South by Southwest (SXSW) is coming to Europe for the first time, and luckily for us, the iconic music and film festival will be making London its temporary home. Taking place from June 2nd to June 7th, we’ve now got a much better idea of who, what, and where is set to feature.
The artists who are playing have finally been announced for the inaugural London leg, which focuses on new music, new artists, and underground creative scenes. Over 100 artists, including Mabel, Alice Glass, Nao, and many more, have already been announced. You can check out the complete list of artists announced so far on the SXSW website.
On top of the artists, the full list of venues hosting SXSW London events has also been revealed. Attendees will be heading over to:
- 93 Feet East
- Brick Lane Tap House
- Colours
- Hoxton Hall
- Jaguar Shoes
- Juju’s
- Ninety-One Living Room
- Old Blue Last
- Shoreditch Church
- Shoreditch Town Hall Assembly
- Strongroom Bar
- Village Underground
- XOYO
Each location will host different artists and genres, but the overall focus is the future of music from London’s unique point of view. Shoreditch Town Hall will be home to R&B for the week, while Strongrooms will showcase Caribbean Music and spotlight rising artists in that space — with the whole event looking to act as a springboard for exciting up-and-comers.
Across the various locations, there will be a focus on many other genres, including those above as well as classical, electronic and more. The festival will also showcase plenty of club nights – doesn’t matter how you slice it, if you wanna attend multiple nights, it’s gonna be a big week.
Best known for its annual Austin, Texas takeover, plenty of artists have had their big breaks thanks to SXSW, including Amy Winehouse, Janelle Monáe, and Kid Cudi. Chances are, if you do attend, you might see a future star, and for us in the UK, it’s never been so accessible.
One wristband to rule them all
Fortunately, if you just want to see as many musical artists as possible, you can get a music-only wristband, on sale from April 14th. This gives you access to all gigs across the venues and will be priced from £65 for a day pass, rising to £99 for the main three days of music – saves you having to get multiple wristbands and looking like Kieran Culkin by the time it’s over.
If you’re interested in attending more than the music events and checking out arts and pitch sessions, the opening party and conferences, then three-day passes are already available from £595.
It’s already shaping up to be a massive year for music in London, and SXSW swinging by in June will no doubt be a highlight considering everything on offer.
- If you’re looking for more of what’s on this year, look at our big London gig list for all the must-see shows.
