SxSW is a brand that means something. To creatives, marketers, innovators, and the culturally curious, it’s a name that conjures a heady mix of film premieres, tech breakthroughs, emerging music and late-night conversations with strangers who somehow shift your thinking forever. I’ve been lucky enough to attend the Austin original more than once—and I’ve always come back inspired, a little sleep-deprived, and brimming with ideas. So when SXSW announced its debut in London, I cleared the diary and got curious.
Let’s start with the good news: SXSW London is here, and that matters. It brings one of the world’s most eclectic and creative festivals to our doorstep. It’s no longer a long-haul flight away for UK-based marketers and creatives. And across five fast-paced days, it aimed to pack in the same blend of film, music and interactive brilliance that’s made its Texas counterpart a global phenomenon.
But for those of us who’ve done the rounds in Austin, it also raised some questions about translation—and what gets lost in moving a format from a sprawling, sun-drenched Texan city to the cobbled energy of Shoreditch.
Time, Space, and a Bit of Breathing Room
Austin’s version of SXSW stretches across two weeks, with the film festival, music festival, and interactive conference overlapping but still distinct. That gives the event its wonderful rhythm—you drift between disciplines, attend a morning keynote, then stumble into a short film screening or end up discovering a jazz trio in a hotel lobby.
In London, those threads were run concurrently, across just five days. That compression meant the content lost some of its space to breathe. You couldn’t follow an interactive theme across several days because the music and film schedules were demanding your attention at the same time. It sometimes felt more frantic than fluid, with little time to really sink into a subject.
The Geography Problem
Then there’s the layout. Shoreditch is an inspired choice—gritty, vibrant, creative to its core. But unlike Austin, which centralises much of the action within walkable zones, SXSW London felt fragmented. You might begin your morning at Shoreditch Town Hall and find yourself hiking to the Barbican for a film premiere. The spread from Hoxton to Truman Brewery made for a lot of between-session schlepping.
I spotted plenty of fellow lanyard-wearers roaming the streets between sessions—often looking slightly lost or wondering if they’d make the next one on time. When you only have a short time between talks, that trek can start to feel like a distraction rather than a journey. And the app, while promising, didn’t quite make it easy to navigate all this. Building a coherent plan that took distances and transitions into account was harder than it should have been.
Great Content, But Hard to Dive Deep
One of the things I love most about SXSW is finding a thread—a topic that grabs me, then discovering spin-off talks, workshops or meetups that pull it further. In London, that was more difficult. The programming was wonderfully eclectic, but perhaps too broad. I struggled to find a consistent narrative or theme to immerse myself in. There were excellent sessions, no doubt—but it felt like a greatest hits compilation, not a concept album.
It also didn’t help that I, like many UK attendees, went home at the end of each day. That shift from immersive festival mode to commuter reality meant less spontaneity. At SXSW Austin, you’re in it—you grab a drink with someone, hear about a pop-up session, head to an impromptu gig. In London, I was more likely checking train times.
The Magic Moments Were Still There
That said, there was magic. Shoreditch Town Hall was an outstanding venue—its character and charm gave real atmosphere to the sessions. The Truman Brewery area had some strong setups too, and when you did find a great talk, the quality was high.
There were surprise moments—the unexpected appearance of Tony Blair, Erykah Badu’s low-key DJ set, Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA talking about digital legacy and creativity. I loved the session You Are Not Who You Think You Are, which explored how large language models like ChatGPT interpret our online presence—an eye-opener for marketers wondering how AI sees their brand.
There were also brilliant art installations, energetic performances, and some inspiring speakers who reminded me why I love this kind of event. And for the creatives who did manage to get free premium passes (while some paid full whack), well, lucky them—but perhaps there’s a lesson there about transparency in pricing.
Final Thought: Worth It, With Some Tweaks
Bringing South by Southwest to London was a bold move. And it’s a move I’m glad happened. It shows ambition, respect for the UK’s creative industries, and a desire to open up the SXSW energy to a new audience. It wasn’t perfect. The geography, the programming density, the planning tools—all need some tuning.
But the potential? Huge. With a few adjustments, this could be the most important creative event in Europe.
Three things I’d recommend for next year:
- Zone the content more clearly—allow deeper dives into themes or industries so attendees can find their thread.
- Centralise the geography—or at least plan for better transport guidance and transitions between venues.
- Think immersion—build in more spontaneous, serendipitous experiences. SXSW thrives on surprise. Don’t let that get lost.
If you’re a marketer, from an independent agency, a brand leader, or just someone who thrives on creative collision, SXSW London is still worth your time. But like all good things—it gets better with feedback.
Cognitive Union is a progressive, boutique learning and performance consultancy. We work with forward-thinking businesses. Transforming their people. Shaping their culture. Helping them embrace change and take on the world. Find this blog useful? Sign up to our email newsletter (bottom of this page) where you can receive articles like this and other insights (not publically published), and you can also follow us on LinkedIn.