The countdown to SXSW 2027 officially begins with our first round of Keynote and Featured Session announcements, and we couldn’t be more excited to share them!

SXSW sparks cross-industry conversations, creating an amalgamation of ideas that shape what’s next. These Featured Sessions point to a theme running through this year’s programming: as technology accelerates, people still crave community. From AI to branding, this round brings together voices from across the spectrum. Whatever brings you to SXSW 2027, we’ve got you covered.

See the full lineup here.

Keynote

Deep Unlearning: The Rise of AI and the Radicalization of a Tech Idealist

Timnit Gebru, Founder and Executive Director, Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR)

Timnit Gebru has been present at nearly every inflection point in tech’s recent history. She was an engineer at Apple on the cusp of the iPhone’s first release, a Ph.D. student at Stanford’s computer vision lab as her adviser worked on the enormous datasets so crucial to AI’s development, and the most senior Black woman on the Ethical AI team at Google as DeepMind and OpenAI took over the field of artificial intelligence—where she was forced out for having raised the alarm about bias in large language models, causing global shockwaves in the tech industry. Over the course of her life, Gebru has seen up close how the destructive ideologies and outsized egos of the tech world have come to wreak havoc on our environment, our economies, and the lives of billions of people.

This session discusses how we could have made a different choice every step of the way — and how we still can.

Featured Sessions

A Conversation with Timm Chiusano on the Art of Appreciation

Timm Chiusano, Principal, Chiusano & Daughter

Did you know there is a specific distinction between gratitude and appreciation, and that it can be a path to a happier and more fulfilling existence?  We’re told to practice gratitude, chase purpose, and live in the moment—but we are never taught how appreciation is the skill that makes it all possible. Through personal stories, surprising research, and practical exercises, Timm Chiusano shows how noticing and valuing the world around us can interrupt negative spirals, strengthen relationships, build self-worth, and help us make better use of the time we have.

Beyond the Exit: The Founders Next Act

Allison Ellsworth, Founder, Poppi

Mike Hofman, Editor-in-Chief, Inc.

After building poppi into a nearly $2 billion brand, Allison Ellsworth faced a question many entrepreneurs never publicly discuss: What comes next? In conversation with moderator Mike Hofman, Allison will explore the unique pressure placed on female founders to continually prove themselves, replicate success, and reinvent their careers. She will unpack the emotional and professional realities of a founder’s second act – from identity shifts and burnout to ambition, reinvention, and redefining success after the achievement everyone thought was the finish line.

Growth Beyond the Horizon: Moving Past Innovation Paralysis with Strategic Foresight

Joanna Lepore, Global Foresight Strategist, Dig Insights

Most leaders today prefer to be surprised and deal with the crisis of the moment, in that moment. But that stagnation is not a measured response; it’s paralysis, and it’s causing an innovation and growth gap in your strategy. In this session, global foresight strategist Joanna Lepore draws on firsthand experience building foresight as an enterprise-level capability inside some of the world’s biggest brands, using it to fuel innovation and commercial growth. When scaled properly, foresight moves quickly past theory into operational practice and commercial results. And it does one other critical thing for leadership: driving better decisions when indecision is the easier option.

Amy Webb Launches Technology Convergences 2027

Amy Webb, CEO, Future Today Strategy Group

Every few centuries, the tools humans make stop being tools. Fire became civilization. Writing became a memory. The engine became the modern world. What tools are we creating today that will change the course of history? At SXSW, futurist Amy Webb, CEO of the Future Today Strategy Group and professor at NYU Stern, will take you on a mind-bending exploration of the forces reshaping business, culture, and society. With her signature wit and data-driven approach, Amy will decode the technology convergences that demand your attention, reveal scenarios that challenge how you think about the future, and tell you exactly what to do differently on Monday morning. If you’ve joined Amy’s packed sessions in past years, you know to expect startling insights, big shifts in perspective, and ideas you’ll be talking about long after the session ends. This year’s theme is “Second Nature”—because the tools that eventually change history are the ones we stop noticing. And before you leave the room, we’re going to build a tool together that you’ll take home. (Yes, a real one. Yes, you’ll take it home.)

