Since announcing its return to the Harbour City back in December 2023, SXSW has been keeping its cards close to its chest when it comes to what we can expect from this year’s Sydney event. Today, the team have revealed their first round of key headlining featured speakers, as well as headlining musicians, key film screenings, plus some headline acts taking over their Games line-up. The multidisciplinary festival spans seven days, so it goes without saying that the line-up is a lengthy one – we’ve broken down a few key highlights to look out for at SXSW Sydney 2024.
On the SXSW Sydney Conference line-up for 2024, we can expect a solid range of academics, filmmakers, tech leaders, creatives, cultural critics, CEOs and comedians. Oh, and an astronaut. Katherine Bennell-Pegg from the Australian Space Agency is topping the bill this year, and she will be joined by Ryan Patel (world-renowned futurist and authority on global business, politics and corporate governance), Sofia Hernandez (Global Head of Business Marketing at TikTok) and the ever-relevant founder of Non-Obvious, Rohit Bhargava, who is back by popular demand after his super-popular appearance at SXSW 2023.
On the Tech front, expect to hear from Armand Ruiz, the Vice President of Product at AI Platform at IBM; Co-Founder of Metaphysic.ai and Codec.ai, Martin D. Adams; and Noelle Russell, Founder and Chief AI Officer at the AI Leadership Institute, just to name a few. The line-up of speakers is truly eclectic, with those announced so far also including Jemma Sbeg, host of hit podcast The Psychology of your 20s; Director of the Australian Open, Craig Tiley; award-winning filmmaker and director Simon McQuoid (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2); playwright, actor, writer, comedian and one-time Time Out Future Shaper Nakkiah Lui (Black Comedy, Blaque Showgirls); Australian human rights lawyer and barrister Jennifer Robinson; and the enchantingly entertaining mathematician Adam Spencer.
“SXSW Sydney is about discovery and an opportunity to be surrounded by the best and brightest minds from Tech & Innovation, Games, Music, Screen and Culture. This year’s SXSW promises to be as inspiring as ever,” says SXSW Sydney Chair and TEG Group CEO, Geoff Jones.
Complementing the headline talks, the Conference line-up will also include a series of thought-provoking discussions known as ‘SXSW Sessions’. The first round of topics to be announced include a discussion on whether the age threshold for social media citizenship should be changed, an exploration of “Designing with Country”, and an examination of how AI will impact our future. Plus, other talks covering topics ranging from fashion to film, news media, and the impact that nature has on our workplaces. More information on the SXSW Sydney 2024 Conference program can be found over here.
The SXSW Sydney Music Festival was a huge deal for a bunch of up-and-coming musicians last year. In 2024, guests can expect performances from singer-songwriter Total Tommy; Rising Marranunggu rapping brothers, J-MILLA & Yung Milla; Sydney R&B sensation Maina Doe; and multi-hyphenate artist Ayesha Madon (who you might recognise from Heartbreak High) alongside international acts including Nick Ward (UK); Ena Mori (Manila); HighSchool (UK); and 404 (Korea). You’ll find more details on the SXSW Music Festival over here.
The SXSW Sydney Screen Festival has also made its initial selection of short films set to premiere at the event, with standouts including Make Me a Pizza from USA-based director, writer and producer Talia Shea Levin; Fishtank from LA-based writer and producer Wendi Tang; Meat Puppet from British-Greek director Eros V; and Vivie from Malaysian-raised, New Zealand-based director/actor/producer Hweiling Ow.
And for the gamers among us, the SXSW Sydney Games Festival is set to be a standout – with the first round of games including Blood Reaver (Hell Byte Games, Australia), Curiosmos (Céline and the Darlings, Belgium), Demon Spore (DinoBoss, UK), DICEOMANCER (Ultra Piggy Studio, China), FRUITBUS (Krillbite Studio, Norway), Hyper Light Breaker l (Heart Machine, USA), Mystiques (Lemonade Games, Australia), No Case Should Remain Unsolved (Somi, South Korea), Rose and Locket (Whistling Wizard, New Zealand) and Window Garden (CLOVER-FI Games, Philippines).
The program standouts from the inaugural SXSW Sydney in 2023 – the first iteration to ever happen outside of Texas – included a performance by Chance the Rapper celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop, and mainstage conversations with the likes of Australian sweetheart Nicole Kidman, Black Mirror creator Charlie Booker, and futurist and AI expert Amy Webb. But for those who attended, it was the pop-up shows and secret parties that made the event what it was, transforming Sydney into a joyously-unpredictable creative hub. Here’s hoping that this year sees any early-days kinks ironed out, and those glorious pop-up parties amped up in every direction.
SXSW Sydney 2024 will run from October 14–20. Earlybird ticket sales end on May 16, you can score yours and keep an eye out for new announcements over here.
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