Overview
South by Southwest (SXSW) began in Austin in 1987 as a music festival and has grown into a concurrent week of conferences and festivals covering technology and innovation, film and television, music, comedy, education, and culture. Programming is delivered across downtown Austin venues rather than a single arena stage.
2027 schedule
Official SXSW dates place SXSW EDU on March 13–16, 2027, followed by SXSW Conferences & Festivals on March 15–21, 2027. Innovation conference programming runs March 15–20; Music showcases run March 15–21; Film & TV opens March 15 and continues through March 21; Comedy programming begins March 17. Two crossover days overlap EDU with the broader conferences.
Venue & campus
SXSW is a multi-venue downtown Austin event. The organizer’s headquarters, SXSW Center, is at 1400 Lavaca Street, Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701. The Austin Convention Center, long used as a primary hub, entered a renovation period with reopening projected for 2029; recent editions operate as a campus-style event across downtown sites and clubhouses.
Access & tickets
SXSW sells badge types (including Platinum, Innovation, Film & TV, and Music) and limited Music Festival wristbands rather than a single general-admission lawn pass. Badge registration for the 2027 Austin edition was announced to open August 18, 2026; published dollar rates for 2027 badges were not finalized on the official cart at verification time. Historical 2026 cart rates (for reference only) listed Platinum from $1,995 and Music badges from $820 before walk-up increases.
Related festivals
For multi-day US music gatherings with strong discovery programming, see also big ears festival and bonnaroo music and arts festival.
Metrics
| Founded Year | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 days |
Descriptors
| Genre Focus | Multi-genre · music · film · innovation · comedy |
|---|---|
| Format | In-person · multi-venue downtown campus |
| Season | Spring (March) |
| Organizer | SXSW, LLC |
| Start Date | 2027-03-15 |
| End Date | 2027-03-21 |
| Venue | Downtown Austin multi-venue campus (HQ: SXSW Center) |
| Edition Year | 2027 |
| Age Policy | Not uniformly published as a single all-ages or 18+ policy across all tracks; badge and showcase rules vary by venue. |
| Typical Attendance | Not publicly disclosed as a single official total for recent editions; track-level historical figures appear in secondary sources but are not used here as current capacity. |
Frequently asked questions
When is SXSW 2027 in Austin?
SXSW Conferences & Festivals run March 15–21, 2027 in downtown Austin. SXSW EDU precedes and overlaps them on March 13–16, 2027, per SXSW’s official 2027 dates announcement.
Where is SXSW held?
SXSW is held across a multi-venue campus in downtown Austin, Texas. Organizer headquarters are at SXSW Center, 1400 Lavaca Street, Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701. Individual sessions, showcases, and screenings use theaters, clubs, and temporary clubhouse sites throughout downtown.
What genres and programming does SXSW feature?
SXSW combines Innovation (technology and business) conference tracks, a Music Festival and Music Conference, Film & TV premieres and screenings, Comedy programming, and SXSW EDU. It is multi-genre by design rather than a single-style music festival.
How do SXSW tickets and badges work?
SXSW sells conference/festival badges (such as Platinum, Innovation, Film & TV, and Music) and limited Music Festival wristbands. Badge registration for 2027 was announced to open August 18, 2026; verify current rates on the official SXSW cart because published 2027 prices were not finalized at the time of this verification.
When was SXSW founded?
SXSW was founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas. The 2026 edition marked roughly four decades of the event.
Related in this catalog
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Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is a multi-genre camping festival on Bonnaroo Farm (Great Stage Park) in Manchester, Tennessee. The most recent completed edition ran June 11–14, 2026; 2027 dates had not been officially announced at verification.
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Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance
The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance is a family-friendly roots and bluegrass festival at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds in Trumansburg, New York. The 34th annual edition ran July 16–19, 2026; 2027 dates were not yet posted at verification.
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Big Ears Festival
Big Ears Festival is a four-day, genre-crossing music and arts festival in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. The next edition is scheduled for April 1–4, 2027, with performances, films, conversations, and installations spread across more than twenty walkable downtown venues.
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Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival is an annual outdoor electronic dance music festival at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami, Florida. The next edition is scheduled for March 26–28, 2027, with General Admission limited to ages 18+ and VIP to ages 21+.