Badges are now on sale for SXSW 2027. What are you waiting for? Register by Thursday, Sept. 17, to secure the lowest rate of the season. 

Fear. Humor. In-your-face color. These are just a few of the defining characteristics of Chilean artist María Jesús Contreras’s work. You might recognize her bold illustrations from The New York Times‘ Saturday morning paper, The Washington Post, Penguin Random House, Texas Monthly, The New Yorker, and Gucci, to name a few. 

Every year, we commission an artist to try and capture the essence of SXSW and the city we all know and love. Contreras’s work is known for an almost Where’s Waldo-ness in her pieces. If you look a little closer, you can spot familiar faces, local landmarks, and everything in between tucked into every corner. That’s the exact spirit of SXSW 2027: thousands of small communities packed into one week, where there’s something and someone for everyone to discover.

For SXSW 2027, we’re focusing on exploring humanism and community, two things often lost in the whirlwind landscape where AI has become the go-to for the simplest tasks. We recently sat down with Contreras to discuss her artistic process, why Tears for Fears is the perfect motivational music, and how her gaucho childhood in Patagonia’s cowboy country stoked her inspiration for capturing Austin.

SXSW: What do you hope attendees take away from your work?

María Jesús Contreras: I’m providing probably one of the most eclectic versions of Austin that exists, but maybe people will think it’s funny and that’s enough for me, you know? If it makes you laugh, or it makes you feel weird; if it gives you some emotion, then my job is done. I want people to think, “What is going on with that thing in that character’s hand?”

Where exactly did you get your inspiration? 

I’m from Southern Chile in Patagonia, so we’re cowboys… gauchos. I understand the vibe, but it’s completely different there because it’s much colder weather, which is tough. Even when you feel like a cowboy with boots, or a lasso, that’s something I can understand. But I also realize that Texas— well, Austin specifically, is such a metropolitan area where you have these different kinds of influences happening at the same time, which is very unique. 

How would you describe the color palette?

María Jesús Contreras: I used a very saturated color palette with five colors for everything. I knew I had to create different colors for each category: Music, for example, was green. I had to relate everything to color. So I was thinking about music, which is often outside because people are enjoying it there, so I was basing the color palette on each type of environment where people would go to experience that. 

Your work tends to mix fear and humor. Where does it show up here? 

My main work is with the press each week, and I always try not to portray people’s faces too much, because for me, it’s very expressive. In this project, I tried to keep a muted face so you don’t know if they’re happy or not. When I was a kid, like all kids, I had this tendency of seeing faces in every object, you know? Like when you see a piece of wood, it’s like a creepy thing going on there. So when I was trying to do the hat for example, I knew this is the place where the mouth goes.

I love how these characters like the speaker, the longhorn, and the popcorn all have a human-like element, but they still lack expression.

Exactly! It’s very creepy to me, almost like I don’t know how to feel when I look at this, but it’s cool… that it’s a little bit upsetting, like a puppet. I don’t know if you know the puppet show “Don’t Hug me, I’m scared,” but it’s that kind of thing. Is this character happy? Is this character weird? So I prefer to go with a muted face.

A special thanks to Overstory for making this collaboration possible.

Every year, our SXSW programming teams have fun predicting themes that might potentially shape the story of the upcoming SXSW event. Scroll any feed, read any headline, and it’s rare to not feel as though AI has main character energy. We’re placing our bets on the one thing no algorithm can predict for SXSW 2027: the next great ideas will be driven by human creativity. The founders, artists, filmmakers, musicians and iconoclasts who turn ideas into shaping the future are why we believe creativity always wins. 

SXSW 2027 is happening in Austin from March 15–21, and our creative village is back to weave the thread that ties Innovation, Film & TV, Music, Comedy, and everything in between together. And with the Austin Convention Center still under construction, we want to give you an early preview of the pop-up SXSW village taking shape across downtown Austin.

