South by South West (SXSW) is coming to London for the very first time this year. SXSW is no stranger to big names – Steven Spielberg, Barack Obama, Billie Eilish and Amy Winehouse are just a few of the people to have graced its stages in Austin, Texas. So, expectations are high for the festival’s European debut in June.
The multi-disciplinary festival is happening across dozens of venues in Shoreditch on June 2-7, consisting of more than 70 music events, 420 talks and 250 film screenings. Now the first headliners have been revealed. The line-up of speakers includes Idris Elba, wellness guru Deepak Chopra, the nation’s PE teacher Joe Wicks and comedian Katherine Ryan.
For the music part of the event, SXSW is working with a bunch of music partners to co-curate a line-up. Those partners include Abbey Road Studios, BBC Introducing, Black Lives in Music and City Splash Festival. The first music headliner to be announced is the Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Tems.
Jenn Nkiru, known for directing Beyoncé's ‘Brown Skin Girl’ music video is the first name announced for the screening programme at SXSW. She’ll be showcasing her latest work ‘The Great North’, co-produced by Factory International and MOTHERSHIP
Max Alexander, CEO of SXSW London said: ‘The names we’re announcing today embody the groundbreaking ideas, creative energy, and collaborative ethos that SXSW London will bring to Europe for the first time. From redefining industries to spotlighting cutting-edge music scenes, this is just the beginning of what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of global creativity.’
The first confirmed headliners for SXSW London 2025’s conference programme include
- Alex Hirschi, founder of Supercar Blondie
- Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences
- Callum ‘Callux’ McGinley, founder and creator of the Notwoways and After Party Studios
- Deepak Chopra, NYT bestselling author and alternative medicine advocate
- Idris Elba, actor, filmmaker, philanthropist, musician and founder of IE7 & The Akuna Group
- James Vowles, team principal of Williams Racing
- Jean-Michel Jarre, artist and electronic music pioneer
- Joe Wicks, fitness coach, entrepreneur, and author
- Katherine Ryan, comedian
- Wyclef Jean, award-winning producer and performer
The best festivals in London this summer.
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