South by Southwest 2026 is underway in Austin, Texas, and it is bigger, stranger, and more structurally different than any edition in the festival’s 40-year history.
Running March 12 through 18, SXSW this year compresses what was once a nine-day event with staggered programming into a single seven-day festival where music, film, and tech all run simultaneously.
The Austin Convention Center, traditionally the central hub of the conference, is closed for redevelopment and expansion, scattering events across downtown venues, hotels, theaters, and brand activations throughout the city.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson appeared on CBS News 24/7 Mornings Friday to talk through the city’s preparations, calling the festival one of the most important cultural and economic events in Texas.
SXSW typically draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Austin each March, making it one of the largest annual gatherings of musicians, filmmakers, technologists, and entrepreneurs anywhere in the world.
Here is the complete guide to what is happening, what you can attend for free, and who is performing and speaking.
What Is SXSW?
South by Southwest began in 1986 as a regional music festival, founded by Roland Swenson, Louis Jay Meyers, Louis Black, and Nick Barbaro, several of whom were connected to The Austin Chronicle.
Over four decades it evolved into a global cultural event that now combines one of the world’s largest music festivals with a major film festival and an interactive media and technology conference.
Artists including Nirvana, Kanye West, and Amy Winehouse broke through after SXSW performances. Technology companies including Twitter famously launched at the interactive conference.
SXSW 2026 marks the festival’s 40th anniversary. The structural changes this year, simultaneous programming, the loss of the Convention Center as a hub, three separate festival clubhouses distributed across downtown, represent the most significant operational shift in decades.
Badges for SXSW 2026 are still on sale at multiple tiers.
The Platinum badge provides all-access to conferences, film screenings, and music showcases
The Interactive badge focuses on the tech conference; the Music badge covers showcases and industry panels.
The Film & TV badge covers screenings and related programming.
SXSW 2026 Free Events — No Badge Required
The single most important thing for non-badge holders to know… there is a substantial amount of SXSW 2026 you can experience entirely for free.
The Congress Avenue Block Party runs Thursday, March 12 through Wednesday, March 18, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 900 Congress Avenue.
Formerly known as the Registrant Lounge, it offers daily drinks, food, and sponsor merchandise, and is open to the general public throughout the week. On Saturday at 7 p.m., Orville Peck performs a free show there.
The EQ Austin Presents Austin Sounds Showcase runs seven nights of all-Austin SXSW showcases, presented by EQ Austin and supported by KUTX and Austin Arts Culture Music & Entertainment.
Performances start at 7 p.m. nightly from Thursday, March 12 through Wednesday, March 18 at Lefty’s Brick Bar, 1813 C E. Sixth Street. No badge required.
The Global Stage at Downright Austin hosts international acts from around the world every evening from 7 p.m. to midnight, March 12 through 18, at 701 E. 11th Street.
The Radio Day Stage at Downright Austin features live radio station performances broadcast from SXSW, running Friday through Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m. at the same address.
Flatstock, the beloved free annual event featuring concert posters and pop culture art, runs Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Austin Marriott Downtown’s Moontower Hall, 304 E. Cesar Chavez Street.
Attendees can browse and purchase work directly from the artists.
The SXSW Expo: International Innovations is open to badge holders Thursday through Saturday, but throws its doors open to the public for free on Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fairmont’s Manchester Ballroom, 101 Red River Street.
Hundreds of exhibitors from around the world showcase cutting-edge technology, design, entertainment, and health and wellness innovations.
The Community Concerts at Lady Bird Lake returns to Auditorium Shores on Sunday, March 15 starting at 5:30 p.m. for a free public performance by Tune-Yards. No ticket or badge required.
The Lumineers perform a free public show at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on Monday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. — but an RSVP is required. That is at 1401 Trinity Street.
The SXSW Expo: Emerging Tech follows the same model as the International Innovations expo, badge priority earlier in the week, free and open to the public on Wednesday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fairmont.
Premium Events — Ticketed, No Badge Needed
Several high-profile SXSW partner events are open to the public with a ticket purchase, no badge required.
Rolling Stone’s fourth annual Future of Music showcase runs Thursday through Saturday at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd.
The lineup is Lola Young on Thursday, Fuerza Regida on Friday, and BigXThaPlug on Saturday. Individual night and three-day tickets are available.
Billboard presents The Stage at SXSW for three nights at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park: Don Toliver on Friday, Junior H on Saturday, and Dutch DJ and producer Mau P on Sunday.
Tickets are available online.
Coca-Cola’s Sips & Sounds Music Festival is a two-day event at Auditorium Shores on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14, featuring Christina Aguilera, Calvin Harris, Major Lazer, Foster the People, and more.
One- and two-day tickets are available.
The Dropout Improv Show brings the popular comedy platform to ACL Live at the Moody Theater on Tuesday, March 17 at 7 p.m. Tickets available online.
SXSW Film Lineup
The film slate at SXSW 2026 is stacked with red carpet premieres. The festival’s opening night feature is I Love Boosters, directed by Boots Riley and starring Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield, Naomi Ackie, and Demi Moore, premiering at the Paramount Theatre on March 12.
Other buzzed-about titles include Margo’s Got Money Troubles — the Apple TV+ series starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nicole Kidman, Pretty Lethal with Uma Thurman, Forbidden Fruits with Lili Reinhart and Emma Chamberlain, and Power Ballad, pairing Paul Rudd with Nick Jonas.
Film screenings take place at the Paramount Theatre, Violet Crown Cinema, and Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar, with additional screenings at Austin Film Society’s complex on Middle Fiskville Road.
For the first time, the Paramount Theatre and Alamo South Lamar are screening in Laser by Barco projection, a first for the festival.
The Speakers
The SXSW conference brings a marquee roster of names to panels and keynotes this year: former First Lady Michelle Obama, Ben Stiller, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Fonda, Spike Jonze, Serena Williams, Lisa Kudrow, Mark Cuban, Andy Cohen, and futurist Amy Webb are among the featured speakers.
PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger and AI thought leader Ian Beacraft are also on the program.
How To Get Around SXSW 2026
SXSW 2026 runs primarily across downtown Austin, with events spread through the Palmer Events Center, the Long Center, the Rainey Street District, the Red River Cultural District, clubs along Sixth Street, and venues in South and East Austin.
With the Austin Convention Center out of the picture, the festival is using three clubhouses distributed through downtown as anchor hubs.
Panels begin at 9 a.m. daily. The last music showcases end at 2 a.m. each night.
Driving in downtown Austin during SXSW is not advisable, traffic is severe and parking is essentially nonexistent during the week.
Bike, scooter, public transit, and walking are the recommended ways to get around. Comfortable shoes are essential.
Texas weather in March is unpredictable, it can swing from hot to cold within a single day, so layers and a rain layer are both worth packing.
SXSW 2026 runs through Wednesday, March 18.
