- SXSW Sydney starts on Monday, October 13.
- It features scores of very different experiences.
- So we’ve picked the eyes out of the program to suggest what we think is the best.
SXSW Sydney takes place from October 13 to 19 this year, setting the city up for a major burst of live music, cutting-edge art, food pop-ups, tech playgrounds and a boatload of free programming.
As with the previous two years, the Asia Pacific region’s incredible ethnic diversity has given this festival a spine, widening the scope of creativity to wrestle it away from western-centric ideas.
As someone who has covered SXSW in the US before, I approached the Sydney edition with a healthy amount of scepticism when it debuted in 2023. Do we have the talent to convince people to fork out hundreds (or thousands) of dollars for unlimited access? Are people even going to understand how the badge system works? Will there be enough free programming to get everyone involved?
Turns out we don’t really need big names, and there’s a very strong focus on free things to do at SXSW. Tumbalong Park’s free programming has been an absolute smash, exposing more people to surprising sets from Indonesian and South-Asian pop and rock stars, right alongside First Nations creatives, genuinely innovative brand activations, and tech showcases.
If I were to tell you everything about SXSW Sydney, this article would be over 5,000 words—there are around 1600 events across 7 days. I don’t want that for you (or me) so we’ve plucked out a concise and decisive five highlights from the multi-factor music-film-tech-arts festival so you’ve got a quick checklist on what to do, see and hear during the festival.
Tickets, by the way, are from $40 to $1,495 Platinum pass for seven days and everything in between. Find them here. But there’s also the extensive SXSW Unlocked program, which takes place mostly in Tumbalong Park and features over 85 hours of free events throughout the week.
My top picks of this year’s SXSW program
1. Catch First Nations artists at ‘Blak to the Future’
On Thursday, October 16, head along to Tumbalong Park for Blak to the Future: A Celebration of First Nations Creatives, co-curated by Awesome Black and Winda Film Festival. Expect an evening of short films by emerging Indigenous filmmakers, live performances from rising First Nations artists, and the first presentation of the Screen NSW First Nations Screen Fellowship.
Sydney’s cultural festivals are increasingly centering blak voices for good reason. Not only is it about time Indigenous creatives are showcased more strongly to the world, but the output coming from mob around the city has been unseasonably strong lately, particularly when it comes to incendiary, socially-conscious hip hop and film. And you get to see it all for free.
When: Thursday, October 16 from 5pm
Where: Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour
2. Bootscoot your way to Tumbalong Honky Tonk
Sydney turns into Nashville for a few hours with Tumbalong Honky Tonk. Set for the Friday after work, the Saddle Club Sydney will show everyone how to get their best bootscootin’ on with live music by Australian country singer Max Jackson, as well as Canada’s The Washboard Union, viral teen sensation Lewis Love, and rock outfit Big Wheels. You’ll be given a masterclass on line dancing and then given a chance to strut your stuff
Then, put on your best cowboy hat and boots for Tumbalong Honky Tonk on Friday October 17 from 5pm. Led by Saddle Club Sydney, this is your chance to learn how to line dance to live music by Australian country singer-songwriter Max Jackson, Canadian country group The Washboard Union, viral teen sensation Lewis Love and golden-rock duo Big Wheels.
When: Friday, October 17 from 5pm
Where: Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour
3. See Bruce Springsteen come to life at SXSW Screen
Thanks to hit TV show, The Bear, Jeremy Allen White’s star has reached the stratosphere as far as the screen goes. For his latest act, he’ll transform into The Boss for Scott Cooper’s highly anticipated Bruce Springsteen biopic, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. It’s the first prestige music biopic we’ve seen float around all year, so what better place for its local premiere than at SXSW Sydney. It already had its world premiere at Telluride Film Festival just a few months ago, and has been attracting rave reviews ever since.
SXSW has locked it in as the opening night film for the festival’s Screen program. But seeing just one film would be a waste with a program like this. You’ve also got to book in sessions for Ethan Hawke’s horror-drama The Black Phone 2 and Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia.
When: Monday, October 13 from 7pm
Where: Seymour Centre, Chippendale
4. Celebrate Australian music with The Rubens
Celebrate a nostalgia-trip with The Rubens as they headline a special evening set at Tumbalong Park as part of a wider music lineup that they themselves have curated. You’d usually have to pay for something like this, but it’s being showcased live and loud for free to help wrap SXSW Sydney with a band. The popular rockers will be marking ten years since their iconic Hoops album, celebrating the past decade of Australian music alongside US band The Whitney, Folk Bitch Trio, Velvet Trip and Mariae Cassandra.
Tumbalong Park will be turned into a full-blown music festival for this year. Expect street food stands mingling with fashion pop-ups and music coming at your from every direction. Who needs Splendour in the Grass, anyway?
When: Saturday, October 18 from 2pm
Where: Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour
5. See highlights of the Innovation Expo for free
You’d usually need to buy a Platinum Pass or a Pro Pass to get access to the tech and innovation strain of SXSW Sydney. It’s one big networking sessions and tech showcase where big-name brands display some of their latest and greatest, which is essential given the ongoing discussions around how tech is further integrating into every day life.
Take Anker for example. The brand, mostly known for robotics, headphones and some of the world’s best portable chargers, will be showing off their fancy eufyMake E1 UV Printer, which can live print texture and custom design all types of projects from oil paintings to stickers, cups and coasters. 3D printing advances should be a big part of the showcase, as will AI, of course.
If you don’t have access, you can at least see some of the highlights for free as the Innovation Expo at ICC Sydney opens up to the public on the Saturday. You can wander through startup village, check out immersive XR/VR tech, and have live demos of the products that’ll change the way we engage with creativity in the coming years. You’ll just need to register here.
When: Saturday, October 18
Where: ICC Theatre, Darling Harbour
SXSW Sydney
When: Monday, October 13 – Sunday, October 19
Where: Various locations (mostly around Darling Harbour)
Tickets & Info: sxswsydney.com
