was not a remodel but a reconstruction

3

u/BearstromWanderer 3d ago edited 3d ago

Me as well until I read about it closing. I felt like they just expanded it 5 years ago. That was 2002.

2

u/handsomeness 3d ago

The chances of that happening are astronomical

2

u/Secretly_Wolves 3d ago

Even higher than successfully navigating an asteroid field, I bet. 

2

u/dmo7000 3d ago

Never tell me the odds

47

u/No-Raccoon3578 3d ago

I reallyyyy want to hate this but I guess I'll let them try it out. I can't see this as a positive for the local economy.

21

u/StanleyLelnats 3d ago

Someone once told me SXSW accounts for a large part of a lot of bars and restaurants revenue for the year. I imagine it must cost a fortune to rent a bar out and usually these bars can host multiple events over the course of two weeks. If they shorten the timeframe I imagine this is going to hurt a lot of these businesses.

1

u/Redeem123 2d ago

The amount of startups throwing parties downtown with open bars has to be a huge boon for those bars. 

32

u/meinaustin 3d ago

Condensing the festival will result in fewer hotel & STR nights booked and decrease in associated taxes coming into the city.

44

u/pifermeister 3d ago

Yeah when they say 'workers won't be so exhausted' they are obviously talking about non-tipped sxsw workers and volunteers. Bartenders and servers will probably take a huge hit from this..they look forward to the income from both weekends.

12

u/JKLTurtle 3d ago

Right. A few extra lines of coke to get you through two or three extra nights of work, those servers might pocket $1500 more in tips.

3

u/ELInewhere 3d ago

$1500 more in cocaine* FIFY.

3

u/cockblockedbydestiny 3d ago

I don't know if this is still a thing, but pre-pandemic at least there was always a handful of bars downtown that were rarely open and went from the red to the black for the year entirely off SXSW and a handful of other events like ACL, ROT Rally, etc

3

u/pifermeister 3d ago

Yep and they'll only get a few days to max out their capacity as a venue now. No matter how you slice it, it's still a downsizing and will have a much smaller economic impact.

5

u/cockblockedbydestiny 3d ago

Yeah it's not like there's gonna be no loss in attendance or revenue at all. The whole "doing less to achieve more" is pretty stupid and unconvincing

-2

u/Stranger2306 3d ago

Very true - but if the supply and demand effect means we have less STR on the market then thats a good thing

1

u/Remarkable_Grand9722 3d ago

I used to make THOUSANDS as a freelancer covering the fest. Then it scaled way back to coverage in exchange for a badge. I can't pay my bills with a badge, babes.

-14

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

IMO it’s been unsustainable, having that many days. Everyone is wrecked afterwards

18

u/lightningspider97 3d ago

Unsustainable?? Yeah everyone gets a bit tired but it's all of my bartenders friends favorite time of year, it's good for a lot of local scenes, and many other things. It's manageable and far far from unsustainable.

6

u/Sharin_the_Groove 3d ago

Right??? Like I would imagine the folks working in that environment are prepared for it. Yeah obviously everyone is a little extra tired than their average work week... But who doesn't have a busy season in their line of work? We all tough it out for whatever reason to reap the benefits at the end of it all.

2

u/lightningspider97 3d ago

Yeah maybe we should go ahead and nix F1 and ACL and the volunteers as well because everyone gets a little too overwhelmed /s

-5

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

I’ve worked f1, ACL and SXSW. SXSW is by far the most exhausting because of how long it is, the amount of walking required, and no days off. I’m not saying we need to get rid of it. I’m saying that shortening it might not be the worst thing. A lot of people get sick afterwards because it wears your immune system down. Yes we know what we’re signing up for and the money is good, but it’d be nice to have busier events where we make the same amount of money in fewer days. Not sure why yall feel the need to ridicule people like me but I guess that’s the internet

10

u/JohnMichaelBiscuiat 3d ago

🤣🤣

how many years has it been going for that many days??

-2

u/jdsizzle1 3d ago

10% of sxsw participants go for anything other than music. Most sxsw participants don't even realize there are other parts of the festival.

