In collaboration with the NSW Government Via Destination NSW, TEG & SXSW®
Go backstage at Coachella with CEO Paul Tollett.
Queer Eye your life with fashion icon Tan France.
Build the next Slack with Co-Founder Cal Henderson.
Finally figure out AI with futurist Amy Webb.
Unmissable speakers coming to SXSW Sydney® this October, bringing you the insider knowledge you need to live your best future.
Coachella CEO Paul Tollett confirmed to head down under as one of four newly announced headline speakers at SXSW Sydney 2023, alongside Fab Five fashionista Tan France and Slack Co-Founder Cal Henderson, joining previously announced keynote, futurist and AI expert Amy Webb.
In its 37-year history Austin’s famed South by Southwest (SXSW®) has become the byword for cool and the launchpad for what’s next. The week-long ‘festival of festivals’ is a famed hotbed of creativity and innovation – Uber and Billie Eilish both emerged there and Everything Everywhere All At Once premiered.
It’s a city-wide music festival, futurist think tank, a showcase of the latest games, alongside film and TV world premieres, a next-gen technology expo and a line-up of world changing speakers.
SXSW in Austin, TX, is where the world’s best thinkers come together to trade ideas and party once a year.
Except that once a year is becoming TWICE, with the announcement last year that SXSW would add an additional annual event, bringing the creative platform to the Asia-Pacific, premiering this October in sunny Sydney, Australia.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham said: “South By Southwest (SXSW®) is known globally as a key incubator of bold and exciting ideas. A festival like this truly couldn’t have come at a better time. The NSW Government is currently in conversation with the creative community to develop the state’s first arts, cultural and creative industries policy.”
“The list of internationally renowned tech and creative industry leaders – visionaries in their fields – joining the inaugural SXSW Sydney program provides a fantastic opportunity to jump start the conversation on how we foster the development of these sectors in NSW.”
The inaugural SXSW Sydney will comprise of 1000+ events, speakers and music acts, and has today revealed an unmissable line-up of headline speakers.
These speakers highlight the event’s foundational pillars: Music, with legendary festival CEO Paul Tollet; Tech, with visionary Slack Co-Founder Cal Henderson and Screen with beloved television star Tan France, as the true scope of the Australian event begins to unfold.
Over 700 world-leading speakers and industry leaders already announced including:
De-extinction entrepreneur Ben Lamm, Motion Picture Association CEO Charles Rivkin, advertising icon David Droga, Google Australia MD Mel Silva, Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno, Netflix ANZ Director of Content Que Minh Luu, broadcaster Osher Günsberg, World Surfing Champion Layne Beachley, tech entrepreneur Paul Bassat, Reddit CMO Roxy Young, artistic director Wesley Enoch K-pop Chief A&R Officer at SM Entertainment, Chris Lee, Expedia CTO Rathi Murthy and many more.
More than 300 panels and sessions to keep you at the forefront, covering topics including:
Brain-computer interfaces, the future of lab-grown meat, ethical living with robots, AI fluency, Big Tech transparency, re-imagining news media, First Nations knowledge in design, how recruitment will become more like online dating, venture capital in 2050, when music videos meet AI, the future of love and more.
Over 400 artist performances, including ones from 100 artists now announced:
Your new favourite artist is playing SXSW Sydney 2023. From USA’s Flyana Boss and almost monday, to Australian up-and-comers South Summit, Chanel Loren and Gut Health, UK’s SORRY, South Korea’s ADOY and Lil Cherry & GOLDBUUDA, NZ’s Daily J, MELODOWNZ and Molly Payton, Indonesia’s Isyana Sarasvati and Malaysia’s Lunadira.
Colin Daniels, Managing Director, SXSW Sydney says: “With just under three months to go, this is the first time we’ve been able to hint at the scope of the inaugural SXSW Sydney. Never before have this many entrepreneurs, artists, futurists, innovators and titans of every industry all been in Sydney at one time. As we pull together over 1,000 events and experiences, our team are still searching for a poster big enough to reveal it all.”
“After 19 visits to SXSW in Austin over the years, I can’t wait to see what we think of as ‘the United Nations of the creative industries’ here in Sydney,” added Daniels.
