Badge Information
Depending on your primary area of focus, SXSW offers four primary badge categories.
- Innovation Badge: Grants primary access to tech keynotes, startup competitions (including SXSW Pitch), AI and future-tech panels, mentor sessions, and networking events.
- Film & TV Badge: Unlocks red carpet premieres, screening sessions, TV pilot previews, film tracks, and filmmaker Q&A panels.
- Music Badge: Focuses on official evening music showcases, international artist lineups, industry networking, and daytime parties across iconic Austin live music venues.
- Platinum Badge: The all-inclusive credential providing primary access to all conference sessions, film screenings, and music showcases across all seven days.
Badges are available for presale purchase on the SXSW website. Buy yours today before prices increase.
Festival Footprint & Venues
While the Austin Convention Center undergoes its multi-year expansion, SXSW operates across an expanded, campus-style footprint. The 2027 event features dedicated Festival Hubs and Clubhouses situated throughout key Austin districts:
- Downtown & Warehouse District: Hotel conference ballrooms, historic venues like the State Theatre, and pop-up brand lounges.
- Red River Cultural District: Nighttime showcases at legendary local venues along 6th Street and Red River.
Nico Vega at Antone's. Credit to Jim Antich.
Festival Tracks & Programming
SXSW Conference & Keynotes
Converging top global minds in technology, business, culture, and science, the 2027 SXSW Conference features keynotes and sessions from industry visionaries:
Keynote: AI researcher Timnit Gebru (Deep Unlearning: The Rise of AI and the Radicalization of a Tech Idealist)
Featured Speakers: Futurist Amy Webb presenting her annual technology trends report; creator economy insider Jon Youshaei; Poppi founder Allison Ellsworth; insights from thought leaders across gaming, strategy, and corporate autonomy.
SXSW Music Festival
Showcasing thousands of international and local acts across every genre, the Music Festival transforms Austin into an interactive world stage. Attendees experience intimate venue sets, label showcases, and multi-stage festival events. The 2026 festival featured performances by The All-American Rejects, The Band Loula, Milo Korbenski, Grrrl Gang and more. In addition to international acts, The Live Music Capital of the World® represents every year with local artists, including Bayonne, Bubba Lucky, Next of Kin and more.
Check out the top local artists to catch at SXSW.
Dev Patel at Monkey Man Premiere. Credit to Aaron Rogosin.
SXSW Film & TV Festival
From major Hollywood studio premieres to groundbreaking independent features and episodic television, the Film & TV Festival offers screenings across downtown theaters alongside panel discussions with top talent and filmmakers. A full film festival lineup for the 40th anniversary event will be announced closer to the event date. A few of the headlining film projects from last year included "Boosters", a Boots Riley comedy featuring KeKe Palmer, "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come", a horror comedy sequel, "Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice", an action comedy starring Vince Vaughn and James Marsden and many more.
Be sure to catch a screening of these Austin based films at SXSW.
Conan O'Brien and Nick Kroll at the Featured Session Conan O'Brien Must Go. Credit to Andy Wenstrand.
Hotels Near SXSW
Stay at one of the city's boutique hotels just south of the Lady Bird Lake in South Austin, at a trendy property with great proximity to nightlife in East Austin or at an upscale high-rise hotel in Downtown. No matter where you land, you'll be close to all the action. Be sure to book your accommodations early, as hotels will fill up quickly closer to the event in March.
For information about transportation options during the festival, visit Get There ATX to learn more. Keep up with the full slate of panels and events at sxsw.com and make sure to check out the number of creative, tech and wellness expos at this year's event.
