Austin, Texas – November 11, 2025 – South by Southwest® (SXSW®) has announced the first 100 Showcasing Artists confirmed to perform at SXSW 2026 (March 12–18) and the first 50 Showcase Presenters for the 40th Music Festival. These groundbreaking artists represent genres and countries from around the world, showcasing the breadth of global talent attendees will experience at SXSW.
Highlights from the first 100 Showcasing Artists for the SXSW Music Festival include masked lo-fi art-pop musician Milo Korbenski from Brighton, England; experimental electropop and live coding pioneer DJ_Dave out of LA; Mexico City-based and regionally influenced post-punk project La Texana; Brooklyn-based alt-folk songwriter Hudson Freeman; Austin-based Bayonne, the introspective and ethereal electro-pop project of artist Roger Sellers; Indonesian indie trio Grrrl Gang; Irish post-punks Chalk; LA punk-pop buzz band The Sophs; West Coast hip-hop and Bollywood influenced rapper, producer, and songwriter KOAD; Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter runo plum; and Grammy-nominated rapper and Tully founder Joyner Lucas.
To see the full list of Showcasing Artists announced so far, visit the SXSW schedule here.
“SXSW has been the premiere destination for music discovery for 40 years, helping push pioneering acts like Kendrick Lamar, The White Stripes, Wet Leg, PinkPantheress, Tyler, The Creator, and Billie Eilish, to the next level,” said Brian Hobbs, VP of Music at SXSW. “By bringing the global music industry to Austin, from labels and A&R to publicists to influential journalists and critics, SXSW is a unique opportunity for showcasing artists to build their careers, enter new markets, and learn from fellow artists and industry voices. With an extra night of showcases this year, 2026 is shaping up to be better than ever for artists, industry and audiences.”
Showcase Presenters
Music showcases are curated by SXSW programmers in collaboration with record labels, booking agencies, export offices, management and PR firms, publishers, media outlets, lifestyle brands and festivals. These showcases give attendees the opportunity to experience sets in exclusive, small-stage performances.
SXSW Music Showcase Presenters include returning favorites like Billboard, NPR Music Stations, Rolling Stone, British Music Embassy, Los Angeles Times’ De Los, BMG, BBC Introducing, and The Line of Best Fit, and exciting first time presenters, like Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, R&B Block Party and Dream Con. For a full list of Showcase Presenters announced to date, see here.
Listen to the artists who will be performing at SXSW 2026 by subscribing to the official SXSW Spotify and YouTube Music Video playlists.
Music Festival Opening Party
To kick off the festival, The All-American Rejects will perform at the Music Festival Opening Party, hosted at Stubb’s Amphitheater on the first night of SXSW 2026, Thursday, March 12th.
The Music Opening Party, presented by Rivian, is an annual celebration featuring live music from showcase artists, food and drinks, and more. Details on the Opening Party, including additional performances, will be shared in the coming weeks.
Music Conference
Last week, SXSW announced more than 250 sessions for the Innovation, Film & TV, and Music Conferences, curated from the thousands of PanelPicker submissions. Music Conference Programming provides attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest trends impacting the music business and practical advice to advance careers at every level.
This year the Music Conference will look at how emerging technologies, new business models, and artist development are transforming music, from creation, to performance, and fan engagement. Session highlights from the SXSW programming team include:
The Future of Music is Participatory—The age of passive music consumption is ending as fans step into the role of creator, collaborator and mixer. Driven by intuitive platforms, mobile-first production tools, and immersive technologies, the barriers to entry for music creation have never been lower. Platinum recording artist 310babii, Hook Music’s Gaurav Sharma, Sony Music’s Jordy Freed, and Bandlab’s Dani Deahl, will explore how this shift is transforming the roles of artists, brands, and platforms, fundamentally changing how songs are made and how artists connect with fans.
The Numbers Behind the Hits: How Data is Driving K-pop’s Global Domination—Major Korean music labels and data analytics leaders reveal the strategies behind K-pop’s global dominance—and what Western music can learn from it. KreatorsNetwork’s Abigail Raymaker, Luminate’s Adrian Sarosi, and HYBE Music Group APAC’s Kyungduk Suhr will share how Korean labels leverage data to make decisions about tours, content, and promotion, cultivate superfans through multi-platform strategies, and examine their export-first philosophy to build global audiences.
Tour Support 2.0: How Mental Health is Reshaping Live Music—The road can be a tough place, especially for young artists. In 2025, the Country Music Association made investments in mental health organizations and partnered with Amber Health to deliver support for artists. Rising country star Wyatt Flores, his manager William Dyer, CMA’s Tiffany Kerns and Dr. Chayim Newman of Amber Health will share the story of joining forces to reimagine tour support and pioneer a new, replicable model for artist care in country music.
To see the full list of conference sessions announced, visit the SXSW schedule here.
New Look Festival & Conference
For the first time ever, SXSW Music will feature seven days of music programming and showcases at Austin’s iconic venues. The Music Conference & Festival will run simultaneously with Innovation and Film & TV, and Music and Platinum badge holders will have access to the Music Clubhouse at The Downright hotel, a central gathering point surrounded by related programming and events, making it easier than ever to navigate and connect.
Participation
There’s still time to be part of SXSW Music Festival, with seven nights to showcase your sound in Austin’s most popular venues with an audience from around the globe. Don’t miss your chance, the final deadline to apply for Music Showcases is Friday, November 21, 2025 at 11:59pm.
About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is known worldwide for conferences and festivals that celebrate the convergence of technology, film and television, music, education, comedy and culture. The annual event serves global professionals through sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and networking that consistently generates unexpected discoveries when diverse communities come together. SXSW 2026 runs March 12-18 in downtown Austin, preceded by SXSW EDU March 9-12. Learn more at sxsw.com.
SXSW’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region, with SXSW Sydney starting in 2023 and Europe with SXSW London in 2025, provides new possibilities at this iconic experience. These events, each with their own distinct flavor, make South By an indispensable three-stop tour for the global creative community.
SXSW 2026 Driven by Rivian.
