South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney™ is launching for the first time in Australia – dedicated to connect, empower and spotlight creatives across the Asia-Pacific region. 

The popular conference and festival was founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, best known to celebrate the convergence of technology, film, music, education and culture. The event is massive featuring music and comedy showcases, film screenings, expos, professional development – and of course, networking.

With its first international launch from North America, its first partners feature the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Young Henrys. Vice-chancellor and president at UTS, professor Andrew Parfitt says, “Technology, creativity, and innovation are synonymous with both SXSW and UTS, and it’s fitting that this partnership has been founded in Sydney’s Tech Central precinct. We’re excited to be a part of such a renowned global festival and look forward to the opportunity to showcase our campus, our community, and our shared vision to promote positive change in our world. This is a particularly exciting opportunity for UTS students to garner industry experience through work and internship placements with SXSW Sydney, and I look forward to seeing the result of this exceptional collaboration.”

Bringing in a future focused program, SXSW Sydney™ will be running from Sunday 15 October to Sunday 22 October, 2023. The conference will feature more than 200 presentations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions. Session Select aims to collaborate with creative professionals, experts and inspired thinkers from around the world to identify innovative new ideas. Showcasing the importance of Climate Change, the panels will also focus on the metaverse, technologies and research building a future focused vision. 

Managing director of SXSW Sydney™, Colin Daniels says, “Sydney’s diversity makes it the perfect incubator for creativity and we’re lucky that so many artists, creative thinkers and innovative businesses call it home. Next October, SXSW Sydney will place a global spotlight on our region’s creative community, highlighting the incredible ideas, sounds and skills found in Sydney and the Asia-Pacific – and the best part is that with our range of event formats and Session Select platform, anyone can be involved.”