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.

SXSW London

Timeline

( History )
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.
Image for 1987 event
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.
Image for 2004 event
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.
Image for 2007 event
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.
Image for 2008 event
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.
Image for 2009 event
Siri wins SXSW Accelerator for “Innovative Web” Category at SXSW Interactive.
Image for 2010 event
Storify won the SXSW Startup Accelerator Prize in 2011, followed by the SXSW Interactive Award in 2012.
Image for 2011 event
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.
Image for 2016 event
Billie Eilish made her SXSW debut, performing at Apple Music's SXSW event.
Image for 2017 event
Icon, the startup which 3D-prints concrete, sustainable homes in less than day, won SXSW Pitch’s Social & Culture category.
Image for 2018 event
SXSW Sydney launched, showcasing creativity and innovation in the Asia-Pacific region
Image for 2023 event
SXSW London was announced. The first European event took shape in the city’s Shoreditch district, ready for the 2025 debut, 2-7 June.
Image for 2024 event

Explore Passes

Don’t miss SXSW London’s debut! Get passes for the Conference, Music, and Screen Festivals at the best rates by registering early.

Platinum Pass
Platinum Pass
Platinum Pass

£1,300

+ VAT

Bullet Point
Platinum Lounge access with complimentary refreshments
Bullet Point
Platinum Opening Mixer exclusive drinks event
Bullet Point
Festival Opening Party priority access
Bullet Point
Networking Meet Ups our Platinum-only networking sessions
Bullet Point
Visual Arts Platinum-only experiences
Bullet Point
Full Conference access to keynotes, panels, fireside chats & workshops
Bullet Point
Full Music Festival access to showcases, performances & events
Bullet Point
Full Screen Festival access to screenings and events
Bullet Point
Platinum-only film screenings
Bullet Point
Priority access to Music & Screen parties, brand experiences & SXSW London Pitch sessions
Bullet Point
Limited passes available
Conference Pass
Conference Pass
Conference Pass

£1,000

+ VAT

Bullet Point
Full Conference access to an incredible line-up of keynotes, panels, fireside chats, mentoring sessions and workshops
Bullet Point
Festival Opening Party priority access
Bullet Point
Music and Screen Parties (secondary access)
Bullet Point
Supercharge your knowledge, curiosity and future-thinking and build meaningful connections.
Bullet Point
SXSW London Pitch sessions
Music Pass
Music Pass
Music Pass

£650

+ VAT

Bullet Point
Music Festival Access to phenomenal showcases, performances and events
Bullet Point
Music Mentoring Sessions and workshops
Bullet Point
All music-focused Conference Talks
Bullet Point
Music Festival Party priority access
Bullet Point
SXSW London Pitch events (secondary access)
Screen Pass
Screen Pass
Screen Pass

£650

+ VAT

Bullet Point
Screen Festival Access to all boundary-breaking screenings and events
Bullet Point
Screen Mentoring Sessions and workshops
Bullet Point
All TV&Film Conference Talks
Bullet Point
Screen Festival Party priority access
Bullet Point
SXSW London Pitch events (secondary access)
SXSW London

Looking to book for a Group?

Bring your team of 10 or more and save

Contact Us

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
SXSW London Logo