We’ve also got a TON of exciting updates to share below, all because you asked and we listened. Take a look into everything you need to know, and lock in the lowest rate of the season when you buy early. 

WHAT’S NEW IN 2027

Introducing: The SXSW Podcast Festival 3/17—3/20
Podcast programming has been one of the fastest-growing corners of SXSW over the last few years — from Pivot to Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, and The Guardian‘s Football Weekly Podcast, the appetite for live recordings and behind-the-mic conversations keeps climbing. In 2027, we’re giving that world its own dedicated home: the SXSW Podcast Festival. With brands, marketers, tech, and talent all in the same room, it’s the place to dig into where the format is headed creatively and expand the business side of the conversation too. 

Innovation Tracks Now Monday–Friday — Dates that Line Up with Business Travel
You asked, we listened: the Innovation community wanted core programming to run Monday through Friday, more in line with other business conferences, and that’s exactly what we did. Film, Music, and Comedy will still overlap with Innovation throughout the week, and Film and Music Keynotes and Featured Sessions will continue to run on Saturday, which are open to all Innovation badgeholders. We’ve also grouped tracks so the right people are always in the room together, because we want convergence built in from the start. Check out the full track timeline on our track page and be sure and book your travel to coincide with the content & community most relevant to you. 

Map Reveal: The 2027 SXSW Creative Village
With the Austin Convention Center still under transformation, we’re once again building our pop-up Creative Village to convene across downtown Austin. Here’s the first edition of our pop-up village. More venues to come!

Locals Only: The 512 Club

We’re rolling out special perks for our Austin neighbors. Buy your badge with an Austin zip code and you’ll unlock better badge rates, insider perks, and a few incredible surprises we’ll be announcing in the lead-up to March 2027. Every perk is our way of saying thanks to our local friends and supporters who are core to SXSW’s DNA. Announcing our first perk: downtown lounge, a locals-only space that creates the ultimate Austin business network.

Music Wristbands — On Sale Now

Music wristbands were a hit last year, so starting today, we’re bringing them back at their lowest price of the season! SXSW is one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and a wristband gets you into that universe for the early rate of $149. If you’re a working musician or industry professional, we recommend a Music Badge instead: it unlocks priority access to showcases, industry sessions and keynotes, plus exclusive parties, demo listening sessions, and networking built for the industry side of things. Buy a Music Badge to accelerate your career, no matter what stage you’re at here. 

Clubhouses Are Back

Innovation, Film & TV, and Music Clubhouses are returning for 2027. Based on your feedback, we’ll make it even easier to find the events that matter most to your specific goals, while keeping each Clubhouse a place to recharge between programming. This year, the Music Clubhouse is moving closer to the rest of our event so it’s less of a trek between the Music Conference and our other programming.

• Innovation Clubhouse — Brazos Hall
• Film & TV Clubhouse — 800 Congress
• Music Clubhouse (New Location!) — The Thompson Hotel

Reservations Are Back (and way better)

Last year we introduced our brand new reservations system, which made it easier for attendees to plan ahead for their top sessions, screenings, showcases and more. New things are hard, but we’ve worked out the kinks to better handle the demand, and we’ve simplified when reservations open up for SXSW 2027.

All SXSW events have walk up lines, so keep in mind that reservations only account for a portion of the room.   Reservations will go live:

• March 9, 11am CT / 9am PT — Platinum Badges
• March 9, 2pm CT /12pm PT — All Badges
• March 14, 11am CT/9am PT — Platinum and Film & TV Badges get unlimited, non-conflicting screening reservations

Pardon Our Dust: A Paramount Theatre Update

Film & TV Festival fans, take note: the historic Paramount Theatre will be under construction during SXSW 2027. In its place, we’re building an incredible screening experience at an equally iconic Austin venue, ACL Live at The Moody Theater — home to some of our biggest red carpets and premieres of the week.

Our full lineup of Film & TV venues for 2027:

North of the River

• ACL Live at The Moody Theater
• State Theatre
• Violet Crown
• AFS Cinema (not serviced by shuttle)

South of the River

• Zach Theatre
• Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
• Rollins Theatre

Help select SXSW 2027 programming! PanelPicker® community voting is open August 5-23, 2026. Cast your vote for your favorite session ideas you want to see in March.

