In March, the first South By Southwest took place in Austin, Texas with 700 attendees. It’s now grown into an 80,000-person strong event.
SXSW History Timeline
South by Southwest® launched in 1987 in Austin, Texas, and has grown in scope and size since its beginnings as a regional music conference and festival Now, this global creative movement is coming to Europe when SXSW London launches in 2025.
Check out our interactive timeline to view some of SXSW’s historic and iconic moments when British and global talent took centre stage.
Timeline
( History )British acts such as East London’s Dizzee Rascal, Joss Stone, and Franz Ferdinand featured in the SXSW Music Festival line-up, spotlighting the festival's global reach.
Amy Winehouse performed songs from her legendary Back to Black album, launching the British singer’s career in the States.
Twitter (now X) was propelled into the stratosphere when SXSW delegates were offered the platform to trial.
Twitter (now X) was propelled into the stratosphere when SXSW delegates were offered the platform to trial.
Airbnb launched at the event, showcasing its concept of peer-to-peer home sharing that revolutionised the way we travel.
Welsh artist, Duffy, performed following the release of her debut album Rockferry.
Welsh artist, Duffy, performed following the release of her debut album Rockferry.
Foursquare took off as SXSW attendees needed help finding their friends in the chaos.
TubeMogul, one of the first online video analytics & distribution companies, won the Video Related Technologies category for SXSW Pitch. It eventually got bought by Adobe for $540 million.
TubeMogul, one of the first online video analytics & distribution companies, won the Video Related Technologies category for SXSW Pitch. It eventually got bought by Adobe for $540 million.
Siri wins SXSW Accelerator for “Innovative Web” Category at SXSW Interactive.
Storify won the SXSW Startup Accelerator Prize in 2011, followed by the SXSW Interactive Award in 2012.
Stormzy brought his British grime sound to Austin and Dua Lipa also performed a powerful set. Both artists, early in their careers, set the stage for global stardom.
Barack and Michelle Obama delivered a groundbreaking keynote speech.
Barack and Michelle Obama delivered a groundbreaking keynote speech.
Billie Eilish made her SXSW debut, performing at Apple Music's SXSW event.
Icon, the startup which 3D-prints concrete, sustainable homes in less than day, won SXSW Pitch’s Social & Culture category.
SXSW Sydney launched, showcasing creativity and innovation in the Asia-Pacific region
SXSW London was announced. The first European event took shape in the city’s Shoreditch district, ready for the 2025 debut, 2-7 June.
