South by Southwest Celebrates 40 Years of Cultural Discovery

The iconic festival has evolved to showcase music, film, tech, comedy and more across Austin's vibrant neighborhoods.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 6:04pm

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South by Southwest (SXSW), the renowned annual festival in Austin, Texas, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026. The festival, which started as an independent music conference for 700 people in 1987, has grown into a massive cultural event featuring innovation, film, TV, music, comedy, and education. This year, SXSW is implementing a new "clubhouse" model, embedding programming hubs throughout the city instead of relying solely on the Austin Convention Center, which is undergoing demolition. The goal is to further integrate the festival into the fabric of Austin while allowing the different creative communities to fully intersect.

Why it matters

SXSW has long been a place where emerging artists, filmmakers, and tech innovators find their first big audiences. The festival's ability to foster cross-pollination between these diverse creative communities has been a key driver of its impact. As SXSW evolves its physical footprint, it aims to preserve and even enhance this unique ability to spark discovery and collaboration across industries.

The details

For the first time, SXSW will run all of its programming pillars - music, film and TV, innovation, and comedy - simultaneously rather than in staggered waves. This is due to the demolition of the Austin Convention Center, a longtime festival hub. The new "clubhouse" model will anchor each programming community in dedicated hubs spread throughout the city. The goal is to further embed SXSW in the Austin community while facilitating more interaction between the different creative worlds represented at the festival.

  • SXSW 2026 will take place from March 12 to 18 in Austin, Texas.
  • The Austin Convention Center, a fixture of the festival since 1993, is being demolished and will not reopen until 2029.

The players

Greg Rosenbaum

The head of programming for South by Southwest, Rosenbaum has been involved with the festival for 15 years and has seen Austin transform alongside it.

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert ("the Daniels")

Filmmakers whose journey with SXSW began with music videos in 2012 and 2015, culminating in the premiere of their Oscar-winning film "Everything Everywhere All at Once" at the festival.

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What they’re saying

“We started in 1987 as an independent music conference and festival for about 700 people, and it has grown into this huge cultural moment with innovation and film and TV and music and comedy and education.”

— Greg Rosenbaum, Head of Programming, South by Southwest (Newsweek)

“The filmmakers behind it actually started coming to South by Southwest. I think 2012, they came with a music video, 2015 with a music video. Their journey really grew and developed and we got to see them as filmmakers really grow and expand.”

— Greg Rosenbaum, Head of Programming, South by Southwest (Newsweek)

What’s next

Newsweek will be covering SXSW 2026 extensively, including featured sessions with Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis and Newsweek's Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Cunningham.

The takeaway

South by Southwest has evolved from a small independent music festival into a cultural juggernaut that fosters discovery and collaboration across the creative industries. As the festival celebrates its 40th anniversary, its new "clubhouse" model aims to further embed it in the vibrant Austin community while preserving its unique ability to spark innovation and connection.