SXSW Sydney 2023 line-up swells with new crop of global thought leaders added to the epic futurist conference.
SXSW Sydney, 15-22 October 2023, Sydney NSW, Australia
More Information Here
In collaboration with the NSW Government via Destination NSW, TEG & SXSW®
South by Southwest Sydney 2023 (SXSW Sydney) has revealed another bumper crop of speakers and sessions featuring titans of the global creative and tech communities to appear at October’s conference. This will be the first time the famous event will take place outside of Austin, Texas.
Picked via SXSW Sydney’s Session Select process, expect sessions tackling diverse topics from biohacking our thinking, using AI to help us find love, revolutionising our environmental future by actually eating meat and upending perspectives on storytelling in cinema.
SXSW Sydney’s inaugural program in the buzzing harbour city will highlight over 1,000 events and activations over a week-long event, celebrating tech and innovation, music, screen, games and futurist thought.
New featured speakers announced today include internationally renowned film producer Bruna Papandrea and Alison Hurbert-Burns (Executive Director, Binge) in conversation, Indonesian Minister for Tourism & Creative Economy, His Excellency Mr Sandiaga Uno and Rathi Murthy, Chief Technology Officer & President, Expedia Product & Technology, who has been lauded for Expedia Group’s pioneering use of AI to improved traveller experiences.
SXSW Sydney Session Select sessions joining the growing conference programme include:
The Next Gen Blak Storytellers
Meet the First Nations storytellers who are all about representing ‘modern’ Blak stories. These writers and directors demand space to showcase stories and characters that break the norm of First Nations depictions in the screen industry, moving beyond history and traditional culture.
With Kodie Bedford, Jub Clerc, Brooke Boney and Leah Purcell.
Immersive Audio: The Future of Entertainment (SESSION NOW TBC TO ANNOUNCE)
Hear from industry greats Marc Fennell, Chantelle Otten and Pat Abboud about crafting emotion-stirring narratives and educating listeners through the power of audio, moderated by Karen Appathurai Wiggins, VP & Head of Content, APAC, Audible.
Eat Meat, Save the Planet: The Power of Cultured Meat
Food, climate and sustainability are inextricably linked. In this session, AFR journalist Yolanda Redrup, Vow co-founder George Peppou, Blackbird partner Samantha Wong and others will discuss the future of cultured, or lab grown meat.
Reinvention in the Twilight Years (needs new name)
What happens when you face retirement at 36 after winning 7x world titles? Mental Wellness advocate and 7x World Surfing Champion Layne Beachley AO discusses reinvention.
Brain Computer Interfaces: The Future of Communication
Delve into the possibilities of a world where our minds can connect hands-free with digital devices, with Professor Nicholas Opie. What are the implications for humanity and for people with severe paralysis, who will be able to communicate with their thoughts?
Paul and Andrew Bassat: In Conversation
Join brothers Paul and Andrew Bassat for an exclusive talk about what it takes to build a successful ASX-listed tech company (Seek), crack the venture capital game (Square Peg and Seek Investments), and how entrepreneurship is decentralizing beyond Silicon Valley.
Better than Yesterday with Osher Gunsberg
Osher Gunsberg, TV personality, author and host of Podcast Better Than Yesterday will host an episode record of his acclaimed podcast – where host and special guest tackle the ways in which each person can find constructive ways to make today better than yesterday.
NFTs: Sizzle or Fizzle
In case you missed it, the crypto crash has been a brutal reckoning for both the blockchain industry and the NFT space. Join Culture Vault co-founder Michelle Grey web3 writer, angel investor and creative Joan Westenberg and artist Serwah Attafuah for a breakdown of where NFTs are at.
These are just eight of over 40 Session Select sessions now announced. Others feature OzHarvest Founder Ronni Kahn AO, Guardian Australia Editor Lenore Taylor in conversation with Marina Go, Kirstin Ferguson AM and activist and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame. See the SXSW Sydney 2023 website for a full summary.
From Sunday, October 15 to Sunday, October 22, 2023, Sydney will be the first city outside of Texas to become a hub for future-gazing, as the Asia-Pacific’s pre-eminent creative industries come together across content pillars of Tech and Innovation, Gaming, Music, Screen and Culture within a stacked week-long program. To access what SXSW Sydney 2023 has to offer, Platinum and Industry badges are now available for purchase HERE.
PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED FOR SXSW SYDNEY 2023
Over 600 speakers will appear, with expertise ranging across the key industries of Tech & Innovation, Games, Music, Screen and Culture. Just some of those already announced include:
- AMY WEBB, US futurist, “One of the five women changing the world” in 2022, Forbes
- CHRIS LEE a.k.a. SUNG-SU LEE, Chief A&R Officer, former CEO of SM Entertainment
- GUY KAWASAKI, Chief Evangelist of Canva, former Apple Chief Evangelist
- QUE MINH LUU, Director of Content, Netflix ANZ
- MANAL AL-SHARIF, Saudi women’s rights activist, author cyber security specialist
- KYAS HEPWORTH, proud Bundjalung woman, Head of Screen NSW
SXSW Sydney 2023 Session Select
In this process where the global creative community proposes sessions they want to present, SXSW Sydney received over 1,400 submissions. Previously announced sessions include:
- It’s 2050 and the Robots Are Among Us: The robot population hit 8.6 million in 2021, where will it be in 2050? This session dives into use, ethics and how to make AI more culturally diverse.
- Thriving in the Future (of Work): Between AI and remote working, the future promises a more fulfilling work life. A star panel of spokespeople from Slack, Atlassian, REA Group and Advanced Human Technologies Group tackle the future of work and productivity.
- Rage with the Machine: Harnessing The Creativity Of AI In Music And Songwriting: What does it mean to be a music artist, composer, songwriter or producer in a time of emerging tech and AI? This session will look at the latest breakthroughs in digital tools.
SXSW Sydney 2023 Music Festival
SXSW Sydney has already locked in a huge array of talent, from emerging homegrown heroes to bona fide international stars from genres including R&B, hip-hop, indie and rock and jazz:
- Australia: 1tbsp, Alter Boy, Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, Ashli, Dean Brady, DICE, dust, Elle Shimada, Go-Jo, Mali Jo$e, Mi-kaisha, Mikayla Pasterfield, Milku, PANIA, Phoebe Go, Rum Jungle, Teenage Joans, Vv Pete
- New Zealand: hanbee, Hans., Soaked Oats
- Japan: CHAMELEON LIME WHOOPIEPIE, Otoboke Beaver
- Korea: HYPNOSIS THERAPY
- USA: Redveil, Wallice
- Canada: EKKSTACY
- UK: Connie Constance, Los Bitchos, Nuha Ruby Ra
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Notes to Editor
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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
SXSW Sydney ticketing uses a bade 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.
