Why brands should be lining up for SXSW London
SXSW lands in London for the first time in June, bringing a unique vibe and a kudos that should have brands lining up to wow the world’s culture, tech and media elite.
We’ve delivered official ‘must see’ designation activations at SXSW in Austin for the last five years – bringing a double dose of British culture and creativity to Texas through UK House and the British Music Embassy.
So we know a few things about how to leverage SXSW, and how a unique, 38-year Austin legacy might translate to London.
A different vibe
If you’ve never been to SXSW in Austin, let’s paint a picture: Imagine a cross between CES and Glastonbury exploding across an entire town.
SXSW London is aiming for something similar, with around 25 official venues around Shoreditch, centred on the Truman Brewery and across a ‘walkable’ campus area.
Artists, musicians, film makers, and brands will gather alongside CEOs and decision makers to bask in innovative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. The laid-back atmosphere and hanging out vibe mean brands that create the best spaces will enjoy more dwell time and better opportunities for proper conversations.
People spend a leisurely few hours following the festival buzz, until the evening, when it’s time for parties. And these are parties with a capital P - so expect long days, but not busy mornings...
Buzzzzz
The main objective – and challenge – is standing out. In Austin, big budget Brand Houses draw crowds year after year with eagerly anticipated experiential takeovers.
That doesn’t mean an established presence and huge budget is the only way to make an impact. Some of our most successful SXSW activations have also been the simplest.
Word travels fast at SXSW, so creativity and interactivity are the currencies that buy you footfall and engagement. Like when visitors queued around the block outside UK House to collaborate with AI to design their own t-shirt, which would be mailed to them after the show. Simple, and irresistible.
Another year, we saw UK House visitors invited to sit on a motorbike in front of a greenscreen, wind ruffling their hair as a video showed them piloting the two-wheeled beast through a cityscape. Simple interactivity - oversubscribed for the entire show.
With the right creative strategy, social amplification can do a lot of the heavy lifting. Stream key moments and share panel highlights, tease exclusive access with behind-the-scenes glimpses, or harness influencers to expand your reach. Or go old school. Posters are everywhere in Austin, as many embrace the independent spirit of SXSW and double down on age old methods, putting their own creative twist on flyers and stickers.
Content
Content programming is one of our sweet spots, so we watched with interest in Austin last year as AI hype took over the agenda on pretty much every stage. The hype was real.
It’s fine to play to the zeitgeist, but you need an original angle to get bums on seats… or stools, or even beanbags. Again, it’s about cut through. People come to SXSW to be inspired – so say something different.
We’ve built must see agendas at SXSW for the last five years by pairing different content formats with recognisable names. Famous faces draw crowds. In 2024, people happily queued in Austin for two hours outside the British Music Embassy and UK House to catch 15 minutes with SKEPTA.
SXSW in London
Europe’s first ever SXSW is new territory, so we’re expecting a pared down version of what we see in Austin – with a delicious Shoreditch twist.
The hype is already building, and with so many high-powered leaders and decision makers milling around, brands have a license to do things differently, and there’s an undeniable opportunity to lay down a marker.
The UK is a global creative powerhouse on art, music, film, and events. We predict SXSW London will be a success. It will scale up and up, and a memorable year-one experience would carve valuable territory in one of the hottest new European live event environments.
…for brands that nail it this year, people will come back in 2026 just to see if we can raise the bar…
