SXSW Festival 2026 includes Earl Sweatshirt, Tiwa Savage and Rachel Chinouriri.
SXSW London 2026 has made its way from Texas to East London, and focuses on creativity, culture, science and technology. Now, the team have announced its return to Shoreditch, and it takes place from 1 to 6 June 2026.
The event will be staged across a Shoreditch campus that includes Christ Church, the Truman Brewery and a network of grassroots music venues, showcasing one of London’s most diverse and influential districts. The events will cover art, design, fashion, gaming, music and technology. Plus, it offers creatives, both emerging and established, a chance to showcase their work.
From the US to the UK
SXSW London, also known as South by Southwest, first started in 1987. The festival prides itself on its line-up, which has included people from a wide range of disciplines. Previous guests include Amy Winehouse, Barack Obama, Deepak Chopra, Mark Zuckerberg, Meghan Markle and Steven Spielberg.
Building on a successful European debut, SXSW London welcomed 20,500 visitors and delegates from more than 80 countries at its inaugural event. The line-up spanned global leaders and cultural figures, including His Majesty The King, Mayor Sadiq Khan, former Prime Ministers, Idris Elba, Dr Jane Goodall and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind. It was a festival of firsts for film, music, tech and business.
Katy Arnander, Director of Programming at SXSW London, said: “SXSW London 2026 is about deepening the convergence of technology, business and creativity in one of the world's most dynamic cities. Our editorial intent is to spotlight bold ideas, unexpected perspectives and diverse voices and we aim to offer our independently minded community the connections, insights and discoveries they need as they navigate an increasingly complex world.”
Music
SXSW London 2026 boasts an exciting music curation, and it will continue to platform global creativity, from grassroots discovery to headliners. Previous editions featured names such as Tems and Mabel, alongside rising talents like Pa Salieu and Lila Ike.
Leading this year’s bill is Earl Sweatshirt, whose lyricism and style promise to deliver a captivating set. Tiwa Savage will showcase Afrobeats and powerhouse vocals, while Rachel Chinouriri will offer indie-pop sounds. Plus, ODUMODUBLVCK is set to deliver a high-energy performance.
Film
Screen at SXSW London 2026 will capitalise on its timing ahead of Emmy voting, with a stronger focus on television while expanding into underrepresented regions including North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
SXSW London is the place to be for film premieres. The 2026 edition is set to host three world premieres, and 13 titles will make their UK debut – including productions from as far afield as Slovakia and Saudi Arabia. The films receiving their world premieres include the documentary Feast or Famine, the supernatural horror The Remedy, and the crime comedy All Night Wrong.
Directed by Adrian Choa and Michael Boccalini, Feast or Famine follows the journey of London restaurant Angelina as it strives to earn a Michelin Star. The Remedy has been created by Mexican-American filmmaker Alex Kahuam. All Night Wrong follows a blind date that goes spectacularly awry.
Conferences
SXSW London 2026 has unveiled the Conference programming tracks, covering fifteen themes that focus on innovation, creativity and societal change. Topics include the disruptive power of AI and the future of human–machine collaboration, frontier technologies such as quantum computing, robotics and space exploration, and the shifts reshaping health, finance and urban life.
The Screen Keynotes will be led by Russell T Davies, the celebrated writer behind Doctor Who and Queer as Folk, alongside BAFTA-winning sitcom star and writer Sharon Horgan, and Tom Quinn, founder of the independent film distributor NEON.
Attendees can also expect deep dives into the evolution of entertainment, immersive storytelling and gamified worlds, plus sessions on the creator economy, the reinvention of marketing in an attention-driven era, and strategies that drive both start-up success and corporate transformation.
How to get tickets to SXSW London 2026
Tickets for SXSW London 2026 are available now. Platinum Passes are strictly limited and priced at £1,300, offering premium access to the complete festival. The Festival Pass costs £1,000 and includes access to the business conference, the music festival and the screen festival. Plus, it costs £600 for a Screen Industry Pass and £600 for a Music Industry Pass.
Where: Across East London
When: 1 to 6 June 2026
Price: Passes range from £600 to £1,300
Contact: Visit https://www.sxswlondon.com for more information