SXSW is officially heading to London for a second year - here’s everything you need to know

Cast your minds back to June 2025: Londoners covered every square inch of Primrose Hill, Glastonbury pics flooded your feed, and the Central line was ten thousand degrees. Also, the first ever UK chapter of Texas’ artsy festival South by South West (SXSW) landed in London - complete with Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, and Erykah Badu to name a few.

Good news for anyone who loved it (or who missed out), as it was announced that SXSW is officially returning for 2026. The event has confirmed the dates of its second iteration, as well as ticket details and even how to take part, in case you’re a burgeoning performer who can’t wait until Edinburgh 2026.

SXSW London isn’t just about the red carpet previews of some of the coolest films de nos jours, it also hosts a range of talks, gigs, and Q&As too. The 2026 programme is set to feature conference topics including AI, virtual reality, and what a 2050 London will look like - Oxford Street finally pedestrianised perhaps? The Bakerloo line extended all the way out to the real Seven Sisters? Kensington house prices averaging £10 million? As well as talks, there will also be film and music events, same as this year.

When is it?

Clearly, it wasn't worried about fighting for attention against F1, Glasto, Parklife, or Fashion Week because SXSW is heading back to London in June again. SXSW 2026 will be taking place from June 1st until 6th, and tickets are launching on October 20th via the SXSW website.

Where is it?

Last time, the festival took over a number of venues, predominantly across Shoreditch with the big kahuna red carpets happening in the Barbican. So far, the organisers have kept the locations under wraps - presumably whilst they get finalised.

Ticket prices

So far, we don’t know ticket prices. However, in 2025, a single day ticket for music started from £25, with three-day wristbands coming in at £65, and six-day-ers at £99. If you were on the fancy end of cultured, you might have gone for a six-day conference pass for £1,000.

Conference topics

As well as AI and futuristic London, there are a host of other talks which have been shared already:

• 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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