Whether you are a fan of the R&B sounds of Tiwa Savage, can’t wait to see such South Korean rising performers as Kimmy gone, EK and rom&BAAWLA, love DJs Pete Tong and Gilles Peterson, like to get wild with goth-grunge sonority Venus Grrrls, groove to dance superproducer Jax Jones, check out the latest in contemporary classical from the likes of afromerm and Carolina Cury & Kostako, listen to rapper Earl Sweatshirt, appreciate British songwriter Rachel Chinouriri, enjoy pianist and Shazam developer Charlie Hooper-Williams or go wild for Nigerian star ODUMODUBLVCK, you can see all of them, and many more, during the Music Festival of the second annual SXSW London, which runs June 1-6.
And if you don’t recognize most of these names, now is your chance to do so in and around East London’s Shoreditch!
“At the core, what we are is a showcase festival,” SXSW London head of Music Adem Holness tells THR. “It’s about providing a platform for music artists to realize their ambitions, whatever they might be getting into the industry or getting further into the industry or into new markets.”
And that is in line with the ethos of the British capital and its nature. “I’m a Londoner. I was born and raised in London,” he explains. “And the thing that I really love about London is that you can step out of any tube and find yourself in a really distinct community. It’s one of the most international cities in the world, and that’s what lends itself so well to being a European home for SXSW.”
His team is programming a multitude of venues over the six days of the event. “We take over about 20 different venues across East London, and my ambition is that each of those venues becomes a gateway into a different musical scene in the exact same way that London is to different communities. You are going to one venue and see underground music from Seoul, Korea, and then in another one from the Caribbean community here in London, and on and on and on.”
Discovery is a key focus. “It’s all about what’s new and what’s next in the future of music,” Holness tells THR. “Even the artists who are more established, they are all still coming to share something new. You’ve got artists like Sega Bodega. People are familiar with his music know him for quite hard electronic music, but he recently released an ambient album, so he’s playing that in full for the first time ever in a church. So that is going to be really special. Or you’ve got bands like [New York soft rock band] Infinity Song, who’ve got a new record coming out, and they’ll be sharing some of that.”
And alongside such artists are new voices “who are new and emerging and just at the beginning of making their way into the industry,” he emphasizes.
A lot of music artists playing SXSW London are playing in smaller venues than they would do otherwise, “so you do get a really unique experience by seeing them at the festival,” Holness highlights. “I also really love these unexpected moments, such as Classical Unlocked, our showcase of new and contemporary classical music, which happens in The Ditch at Shoreditch Town Hall, which is their basement. It’s the opposite of what people would assume as a classical music performance venue. When you go down there, it’s a bit like going to a Punchdrunk [immersive] theater show. It’s a really interesting space. I really like the idea of putting artists and music scenes in unconventional spaces.”
All in all, SXSW London 2026 will feature just over 200 performances, while “thousands” of artists applied to play the festival, shares Holness. “We have to make some really difficult decisions.” He is helped by 100-plus music industry professionals who help assess and shortlist submissions and help decide if SXSW London is the right platform for them.
SXSW London is owned and produced by Panarise, which operates under license from SXSW LLC, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation, the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter.
SXSW London’s music program attracts industry and fans alike. “There are delegate passes, which are primarily for industry, but we also do wristbands for regular music fans that are 25 pounds ($33.60) for a day pass,” Holness notes. “So you get your wristband, and then you can go into all of the stages that day on a first-come, first-serve basis.”
Of course, people can stick to their favorite genres or mix it up. “You might want to pop in to start your night off with a bit of contemporary classical, then end up with some drum and bass Hospital Records showcase, and maybe see some reggae music in between.”
Seeing music live in the digital age makes a difference, Holness argues. “We are living in a world where algorithms are flattening the way that people experience all culture, and in spite of that, culture is still being driven by people on their own terms, in their own communities, in their own context,” he tells THR. “And we are somewhere that you can get away from those screens and experience real music cultures, distinct diasporic cultures alongside each other.”
Concludes Holness: “Like every millennial, I absolutely love nostalgia and re-watching content, and social media is a way that I could see content and culture, but it’s not the only way. Getting into real life and experiencing real music scenes, especially being able to do it by wandering around Shoreditch, I think is something really special. I’m really excited!”
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