New locations, presented program lineup, Badge Policy

South by Southwest gets a modernization for the festival’s 40th anniversary.

For the first time ever, SXSW -March 12-18, 2026 in Austin, TX will contain all its programming that runs simultaneously over innovation, film and television and music for seven days, including an extra night with music.

“In South by Southwest, a big part of our mission is to focus on society and connection and unite everyone,” says Greg Rosenbaum, SXSW’s SVP for programming, Amount About how the date for this year’s festival was adapted.

“We have historically seen innovation on the front half and then music in the back half, and film and television during a nine-day festival. It’s a long run,” explains Rosenbaum. “We know that if we can consolidate that energy to seven days in the central area in Austin, Texas, it will really unite many different communities.”

The footprint for the 2026 festival will also be physically expanded. The Austin Convention Center has been home to SXSW for many years, but with the place undergone a complete renovation, the team was inspired to re -form the logistics for the event. The assignment, says Rosenbaum, was to decide: “How do we work together to create an experience that puts society first and in the middle of what we are trying to build?”

As a result, SXSW will take over the center of Austin and transform the area into a “Creative Village for Global Creatives” anchored by three dedicated club houses for each slate of programming: Innovation Club (Brazos Hall), Film & TV Club House (800 Congress) and the music club (it pure). The places were chosen based on the usual habits of the festival guests. For example, the Red River Culture District is home for a number of historical music places with nightly exhibitions, so the organizers looked to create a social hub in that part of the city. In the same way, the film and TV club house is across the street from the Paramount Theater, where the star-studded red carpet premieres are held.

To note: “Innovation” replaces the previously used “interactive” designation.

“It reflects many of the developments that have been going on in technology, how it connects to the rest of the world,” Rosenbaum says to restore and update the name. “‘Innovation’ speaks to many core industries that we support, and it really is ethos for the programming we do,” he explains. “Over healthcare, start -ups, design, creative economy, climate and sustainability, marketing, all these important tracks and programming that we produce are” innovation “synonymous with what will come next in these areas.”

SXSW also announced the first wave of presented sessions, with more than 50 conferences and recently refined tracks that span brand and marketing, cities and climate, creative economy, culture, design, film and television, health, music, startups, sports and games, technology and AI and workplace.

“Vi kunde inte vara mer glada över att anpassa ett så starkt och spännande tillkännagivande av röster och sessioner. Det finns något för alla,” säger Rosenbaum om den första sortimentet av talare, som har stora namn som All-American Rejects, Patreon CEO och medgrundare Jack Conte, PBS President Paula Kerger, Futurist Amy Webb, Signal och CIPHER CEACHUR, DABER TIM-FUND TIM, Tim-Fund Timn, Timn, Timn, Timn, Timn, Macarthur Foundation President John Palfrey and Mit Astronautic’s Professor Dava Newman.

“AI is present in many of the conversations, and one of the things that we as a programming team try to be really thought -provoking on reflects: What is it to be human? Human connection and humanity at AI’s age is a really important piece,” Rosenbaum notes. “There are many huge voices that handle this from all different angles. It is probably what is most exciting about being at an event like South by Southwest-it’s not single disciplinary. You get perspectives from all different stakeholders.”

The sessions include:

This range is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to programming, with more musicians and artists announced this fall, as well as 500 more sessions and speakers. Since January, the film lineup will be revealed.

Brands are now for sale for the 2026 event, and for the first time, Badgeholder’s safe daily reservations for the high sessions, shows and showcases can. Platinum Badge gives participants access to all three club houses and three daily event reservations. At the same time, innovation, Film & TV and Music brands each include access to their dedicated clubhouse and two daily reservations.

“We are pleased to introduce a new reservation system that allows participants to really be thought provoking in their strategy,” says Rosenbaum. “Part of Magic of South By are both the planned experiences that you know will be central to your time in Austin and Serendipity of Discovery while you are in place. This opportunity allows people, over all our Badge types, to plan forward and then have flexibility to discover while at the event.”

The new reservation system is an upgrade to the previous program, South of Express, which enabled participants to save their seats 24-48 hours in advance. The new system allows guests to secure bookings as much as three to four weeks before the festival. Rosenbaum notes: “This allows people to make these plans before they are ever on the plane on their way to Austin.”

In a final scheduling note, SXSW and SXSW Edu, the educational-focused conference held March 9-12, officially overlap, which leads to the organizers programming an event called “Crossover Day.”

“It is really the first time in South’s History of Southwest that we have the four main verticals for education, innovation, film and television and music that all happen the same day at the same time in Austin,” says Rosenbaum. “There are many, many years in the creation. We have had hundreds of people from South by Southwest Come and participated in the last day of South of Southwest Edu, but until we could re -form our dates, our footprint, the whole experience, we really would not overlap the festivals this year.”