The inaugural SXSW Sydney has just revealed an unmissable line-up of headline speakers. Initially an annual event in Austin Texas famous for launching the careers of the likes of Billie Eilish and Uber, this year the “festival of festivals” has been expanded to Sydney, and will comprise of 1000+ events, speakers and music acts.
Coachella CEO Paul Tollett is confirmed to head down under as one of four newly announced headline speakers at SXSW Sydney, alongside Queer Eye fashionista Tan France and Slack Co-Founder Cal Henderson, joining previously announced keynote, futurist and AI expert Amy Webb.
Colin Daniels, Managing Director, SXSW Sydney says: “With just under three months to go, this is the first time we’ve been able to hint at the scope of the inaugural SXSW Sydney. Never before have this many entrepreneurs, artists, futurists, innovators and titans of every industry all been in Sydney at one time. As we pull together over 1,000 events and experiences, our team are still searching for a poster big enough to reveal it all.”
As well as the incredible headline speakers, there are over 700 world-leading speakers and industry leaders already announced including de-extinction entrepreneur Ben Lamm, Motion Picture Association CEO Charles Rivkin, advertising icon David Droga, Google Australia MD Mel Silva, Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno, Netflix ANZ Director of Content Que Minh Luu, broadcaster Osher Günsberg, World Surfing Champion Layne Beachley, tech entrepreneur Paul Bassat, Reddit CMO Roxy Young, artistic director Wesley Enoch, K-pop Chief A&R Officer at SM Entertainment, Chris Lee, Expedia CTO Rathi Murthy, and many more.
There are more than 300 panels and sessions to keep you at the forefront of tech and innovation, covering topics such as brain-computer interfaces, the future of lab-grown meat, ethical living with robots, AI fluency, Big Tech transparency, re-imagining news media, First Nations knowledge in design, how recruitment will become more like online dating, venture capital in 2050, when music videos meet AI, the future of love and more.
On top of all this are over 400 artist performances, including ones from 100 artists now announced: From USA’s Flyana Boss and almost monday, to Australian up-and-comers South Summit, Chanel Loren and Gut Health, UK’s SORRY, South Korea’s ADOY and Lil Cherry & GOLDBUUDA, NZ’s Daily J, MELODOWNZ and Molly Payton, Indonesia’s Isyana Sarasvati and Malaysia’s Lunadira.
Film and gaming are also set to be well represented, with red carpet premieres, outdoor screenings, the First Nations Screen Festival, an XR showcase, esports tournaments, meet-and-greets, and more. Gamers can also expect a 150-strong independent showcase, featuring games from across the APAC region.
SXSW Sydney will take place October 15th-22nd in venues across Sydney. Badges are on sale now – find all the info on the SXSW Sydney website HERE.
And if you’re looking to visit the OG, SXSW Austin has locked in dates for its March 2024 event – find out more HERE.
