US EditionSXSW Pulls Plug on Sydney Conference After 3 Years
SXSW Sydney attracted over 345,000 attendees and generated $276 million in three years but ended due to shifting global market conditions impacting live events.
- On Wednesday, SXSW announced it will no longer hold its Sydney festival and will not return in 2026, with organisers citing a changing global environment impacting live events.
- After a review, Destination NSW decided to continue supporting major events after spending more than $12 million on SXSW, which worked with the NSW Government and Penske Media Corporation before halting plans.
- Organisers said SXSW Sydney generated $76 million during its three-year run and attracted more than 345,000 attendees across 1,600 events at ICC Sydney and Darling Harbour.
- Organisers said they will work closely with staff members to provide appropriate support following the cancellation, while SXSW posted `Every great story has a final page` and fans reacted with sadness.
- Critics noted that SXSW Sydney charged local organisers $5,000 and paid many speakers, raising concerns about logistical problems and purpose, with Jessy Wu calling the event a 'rent-seeking leech'.
18 Articles
18 Articles
SXSW pulls plug on Sydney conference after 3 years
Citing "a changing global environment" and "prevailing market conditions," SXSW Sydney said in a press release on Wednesday that its Asia-Pacific expansion of the conference and festival will not proceed in 2026.
SXSW Sydney Will ‘Not Proceed’ In 2026
SYDNEY, Australia — After three editions, SXSW Sydney is calling time. On Wednesday, Jan. 14, organizers announced that South by Southwest “will not proceed” in Sydney this year, and that the summit would “conclude its run.” The decision “reflects a changing global environment that is impacting major events, festivals and cultural programs worldwide,” reads a statement. Produced by TEG, SXSW Sydney worked closely with the NSW government an…
Sydney Morning Herald
The AgeSXSW Sydney axed two years before taxpayer-funded, multimillion-dollar deal expires
Securing the rights to Austin’s famous SXSW “festival of festivals” was lauded as an “unparalleled coup” for the city by industry heavyweights including Baz Luhrmann, and Nicole Kidman helped it launch. But the gamble didn’t pay off, with SXSW Sydney cancelled after its 2025 event.
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