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Back in June London hosted its first ever edition of South by Southwest (SXSW). The Austin, Texas festival took over dozens of Shoreditch venues for a week-long feast of talks, panels, music concerts and film screenings. Time Out was an official media partner, and Tems, Erykah Badu, Idris Elba, Katherine Ryan and Cesc Fàbregas were among the hundreds of big names that made an appearance.
And it appears that SXSW just can’t get enough of the Big Smoke: today (September 22), the festival has announced that next year it’ll be coming back for more. The event has confirmed the dates of its sophomore edition, as well as revealed ticket details and how to take part.
SXSW London 2026 will feature conference topics exploring AI, virtual realities and London in the year 2050. As before, it’ll also feature a music and film programme.
SXSW London 2026 dates
As in 2025, next year’s SXSW will take place in the first full week of June. The 2026 edition will be on June 1-6.
Venues
Next year’s venues haven’t yet been confirmed, though SXSW says the event will be held in east London.
How to get tickets
Tickets launch on October 20 2025, and you’ll be able to buy on the SXSW website here.
Ticket prices
Next year’s ticket prices haven’t yet been confirmed.
For an idea of potential prices, in 2025 single day music tickets started from £25, three-day wristbands from £65 and six days for £99. Conference passes cost more, with a full six-day pass for £1,000. Access to everything – a platinum pass – was priced at £1,300.
How to take part in SXSW London 2026
Submissions are now open to take part in SXSW London 2026, and you can access a submission portal here.
Here’s when submissions close:
- Music programme: November 24
- Conference programme: December 7
- Screen programme: December 31
Conference topics
Here’s a full list of the conference ‘tracks’, or topics, that’ll be at SXSW London 2026 (including a brief description of what they mean).
- AI & The New Human Experience – Exploring how AI is impacting industries, and learning how next-gen tools are keeping businesses competitive.’
- Creator Economy – How creators are creating new revenue streams, and hearing from platforms that are shaping the creator economy.
- Design – New ideas in design across physical, virtual and digital spaces.
- Fintech & Digital Commerce – How fintech and digital commerce are reshaping finance and retail.
- Frontier Technologies – Robotics, quantum computing, space and biotech.
- Gaming & Interactive Worlds – Gaming as entertainment and connection.
- Healthtech & Medtech – Innovations in drug development, personalized medicine, and healthcare delivery.
- Innovation & Transformation – How companies are reinventing themselves to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape, focusing on corporate innovation and organisational design.
- London 2050 – How technology, policy and innovation will shape the future of London.
- Marketing & Advertising – How brands ‘break through the noise’ in the attention economy.
- Screen, Story & Sound – The future of film, TV, and music.
- Society Rewired – How technology, geopolitics, and society intersect to reshape global interconnectedness.
- Startup Academy – Aspiring founders and investors meet to get insider strategies, hacks, and funding tips for building the next big thing.
- Unreal Realities – Exploring the fusion of the real and virtual worlds.
- Venture – Navigate the evolving landscape of finance and investment.
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