SXSW Sydney Has Announced Its 2025 Dates — and After a Huge Event in 2024, It's Planning Another Big Fest
The second-ever SXSW Down Under featured 1400 conference sessions, 95 screenings, 315 performances and 150 games.
When it comes to forming habits, three weeks is often bandied about as the right amount of time to cement a new part of your routine. With annual massive music, technology, screen and gaming festivals, perhaps three years is a better fit. After initially making its debut in 2023, then returning in 2024, SXSW Sydney will be back again in 2025. Mark your calendar accordingly.
You can now call the huge event a fixture of not just the Harbour City's cultural calendar, but also Australia's. The dates for its third iteration: Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19. Although there's no lineup details as yet, attendees can expect big things again after 2024's fest built upon 2023's successes.
The second-ever SXSW Down Under featured 1400 conference sessions, 95 screenings, 315 performances and 150 games. It also hosted more than 92,000 unique visitors, with folks attending from 56 countries. In terms of total visits, the seven-day festival notched up 300,000 — including 190,000-plus people heading along to the 163 events as part of the free programming in Tumbalong Park.
Darling Harbour, Chippendale and Broadway will be among the places playing host to SXSW Sydney in 2025, but more details there are still also yet to be revealed.
"SXSW Sydney 2024 was a great success on all fronts, and was bigger than its debut year in attendance numbers and sessions throughout the week," said SXSW Sydney Chair Geoff Jones, announcing the 2025 dates.
"We look forward to paving the way for more innovators across the tech and innovation, music, screen, games and creative industries by providing these creators with an opportunity on a global stage."
Whatever graces the bill in 2025, it'll follow on from Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker, Chance The Rapper, Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb and Nicole Kidman in 2023, plus The Kid LAROI, human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, author Johann Hari, The New Boy filmmaker Warwick Thornton, The Babadook composer Jed Kurzel, Grace Tame and Tim Minchin in 2024 — and heaps more.
SXSW Sydney 2025 will run from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details.
Images: Paul McMillan, Jess Gleeson, Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW and Nina Franova/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney.
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