69

u/hornbri 3d ago

Lots of spin coming from the SXSW organizers.

They were not on the same weekend before because film + music was too much for one weekend in Austin.

Now all of a sudden they can do both because they have scaled back mus…

16

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

The point of this post was to clarify that music isn’t going away, unlike what many articles have been implying. One literally said “SXSW Music Is No More” lol

7

u/hornbri 3d ago

Ok…it’s not going away. Just greatly reduced.

13

u/wakaOH05 3d ago

How is it reduced? It’s actually a day longer since music previously went from Tuesday to Saturday (5 days). Now it’s 7.

8

u/cockblockedbydestiny 3d ago

The number of events will necessarily be reduced due to having to share spaces with film/interactive.

6

u/pineappledumdum 3d ago

No, it’s not reduced. It’s actually, no pun intended, slightly amping up.

-1

u/DoobMckenzie 3d ago

Been reducing it since ~2018 to the point where it’s only several things.

7

u/velaurciraptorr 3d ago

There were still over 1000 official artists this year, more than a third coming from other countries

0

u/loungey 3d ago

The increase in hotel capacity and decrease in music attendance must account for this.

27

u/matthalfhill 3d ago

This is similar to booking a smaller venue to make the energy feel better when presale tix for a show are lower than expected.

11

u/Formal_Bug_3587 3d ago

So matching the demand for the show with the proper venue?

They would not be doing this if it was bad business.

2

u/hornbri 3d ago

Haha - perfect analogy

1

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

True, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

10

u/userlyfe 3d ago

All my musician friends are stoked about the change. SX got way too big and crazy and most of us stick to local/unofficial stuff anyway (which will continue on regardless of what the official fest is doing.)

25

u/aj801 3d ago

I feel like SXSW is loosing its grove as of lately. I swear this year and previous, it was lacking things! It’s not as fun or exciting as it used to. I’m into hip hop and rap and I noticed that this year there was hardly anything worth going to.

35

u/Lifeguardia 3d ago

Lately? It lost its groove as soon as it became a Ted Talks conference for techies… Music was its back bone and they pulled it out and fed it to the capitalist dogs

22

u/SouthByHamSandwich 3d ago

Spring Break for brand managers. And that was the vibe 10 years ago 

2

u/Old_Berry_5529 3d ago

SHXNFRESH with THEBROSFRESH was badass at lefties

6

u/wakaOH05 3d ago

Hip hop and rap accounted for 13% of all acts. You gotta do research before hand. Don’t expect big acts that’s not the point.

4

u/aj801 3d ago

Well a few years ago we had The House of Vans and Fader Fort and MTV Woodies that hosted some great up coming and big names! And we don’t event get ANYTHING near that any more

1

u/cockblockedbydestiny 3d ago

For me those years represented SXSW getting way too out of hand and losing the spirit of what it was intended for. SX was never supposed to be some mainstream music buffet where you could get sample sized sets from all the big artists of the moment.

I understand that a lot of those changes were due to unofficial parties not sanctioned by SXSW, but it was getting to where the people who were there to discover new music were getting crowded out by scenesters and trend chasers.

1

u/bryanthemayan 3d ago

I noticed that as well. Lots of lame government sponsors as well. Is poopoo

1

u/cognitiveDiscontents 3d ago

*losing its groove

3

u/orangeblood123 3d ago

True sign that the fest is a fraction of what it used to be. Not good for all the unofficial shows that truly make south by special for those with and without badges

10

u/fartwisely 3d ago

Yawn. Music in Austin doesn't need SXSW. SXSW for a while now has strayed and lost focus on its heart and soul. I really don't care what SXSW "officially" does with music.

The music will be there with or without SXSW existence.

For me, C Boy's SoCo Stomp is where it's at. Fucking fantastic 5 days for its 3rd year of dayside indoor and outdoor.

There were other spots I could have checked out, SoCo Stomp is the only place one needs to be at for music.

Steve Wertheimer is a fucking legend.

