The original SXSW in Austin is one of the best events I’ve ever attended. I covered the famed multi-factor festival as media back in 2018 and had the time of my life, rushing between screenings, conferences, gigs and parties all on the back of dressed-up pedicabs.
I’d spy Bill Murray casually walking down the street reciting poetry to no one (hence, everyone), watch John Cena as he walked the red carpet for his first feature film, and listen to Elijah Wood excitedly hosting a screening of Hereditary.
Then I’d catch Josh Homme and Dave Grohl tearing through a secret set on a tiny backyard stage at an annual SXSW party thrown by TV chef Rachael Ray. Just hours later, I’d be partying at a BBQ hosted by Atlanta rapper Ludacris, right before heading to a pop-up performance by R&B star Miguel.
For a little over a week, the days at SXSW Austin started to bleed into each other. Conference, party, gig, gig, party, conference. HBO took over a patch of land just outside of Austin and built an entire pop-up town, recreating the immersive machinations of Westworld. Elsewhere, Willie Nelson had opened up his ranch to throw a festival that was all music, marijuana and smoked meats.
By the end of it all, I was desperate for a piece of lettuce and ready to lie in bed for nine days straight.
When it came to Sydney, it was lauded as a major tourism coup, and Destination NSW was reported to have spent $12 million getting it here. Now, three years later, questions are being raised.
The Sydney Morning Herald, a paper which sits in the very heartland of an event which ought to appeal to its AB readers, this week delivered a withering verdict: ” As it enters its third year, the film/music/gaming/innovation insert-buzzword-here still can’t quite shake questions of its flaccidity.”
So what’s happening?
The selection of Sydney as the location for the inaugural international expansion of SXSW marked a deliberate attempt to capture the Asia-Pacific’s creative and innovation market. SXSW Sydney was secured as the “official annual Asia-Pacific instalment of SXSW”, explicitly positioning the city as the “gateway to the Asia Pacific”.
The original US licensor, SXSW, LLC, framed the expansion around its core mandate: helping creative individuals achieve their goals.
Roland Swenson, CEO and co-founder of SXSW, cited Sydney as “the ideal city to serve as a home for the cross-collaboration” that defines the event.
The event is structured around four core pillars—Tech & Innovation, Music, Screen, and Games—reflecting the multi-industry convergence required to achieve the proposed APAC hub status.
I could not contain my excitement when I first heard SXSW was coming to Sydney. Already, I could picture the pedicabs racing people between Oxford Street and the CBD as bars brimmed with live music from the who’s who of the music industry.
Perhaps YCK Laneways could be the Sixth Street of SXSW Sydney. Maybe our arts precinct down in Walsh Bay could be used in more interesting ways, and the many historic buildings in The Rocks could be transformed by creative brand takeovers.
As it now enters its third year, the reality of SXSW Sydney is clearly nothing like what you’d find over in Austin.
To make it work, its corporate partners had to be as much in line with the cultural aspirations as the organisers. But, too many came to the table with ideas as dull as an accountant’s LinkedIn post.
A common nickname for SXSW Sydney: “Corporate Coachella”.
Intestingly, while the event was secured with government and City of Sydney money, control rested with the organisers. The government is a strategic customer and major funder purchasing the rights to host the international brand for a predetermined period, believed to be five years.
This duration mandates a significant, long-term commitment of public funds, escalating the need for comprehensive transparency regarding the total expenditure and accountability mechanisms for evaluating its success over the contract lifecycle.
The primary public justification for the substantial taxpayer investment was the projected financial return on investment. Destination NSW confidently estimated that the inaugural SXSW Sydney would attract more than 27,000 high-value interstate and overseas visitors in its first year, predicting they would inject over $24 million into the NSW visitor economy.
Austin’s festival made a massive $US280.7 million in 2022, and Sydney’s event was expected to “grow each year” as the event established itself as a staple event in the APAC region.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports “early figures supplied by SXSW Sydney show 11 per cent of this year’s ticket holders are from overseas, and 21 per cent of domestic ticket holders are from outside of NSW.”
Has SXSW Sydney made the right moves?
Ticket prices have long been a source of concern. Great for corporates. Not so good for the rest of us, unless you are seeing a movie.
- Platinum Pass: $1,495 (includes 7-day access to Conference, Expo, and Festivals)
- Pro Pass: $995 (includes 7-day access to Conference, Expo, and Festivals)
- Conference Day Pass: $695 (includes one day of conference content only)
- Festival Wristband: $140 (includes multi-day access to Music, Games, or Screen showcases)
- Innovation Expo Day Pass: $40
- Single Movie Screening: $25
The passes just don’t work. The program is just too mixed.
It’s unlikely that the same person who wants to see Teddy Swims give a keynote is equally keen on hearing what the CEO of a company they’ve never heard of has to say about AI integration. Does SXSW expect Paul Feig’s “career highlights” talk to draw in a capacity crowd in the same way Post Malone headlining a music festival would?
They certainly have him pulling the hard yards through the weekend, given he’s one of the only recognisable international names on the lineup. You can catch Feig giving a Q&A after several screenings of his classic films, including Bridesmaids.
There are free events, SXSW Sydney Unlocked, which include free talks, live music, and interactive experiences in Tumbalong Park and other locations across the city.
The beauty of SXSW lies in its ability to take the best parts of every type of creative conference and arts festival, mash them all together, and watch the chaos smooth itself out over several deliriously long days.
SXSW Sydney isn’t as skilled in making sense of the mish-mash as of yet, but there are still clear examples of progress.
A big step in the right direction is the expansion of SXSW Unlocked, with over 80 hours of free events mostly across tech showcases, gigs, parties and brand pop-ups.
It seems like SXSW Sydney is finding its own identity with the help of multicultural music showcases. Highlights of the past few years have been showcases from Indonesian, South Asian and First Nations artists. That’ll continue in 2025, deepening the demand for a more exciting and revelatory live music scene that feels much more essential than watching a mid-tier cover band led by someone who has a “pretty good chance” of making it to at least the third round of Australian Idol.
But does any of that sell $695 day passes?
Perhaps not surprisingly, corporate sponsors are sold on the event. Marketing chiefs from major sponsors like Commonwealth Bank and Seven rated the inaugural 2023 event as a “solid eight out of 10,” confirming strong confidence and suggesting a likelihood of future participation.
This supports the government’s justification that the event successfully delivered networking opportunities and a platform for industry convergence.
Is that enough to stave off concerns about a lack of transparency over funding and the attendance numbers, particularly from international guests?
As it stands, there’s just not enough to get the average punter or tourist to invest so heavily in the weeklong event. Despite the free programming, which largely plays into niche interests and lacks the kind of broad appeal necessary to attract those big numbers.
Want a quick guide to the SXSW highlights this year? Head to our SXSW guide to read more.
SXSW Sydney
When: Monday, October 13 – Sunday, October 19
Where: Various locations (mostly around Darling Harbour)
Tickets & Info: sxswsydney.com
Feature image credited to South by Southwest / Destination NSW.
