Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, horn4life said:

The one thing I really noticed this weekend was a LOT fewer international travelers.  Like maybe 80+% fewer, where on SoCo they have made up a lot the last few years.  So many fewer I was trying to think of US companies with a lot of exposure to international travel. OR is it that folks are simply pulling back on spending in the US?   It was crowded of course, but not as crowded as last year.  I want to see what the economic impact was of SXSW compared to last year after the sales taxes are tallied.

Restos at 1 pm at the SoCo Stomp, be there or be square!

One of the obvious things to me was the lack of sponsors. In years past there were a ton of sponsors (car, beer, clothing, energy drink, media etc) on the sxsw signage at the venues. This year there were three: Rivian, JBL and the Austin Chronicle. 

Edited by destroya
Posted (edited)

Sounds like music at South By is in its death throes...

https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/2025/03/16/sxsw-2026-schedule-half-price-badges-early-bird-available-now/82470583007/

SXSW transforms in 2026: Music weekend gone, half-price badges available now

The South by Southwest Conference and Festival is undergoing a dramatic transformation. With dwindling band numbers and a surge in Film interest, the event will present a trimmed-down schedule that eliminates a dedicated music weekend in 2026. SXSW is also offering a lifeline to cash-strapped, would-be attendees with unprecedented early bird discounts slashing badge prices in half for a limited time. Is the Music fest, once the headliner, now more like the opening act that nobody quite remembers? They used to pack in 2,000 bands, in a chaotic symphony of sound. In 2025, that number was 1,012. 35% were international acts, representing their countries with pride, and often sponsored in part by government ministries.

The Film and TV Fest, once the awkward sibling shoved into the corner, has suddenly become the cool kid everyone wants to hang out with. Thanks in part to Penske Corp. — 50% owners of SXSW since 2021 and Hollywood heavyweights who own your favorite film industry and music mags — the Film fest now feels like the VIP lounge. Suddenly, everyone's clamoring for screen time, not stage time.

Next year, the festival and conference will run from Thursday March 12 to Wednesday March 18, ditching the second music-centric weekend.

The fest is also offering deep early bird discounts at sxsw.com through March 31. You can snag a Platinum pass for a $1,135. Interactive badges are going for $785, Film and Television for $700. And $475 for a music badge. Walk up prices this year were wallet whopping: Platinum $2,295, Interactive $1,695, Film and Television badges $1,395, Music badges $995).
Worth noting: For the last several years, badges for each track granted secondary access to other festival tracks. Next year, the Platinum pass is the only badge that will grant access to all festival tracks.
 
 
Edited by CooterBrown
Posted

Well, SXSW desperately tried to control non-conference bookings in the early days.  During the first few years they would "prohibit" bands from playing gigs in Austin within a few weeks of their showcase.  That slowly fell apart.  Then they tried to keep bands from playing non-sanctioned showcases during the conference itself.  That slowly fell apart.  Too many big draws just told them to fuck off.  So, at this point, "SXSW" showcases are typically lame and pale in comparison to the private shows going on with bigger bands at either rogue outlets or off hours.

I don't think the music is going away, SXSW Music is going away because it has almost nothing to offer the average music consumer.  Let's put the blame right at the (original) top -- Louis Black and Roland Swenson, two dickheads who were determined to get rich, and who pretty much did, at the expense of musicians.

  • Hook 'Em 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...