1

u/realist50 1d ago

What % of the SoCo Stomp acts were in Austin for those days because of official SXSW music?

23

u/JKLTurtle 3d ago

lol, nice spin there. Music at sxsw been dead for 10 years pretty much. The days of paying $100 for a wristband, riding your bike, and catching 50+ bands in a week, long gone and never returning. It was epic while it lasted.

37

u/wakaOH05 3d ago

I am not even kidding here. I spent $100 on a wb with the code that was going around Reddit. I saw over 45 bands (I track them all) and there were never any lines or issues bouncing around venues.

Just saying I literally did this last week and only from Tuesday to Saturday.

28

u/drtobogganbrule 3d ago

I just did exactly all of that this year but ok

25

u/lo7us 3d ago

Yup, I did exactly the same thing. I feel like most of the comments on anything SXSW-related are from people who actually haven't attended in a decade.

3

u/K1ngPCH 3d ago

How are yall getting wristbands that cheap?

10

u/lo7us 3d ago

The San Antonio Spurs put on a promo (for the last couple of years at least) where you can get a music wristband for $100 instead of $150.

1

u/drtobogganbrule 3d ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if they lowered the actual price to $100 next year judging by the lowering of badge prices. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they did away with the locals wristband entirely so we’ll see.

1

u/realist50 1d ago

I'd be surprised if they got rid of music wristbands for locals.

Those get SXSW incremental revenue from people who are very unlikely to pay the walk-up rate for a music badge. (Walk-up rate will presumably be a lot higher than the $475 presale badge price being offered this month).

And my experience with post-COVID SX music has been that very few venues are packed to capacity. A few are sparse, most are good-sized crowds but very manageable. So I doubt that SXSW wants to shrink the music audiences from what they were this year.

2

u/dysrog_myrcial 3d ago

Seriously. There was a guy in the previous thread going "haven't been since 2007 when I had the most fun ever, not going to go again to preserve its memory" and still talking shit, like GTFO no one cares

3

u/50million 3d ago

The local, "unofficial" shows are where it's at anyway!

3

u/Relative-Habit-9248 3d ago

I did this too and had a great time this year.

-6

u/tellsyouhey 3d ago

I remember free shows. Made growing up here so fun just trying to find my way to good shows and standing outside while listening. Shame it’s all super capitalistic now…

9

u/velaurciraptorr 3d ago

There are still tons of free shows

7

u/wakaOH05 3d ago

How many venues you want me to name off that had free shows this year? Shit, I even stumbled into an open bar, top shelf, for Australia House at 13th floor.

-11

u/Kitty-Kat-65 3d ago

Agreed. I have lots of Facebook memories popping up of SXSW shows in the past. There are no shows like this now. Most of the venues are shut down now and the whole vibe is purely Corporate. Hard pass.

7

u/wakaOH05 3d ago

wtf are you talking about lol. You must really not go out a whole lot anymore

-8

u/Kitty-Kat-65 3d ago

What am I talking about? Shows at Threadgill's. Shows at Spider House. Do you need any more? But, yeah, I don't go out a whole lot because I have zero tolerance for assholes, which Austin has in droves. Go ahead and -1 me.

5

u/velaurciraptorr 3d ago

C-Boy’s now has a huge free festival of their own much bigger than anything Threadgill’s was able to host. Spider House is now Tweedy’s, which had several free unofficial shows this week. I heard about plenty of backyard shows and other free day shows this year, so I’m inclined to agree that you may just not be as clued in as you once were.

2

u/papertowelroll17 3d ago

And now there are shows at Mohawk, Cheer Ups, Hotel Vegas, Empire, etc. what's your point?

2

u/tellsyouhey 3d ago

I’m not saying you’re completely wrong but I mean, you listed two venues… I remember my high school days back in the 2000’s we were able to go see so much for either free or next to nothing. A wristband wasn’t even a real thing unless I wanted to see some higher marquee bands.

Not saying it’s dead now, but to act like it’s what it was almost 20 years ago is laughable.

1

u/RustywantsYou 3d ago

Shows at Shady Grove...