Participating in PanelPicker community voting gives you a unique opportunity to shape the 2027 program. Don’t miss this chance to have your say in this year’s event. Your vote can influence which innovative and insightful proposals make it to the stage in March.

Final sessions are decided by the public, the SXSW Advisory Board, and SXSW staff. Be sure to submit your votes before the deadline on Sunday, August 23 at 11:59pm PT.

How to Vote

To participate in the voting process, sign in or create an account for free at panelpicker.sxsw.com.

• Select SXSW 2027 on the landing page to vote for SXSW proposals
• You can filter proposals by using the session track, format, focus area, tags, and level check boxes
• Use the search field to find specific proposals using the title, description keywords, and speakers
• Cast your vote cast your vote by selecting the heart icon next to the title of the session
• Vote once per proposal

Tips for Voting

• Pay attention to diversity – Sessions with many different perspectives can be the most interesting. When reviewing the sessions, consider varying genders, ethnicities, locations, employments, and opinions.
• Watch the accompanying video – The videos submitted with sessions often provide valuable insights and a better understanding of the session’s content and presentation style.

SXSW Conferences & Festivals | March 15 – 21, 2027

The event for creativity, discovery, and impact in the industries shaping the year ahead is back for another seven days in downtown Austin! Mark your calendar for March 15 – 21, 2027 and make this year the year you get involved with Innovation, Film & TV, Music, or Comedy. Or follow the lead of comedian, actor, and stand-up bass enthusiast Eric André and do all four.  Sign up now for 10% off your badge when registration opens later this year. The countdown to 2027 is on—stay ready for what’s next.

“SXSW continues to be the place where creative industries converge and new ideas take shape. In 2027, we’re bringing our global community together across education, film, music, technology, comedy, and culture for another week of discovery and collaboration.”

-Greg Rosenbaum, SVP of Programming

Innovation Conference

March 15 – March 20, 2027

“SXSW Innovation Conference is the global stage where technology, culture, and commerce collide. We don’t just track trends, we pressure-test them. 2027 is where big ideas debut, new voices rise, and the ‘unexpected’ becomes your next competitive advantage. Whether you’re competing in SXSW Pitch, meeting your future co-founder, or closing cross-industry partnerships, SXSW 2027 is the one event you can’t miss.”

-Katie Perera, Director of Conference Strategy and Adam Wode, Director of Conference Programming

Speak at SXSW 2027 | Submit to SXSW Pitch
Submit your pitch to PanelPicker, open June 23, 2026.
Submit to SXSW Pitch, open June 23, 2026.

Film & TV Festival & Conference

March 15 – March 21, 2027

“In 2027, the SXSW Film & TV Festival & Conference will kick off seven days of high-energy, expertly curated, audience-friendly film and television projects on March 15. Starting on Monday, we invite you to cut loose and join us for what promises to be an epic week of screenings, discovery, after parties and networking opportunities. See you in Austin!”

-Peter Debruge, Director Film & TV Festival & Conference 

Screen at SXSW 2027
Apply to screen your film or tv program. Applications open July 2026.

Music Festival & Conference

March 15 – March 21, 2027

“Music Festival & Conference is back for seven days and nights of discovery, development and networking. The only event where you can see what’s next in touring, genre, trends, music tech, and everything industry while also seeing hundreds of breakthrough artists from around the world.”

-Brian Hobbs, VP Music Festival 

Perform at SXSW 2027
Apply to be an Official Artist. Artist Applications open June 23, 2026.

Comedy Festival

March 17 – March 20, 2027

“Back for another four days, the Comedy Festival continues to use SXSW as its personal playground, letting today’s most exciting comics run amok. Catch hilarious stand-up, improv, podcasts, sketch, and storytelling, plus SXSW signature cross-over events and surprises featuring comedy icons and your new fave performers.”

-Sam Schles, Director of Comedy

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!