Brands participating include:
Accenture, Accor, International House Canada House, Defender and Seven join Super Sponsors CommBank and Qantas, Music Festival Major Sponsor Young Henrys, Education Partner UTS, Event Partners Dr. Martens, Handsome Tours, Laneway Festival, Prime Video, The Orchard and Vans, SXSW Sydney Pitch presenter VentureCrowd and Conference Track Sponsors CSIRO and Main Sequence, WPP, Culture Amp, Kingfisher and Remote.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR EVENT? CHECK HERE:
https://sxswsydney.com/news/Paul-tollett-tan-france-and-cal-henderson-join-over-700-unmissable-speakers-at-sxsw-sydney-2023/
About SXSW®
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2024 will take place March 8-16 in Austin. Learn more at sxsw.com.
About SXSW Sydney®
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NSW GOVERNMENT VIA DESTINATION NSW, TEG & SXSW®
OCTOBER 15 – 22, 2023, SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Futurist conference and festival, South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney, will see the Asia-Pacific’s pre-eminent creative industries come together in the heart of Sydney Harbour. The event is a week-long program stacked with more than 1,000 ground-breaking events and networking sessions across pillars of Tech and Innovation, Games, Music, Screen and Culture.
Informed by a multicultural landscape and an enduring preservation of past, present and future Indigenous cultural heritage, Sydney offers a rich and exciting arts and culture scene with beautiful galleries, acclaimed theatres and burgeoning performance spaces.
What to expect at SXSW Sydney 2023
The SXSW Sydney Conference gathers the world’s leading thinkers, performers and industry professionals and will include hundreds of panels, presentations, workshops and mentor sessions across 18 conference tracks.
One of the most exciting elements of SXSW Sydney is the chance to experience undiscovered music talent at the SXSW Sydney Music Festival.
SXSW Sydney’s Games Festival will celebrate the future of the gaming industry and embrace the power and potential of gaming.
The SXSW Sydney Screen Festival is a future-focused program of film, episodic content, digital, XR, and social content premieres.
The SXSW Sydney Tech & Innovation Expo showcasing emerging tech and entertainment companies. Within it, the Startup Village is a spot for meet-ups, presentations and showcases from up-and-coming businesses.
How to attend SXSW Sydney 2023
SXSW Sydney ticketing uses a badge system and has a range of badges available to select from. Platinum badges secure the holder primary access to all programming, while Industry badges secure priority access to all conference events and industry-specific festivals, talks, workshops and parties. Learn more and buy your badge today at https://sxswsydney.com/. This October, discover the unexpected ideas and diverse discussions SXSW Sydney makes possible when creative people come together.
Famous for its sparkling harbour and golden beaches, Sydney is Australia’s most diverse and inclusive city and is home to a thriving arts and culture scene and buzzing 24-hour economy. As the gateway for international arrivals and major events capital of the Asia Pacific – there is no better city than Sydney to host SXSW’s next chapter. For more information on the host city of SXSW Sydney and things to see and do in Sydney, visit www.sydney.com. Share your favourite Sydney experiences on social media using @sydney #FeelNewSydney
SXSW SYDNEY®, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST SYDNEY and other SXSW, LLC marks used under license
We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of this land we now call Sydney, where this event will take place. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging for their continuing connection with cultural, spiritual and educational practices, and extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Always was, always will be.
About Destination NSW
Destination NSW is the lead agency, champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government. Spearheading a whole-of-government approach to visitor economy growth, Destination NSW is responsible for leading the delivery of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 in partnership with government and industry. Destination NSW influences and shapes the visitor economy through strategic research, policy and thought leadership, stakeholder engagement and consultation, commercial partnerships and investment in visitor experiences, business support, marketing and events. Destination NSW is also the major investor in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) for the purpose of securing more international and domestic conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and expos for Sydney and regional NSW.
*Source: Australia is now ranked second in Asia for fintech development, and sixth globally.
Why Australia 2021 Benchmark Report. https://sxswsydney.com/sxsw-2023/sxsw-sydney-exhibitions/
