If 2020 was the year that conference festivals were dealt the unexpected and either had to cancel or quickly adapt, 2021 is the year they have to settle into a new normal. For now, this means events that are entirely run online- and hopefully, as the year progresses, hybrid events that will see us start to return to venues around the world.
Austin’s iconic South by Southwest (SXSW), which was one of the first major events in 2020 to have to be cancelled, will in 2021 be a digital event for the first time.
SXSW Online 2021, as they’re dubbing it, will be a digital experience running from March 16-20, and accessible from anywhere in the world. So those in Australia who had been putting off attending SXSW up until now, now is your chance to get amongst the community – with a hope we can return physically in 2022.
The first run of films for the event were recently announced, as were some of the panels set to take place – with a keynote from Willie Nelson and featured speakers including Queen Latifah, Chiquis, Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Wyclef Jean, Nicholas Britell, Barry Jenkins and Samantha Bee.
And now this week we’ve found out the first run of artists set to perform.
The live music showcases are going to be very different this year – all taking place online of course – but there’s no shortage of acts from all over the world who will be taking part, as they would any year at the event.
The way it will work is there will be a number of showcase and presenting partners, who will give passholders the opportunity to experience tomorrow’s headliners at unique venues in the artists’ home countries through a premium viewing experience, with streaming available via web, mobile, and the SXSW Online Connected TV app (Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, and Android TV). Select content will be viewable in VR via SXSW Online XR.
Though further specifics are still to come, 10 Australian acts have been revealed in the first lineup, who join acts like A Place To Bury Strangers, Squid and Holy Fuck.
They are, in alphabetical order: Alexander Biggs, Alice Skye, Beans, Death by Denim, Didirri, Indigo Sparke, Kee’ahn, The Merindas, No Money Enterprise and Shannen James.
Here’s the full lineup, with a lot more still be announced:
AIRY (Nowon Gu SOUTH KOREA)
Alexander Biggs (Melbourne AUSTRALIA)
Alice Skye (Melbourne AUSTRALIA)
Alien Tango (Murcia SPAIN)
Anna B Savage (London UK-ENGLAND)
A Place To Bury Strangers (Brooklyn NY)
Astrid Sonne (Copenhagen DENMARK)
Baby Kahlo (Baltimore MD)
Beans (Geelong AUSTRALIA)
BELAKO (Bilbao SPAIN)
Benji Wild (Cardiff UK-WALES)
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears (Austin TX)
Blushing (Austin TX)
Caiine (Manchester UK-ENGLAND)
Campfire Social (Wrexham UK-WALES)
Candeleros (Madrid SPAIN)
The Chairs (Taipei TAIWAN) Connie Constance (Watford UK-ENGLAND)
Dan Bettridge (Cardiff UK-WALES)
Daniel Casimir and Tess Hirst (London UK-ENGLAND)
Darkoo (London, UK-ENGLAND)
Data Animal (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Dayramir Gonzalez (Hacienda Heights CA)
Death by Denim (Perth AUSTRALIA)
Didirri (Melbourne AUSTRALIA)
Dingo Bells (Porto Alegre BRAZIL)
Do Nothing (Nottingham UK-ENGLAND)
Drinking Boys and Girls Choir (Daegu SOUTH KOREA)
Ego Ella May (London UK-ENGLAND)
El Shirota (Mexico City MEXICO)
Enno Cheng (Taipei City TAIWAN)
Enola Gay (Belfast IRELAND)
Family Jools (Bristol UK-ENGLAND)
Fire EX. (Kaohsiung TAIWAN)
Francisca Valenzuela (Santiago de Chile CHILE)
Golden Dawn Arkestra (Austin TX)
Grrrl Gang (Yogyakarta INDONESIA)
HAEPAARY (Seoul SOUTH KOREA)
Hazy Sour Cherry (Tokyo JAPAN)
Holy Fuck (Toronto CANADA)
Indigo Sparke (Byron Bay AUSTRALIA)
Jealous (Berlin GERMANY)
Jekyll (Blackpool UK-ENGLAND)
Kalpee (Chaguanas TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)
Katy J Pearson (Bristol UK-ENGLAND)
Kee’ahn (Melbourne AUSTRALIA)
lau.ra (London UK-ENGLAND)
Lilla Vargen (Ballymena UK-ENGLAND)
Los Blenders (Mexico City MEXICO)
Loshh (London UK-ENGLAND)
Luisa e os Alquimistas (Natal BRAZIL)
The Merindas (Melbourne AUSTRALIA)
Mimi Bay (Gothenburg SWEDEN)
The Mysterines (Liverpool UK-ENGLAND)
Nané (Austin TX)
Nanpa Básico (Bogotá COLOMBIA) Nayana Iz (London UK-ENGLAND)
NekoJam (Taipei City TAIWAN)
No Money Enterprise (Brisbane AUSTRALIA)
Noya Rao (Leeds UK-ENGLAND)
Otoboke Beaver (Kyoto JAPAN)
Paul Jacobs (Montreal CANADA)
Paupière (Montreal CANADA)
Petite Amie (Mexico City MEXICO)
Pillow Queens (Dublin IRELAND)
Pote (Paris FRANCE)
Purple Pilgrims (Coromandel NEW ZEALAND)
PVA (London UK-ENGLAND)
Quanna (Savannah GA)
The Queendom (Atlanta GA)
Remi Burgz (London UK-ENGLAND)
Richard Spaven (London UK-ENGLAND)
Robocobra Quartet (Belfast UK-N. IRELAND)
Rosehip Teahouse (Cardiff UK-WALES)
Ruido Rosa (Mexico City MEXICO)
Samantha Sanchez (Miami FL)
Say Sue Me (Busan SOUTH KOREA)
School of X (Copenhagen DENMARK)
Shannen James (Melbourne AUSTRALIA)
Sinead O’Brien (Limerick IRELAND)
Sir Woman (Austin TX)
Sorry (London UK-ENGLAND)
Squid (Bristol UK-ENGLAND)
Tebi Rex (Maynooth IRELAND)
TEKE :: TEKE (Montreal CANADA)
TENGGER (Seoul SOUTH KOREA)
Tessellated (Kingston JAMAICA)
Theon Cross (London UK-ENGLAND)
Tuyo (Curitiba BRAZIL)
TV Priest (London UK-ENGLAND)
Vaya Futuro (Mexico City MEXICO)
Virginia Wing (Manchester UK-ENGLAND)
Vocal Vidas (Santiago De Cuba CUBA)
Walt Disco (Glasgow UK-SCOTLAND)
Wavy The Creator (Lagos NIGERIA)
Weird Milk (Buckingham UK-ENGLAND)
Y2K92 (Seoul SOUTH KOREA)
Ydegirl (Copenhagen DENMARK)
Yoshi Vintage (Flint MI)
Head to sxsw.com now to apply for a pass to SXSW Online 2021, which runs March 16th to the 20th, Austin time. Like normal years, the cost of the pass will rise as we get closer to the event – you can find all those details on the website.
