SXSW Sydney, the Australian extension of the iconic tech, music and film conference born out of Austin, Texas, will not return for 2026.
Key Takeaways
- SXSW Sydney will not return for 2026, after a three-year Asia-Pacific expansion that saw the conference generate an estimated $276 million in economic impact.
- SXSW says the decision reflected a changing global environment that was impacting major events, festivals and cultural programs worldwide.
- SXSW will continue to run its Austin, Texas conferences, which span seven days. It first launched back in 1987 as SXSW Music Festival, before expanding to technology, film and the broader arts.
Key background
The Sydney edition of the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference won’t proceed in 2026, three years after it first expanded to the Asia-Pacific region. In a statement to its site, SXSW said the decision reflected a changing global environment that was impacting major events, festivals and cultural programs worldwide.
SXSW first launched in Sydney in 2023, but was founded out of Austin, Texas, back in 1987 – first as a music festival, before expanding to showcase technology companies, new films and emerging artists.
SXSW said it was difficult to shut up shop when momentum was “high”. “While this chapter ends here, the connections made and the ideas sparked on our stages will continue to resonate.”
Big number
$276 million. That’s how much SXSW estimates its total economic impact has been in Australia between 2023 and 2025. The event, which attracted more than 63,000 out-of-region attendees, recorded a 35% year-on-year growth in international visitation between 2024 and 2025.
Crucial quote
“SXSW Sydney represented an ambitious and meaningful extension of the SXSW brand, and we are incredibly proud of what was built in partnership with the Sydney team, Destination NSW, and the broader creative community,” said Jenny Connelly, Director in Charge of SXSW.
“Over three years, SXSW Sydney demonstrated the power of convening global innovators, creatives, and leaders, and created a platform that elevated voices from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region onto the world stage. While the event will not proceed in 2026, we are grateful for the collaboration, creativity, and commitment that defined SXSW Sydney.”
What we know
In 2025, SXSW Sydney says it actually saw a 15% increase in attendees to 345,000, but statistics show a notable decline in attendance at music festivals and broader live entertainment gigs across the globe, with dozens of festivals cancelled or paused in 2025 due to higher operational costs, economic pressures and changing audience habits. Australia’s Groovin The Moo and Splendour in the Grass festivals got the axe, as did the United States’ Pitchfork Festival and Europe’s Secret Garden Party (and plenty more).
Tangent
On a lighter note – LimeWire’s founders won the rights to the infamous Fyre Festival in an auction held on eBay in September last year. They even beat out Ryan Reynolds’ company in the bidding war. We don’t know exactly what their plans are for the festival, but their vision will apparently “stay true to its chaotic energy”.
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