AUSTIN, TEXAS—South by Southwest is a hotbed of up-and-coming trends across tech, film, music, and pop culture for the roughly 300,000 attendees who descend on Austin, Texas, each spring.
For everyone else, the event—abbreviated SXSW and also colloquially referred to as “South By”—is a FOMO-inducing nine-day marathon taking place March 8-16 this year. Following a year of high highs and low lows—in which there was a boom in artificial intelligence and blockbuster performances in the entertainment industry (hello, Barbie movie and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour), not to mention elevated inflation, borrowing rates, and global conflicts—SXSW will surely be a place to listen, observe, and learn.
This year, keynote speakers include the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle; five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird, who will speak on the role of women’s sports in pop culture; the co-directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert; and Selena Gomez, among other notable featured speakers.
BizBash sat down with the festival's longtime co-president and chief programming officer, Hugh Forrest, for a preview on what to expect, including what’s new and noteworthy this time around, his 35th SXSW…
SXSW’s longtime co-president and chief programming officer, Hugh ForrestPhoto: Dylan O'Connor
What’s the latest and greatest attendees can look forward to this year?
We have three new tracks for the 2024 conference: Artificial Intelligence (running March 11-15), Creator Economy (March 11-15), and Fashion and Beauty (March 8-10).
AI isn’t the only new—or newish—technology that we’re focusing on at SXSW 2024. I’m also really excited about all the content we have this year that focuses on quantum computing, which is still a few years away from mainstream understanding and adoption.
Additionally, the Tech Industry track now runs for the full event. I’m really excited that two very popular elements of the event are returning in 2024: Featured Speaker Connects (which empowers registrants to interact with some of our most popular speakers in a smaller setting) and the SXSW Continuing Legal Education.
I’m excited that we have so much programming focused on solutions to the climate change crisis. Most of this occurs in the Climate Change track (March 12-15), but we will also see it across several other tracks, including the 2050 track (March 8-10), Food (March 8-10), Energy (March 8-10), and Transportation (March 12-15).
In the walk-up to the nine-day event, new speakers are being announced daily. This year, SXSW’s keynote speakers include the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, and five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird. (Pictured: Priyanka Chopra Jonas speaking during SXSW 2023)Photo: Miguel Esparza
Are you incorporating any futuristic tools into the conference?
I think we continually find that the technology the SXSW community enjoys most is the oldest technology in the books—the power of face-to-face connections and interactions.
What does the planning process for SXSW look like?
Extremely comprehensive and extensive! We start accepting speaking proposals via the PanelPicker process in June, and we literally spend weeks and weeks poring over the thousands of great ideas we receive. We start curating keynotes and featured speakers in early August, and these meetings continue into late February. I think the quality of the SXSW programming is a direct reflection of the time and energy we devote to this process. 
There are three new tracks for the conference this year: Artificial Intelligence, Creator Economy, and Fashion and Beauty. (Pictured: Scottish American musician David Byrne speaking at SXSW 2019)Photo: Aaron Rogosin
What is the biggest challenge throughout the planning process?
As always, we try to create as many ways as possible for attendees to break down this large event into smaller, more manageable segments. With 100-plus meetups and dozens of other networking events, I think we do a pretty good job of tackling this challenge. That said, there are always ways to improve, and each year we try to do better.
Recent editions of SXSW [since COVID-19] have tripled down on opportunities for meaningful in-person, human-to-human connections.
For the eventgoers from 100-plus countries expected to venture to the Lone Star State, expect packed days with panels featuring the likes of Hollywood’s Jane Fonda, NBA star Dwyane Wade and “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper.
Still looking for the hottest ticket in town? Here’s what the different badges mean: For $1,990, you can purchase a Platinum badge online, which unlocks access to all of the events associated with SXSW 2024. The $1,595 Interactive offering, meanwhile, provides entry into conference events, while the Film & TV badge costs $1,495. You can also buy any badge at the door, just expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $105 extra.
While most SXSW events require a badge for entry, some musical performances will accept admissions at the door as capacity allows. (Pictured: British psychedelic pop group The Zombies playing at SXSW 2023)Photo: Chia Hsien Hu
A limited number of guests can also buy tickets at the door—15 minutes before showtime—for select film and TV screenings, but only as capacity allows. Some music events also allow guests to pay a cover charge at the door, no badge needed.
Unsure of where to go? Well, like every iteration of SXSW, the majority of the event takes place at many venues across the trendy downtown Austin area. Most conference sessions and meetings are scheduled between the Austin Convention Center, JW Marriott, and Fairmont Austin, while brand activations and events will likely be in and around the Rainey Street District, Sixth Street, the Long Center, and the Red Cultural District—though it isn’t unusual for some happenings to be in Austin’s South Central and East Central neighborhoods, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Movies and screenings, meanwhile, take place at Paramount Theatre, Violet Crown Cinema, and Alamo Drafthouse. To check out satellite screenings part of the film fest, guests will likely have to head to the Austin Film Society's complex on Middle Fiskville Road, per the Austin American-Statesman.