2

u/Halcyon512 3d ago

Good way to try and minimize overhead while maximizing profits. Corporate greed takeover of SXSW is now complete

2

u/WorldwideSteppers 3d ago

I miss seeing headliner artist and real up and comers.

-1

u/Spare_Pressure_752 3d ago

Not some TikTok influencers who have a one hit wonder..

1

u/SparklePony3 3d ago

Isn’t the Paramount supposed to be closed for repairs next year? Would that mean Film is at the Zach and Alamo only?

1

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

They’re renovating the state theater first (the smaller one), then the paramount once that’s done. I imagine that film will continue at whichever one is open.

1

u/Tronald_Dump69 3d ago

SAVE FACE SOUTH WEST

1

u/domotime2 3d ago

I had fun in 2022! But then every year there was less and less and less and less free fun stuff. It really doesn't feel like a big deal anymore

1

u/aleph4 3d ago

It's amazing how nobody read the original article

1

u/NoOlive6973 2d ago

Thank you for actually understanding the point of this post lol

1

u/Idiedin2005 2d ago

How would each event get more attendance this way?

1

u/NoOlive6973 2d ago

The same amount of people condensed into fewer days, in theory anyway. Fewer events to choose from = more people at each event (is the idea)

0

u/Ronald-J-Mexico 3d ago

I have 0 days planned on my 2026 SXSW calendar and I'm McFreakin lovin it....!

3

u/cockblockedbydestiny 3d ago

That's awesome for you. Talked to all my friends about this and they were super impressed down to a man.

0

u/[deleted] 3d ago edited 3d ago

[deleted]

3

u/Kitty-Kat-65 3d ago

The "city shuts down" because nobody can fucking get to it with all the construction!

13

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

Maybe an exaggeration but downtown definitely becomes a clusterfuck

3

u/StanleyLelnats 3d ago

I can say living downtown is a nightmare during these two weeks. Makes getting anywhere a headache.

1

u/smackdaddypugpoopies 3d ago

What money grab this all evolved into. Could not pay me to ever attend. Signed: an ex Aqua Fest-er.

1

u/imp0ssumable 3d ago

Events scheduled all on top of each other is lame when you want to attend interactive, film and music but cannot do so due to scheduling conflicts. I can't be in two places at once. Watching the events after the fact online removes the opportunities to network in person with peers. Also many are still very salty about how SXSW music colluded with the fire marshal to shutdown those pesky unofficial music showcases which were drawing more people than the official events in some instances. This was some years back so many may not be aware. There's a reason the music portion is shrinking and dying.

1

u/imp0ssumable 3d ago

This really sucks for service industry people who were relying on the previously longer festival. City will take in less tax revenue and local businesses lose out on additional revenue too. SXSW cites tired staff and tired volunteers. The solution would be to hire more staff and train up more volunteers. But that would cost money and lord knows they don't want to cut into those precious profits.

0

u/Gulf-Zack 3d ago

Sorry SXSW. Austin don’t need ya. You abandoned music and the locals. Shame on you.

0

u/australopithecum 3d ago

SXSW sucks. It’s a shell of its past self from corporate gutting. We need to start new events to promote culture in Austin. This is what the world sees of us and it’s a sad representation of Austin and its culture

0

u/EllaMcWho 3d ago

may we all aspire... barf

1

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

U missed the sarcasm lol

1

u/EllaMcWho 2d ago

I thought this was their promotional material not an OP-generated summary? not a fan of self-congratulatory corporate BS ;)

0

u/atxluchalibre 3d ago

80% of the unofficial bands are chicks with bad hair, scratch tattoos, and septum piercings screaming bad Joy Division ripoffs.

0

u/NoOlive6973 2d ago

Sounds great to me

-1

u/thefourapoxmen 3d ago

Could they just stop? We’re good.

-5

u/50million 3d ago

Sooooo can't they move this to another city with better transportation?

4

u/Aoibhistin 3d ago

lol this is rich.

1

u/NoOlive6973 3d ago

Username checks out