SXSW 2026 to introduce shorter format amid Convention Centre closure

The three-year closure has prompted SXSW to adopt a shorter, more streamlined format, which organisers believe presents an opportunity to implement new ideas. The venue, which has served as a central hub for SXSW for decades, is set to shut down on 1 April 2025, forcing the festival to adjust its format.

A spokesperson for the festival said the new structure would allow attendees to experience the Conference, Film & TV Festival, and Music Festival concurrently over a seven-day period, ensuring greater accessibility to the full scope of SXSW programming.

“We are really excited about the plans for SXSW 2026,” a SXSW spokesperson said. “With the Austin Convention Centre closing down for three years, we believe it’s a great opportunity to put new ideas into action. A shorter SX gives attendees more of a chance to be here for the entire run. With the Conference, Film & TV Festival, and Music Festival all taking place concurrently over seven days, everyone will have the chance to experience the whole of SXSW.”

Organisers also highlighted the changing expectations of post-pandemic audiences, noting a growing demand for more personalised experiences. “We are excited to explore new ways to bring people together in a meaningful way,” they added.

SXSW 2026 will take place in venues across Austin, maintaining its long-standing reputation as a hub for music discovery, industry networking, and cultural innovation.

This year’s SXSW 2025 music showcase featured around 1 012 bands, but the festival’s film and television presence has increasingly overshadowed the music programming. Major Hollywood figures, including Nicole Kidman, Paul Rudd, Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, Issa Rae, Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, and Seth Rogen, attended SXSW 2025 to promote their projects, drawing more attention than many of the musical acts.

Among the musicians who performed at SXSW 2025 were John Fogerty, Tom Morello, Benson Boone, Khalid, Larkin Poe, Koe Wetzel, George Birge, Ashley Cooke, Brittney Spencer, Aiko, Big Freedia, and Soup.

Meanwhile, African artists who have mounted the SXSW stage in the past include South Africa’s Cassper Nyovest,  BLK JKS, Moonchild Sanelly, Nadia Nakai and Samthing Soweto, as well as Nigerian singers Simi and Lady Donli and Lesotho’s Morena Leraba as well as Ghana’s Camidoh and Bisa Kdei and Sudanese-American musical fusionist Sinkane