From hometown heroes to global sounds, every culture is featured in the 2026 edition.
June 8, 2026
DJ AG performed at the West LDN Carnival on the 6th during the SXSW Conference & Festival held at the British Music Embassy@Palm Door in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2026.
Nick Piacente/SXSW Conference & Festival
For the second year in a row, the biggest names in music, technology, politics, film, games and more converged on Shoreditch for SXSW London (June 1-6) to showcase fresh ideas and sounds. The event was held for the first time in East London in 2025, bringing the iconic brand to the UK market for the first time. SXSW has traditionally been held in Austin, Texas, but in recent years events have also been held in Sydney, Australia.
For Londoners, the arrival of this iconic festival confirmed that their home city, and the UK as a whole, still has the potential to move culture and set the agenda across a variety of sectors. Not only that, but it was well-positioned to serve as a gathering place for ideas and perspectives from around the world. In 2025, Billboard will host a Global Power Players event starring Elton John during the festival, featuring Afrobeats star Thames for a headline concert at The Stage.
The 2026 edition proved to be equally fascinating and diverse. Throughout the week, the festival brought together a number of curators and takeovers, showcasing music from around the world and a number of up-and-coming musicians. Celebrities from the worlds of politics, technology, culture and music dominated the conference, with luminaries from the worlds of politics, technology, culture and music in attendance from across the Shoreditch area, with lanyard-toting attendees busying their way up and down Commercial Road and Brick Lane to hop between panels, keynotes and performances. Representatives from the creative industries’ biggest companies and stakeholders added prestige and critical insight to the event, while innovative start-ups and fresh voices brought welcome disruption.
As we enter our second year, these are some of the biggest takeaways from SXSW London 2026.
Global sounds in global cities
In his opening remarks on Monday (June 1), London Mayor Sadiq Khan said (with a knowing smile) that this week would be one of ‘London Max Things’, showcasing the capital’s wide range of services. In the field of music, that meant spotlighting different scenes and cultures. LatinoLife, a leading Latin music events company, spotlighted diverse artists during its acquisition. Bangla House showcased the depth of Bangladesh and diaspora talent through its bookings. Where else but London?
The fight for fairer tickets continues
Last month, the British music industry reacted with dismay to the news that the UK government was postponing the cap on the resale value of concert tickets. Coldplay and Ed Sheeran have also backed the ban, which supporters say will benefit fans in the market and deter predatory touts.
On Tuesday (June 2), this debate came to SXSW London with a certain level of outrage. Organized by Adam Webb of Fanfair Alliance, a group that lobbies on behalf of music fans, and attended by figures from live spaces (Kilimanjaro Live’s Stuart Galbraith), artist management (Annabella Coldrick, Music Managers Forum) and politicians (Labour MP Alex Sobel), Mr Webb said there was a sense of “collective frustration” over the delay. “Frustration at how the so-called secondary market continues to exploit music fans, frustration at the pace of reform, frustration at the lack of enforcement, and frustration at the government’s failure to move quickly on the long-promised ban on ticket touts.”
The topic came up again with Alex Hill on AEG Presents, who said during a fireside conversation that the industry wants to go “much faster” than the current regulatory timeline and protect fans from “bad actors” who are abusing technology to make it very difficult to buy tickets.
Rachel Chinouriri and Shame represent local talent
Over the past few years, Croydon-raised artist Rachel Chinouriri has supported many big-name artists on tour, including Sabrina Carpenter and Florence and the Machine. Later this year, she will be touring with Gracie Abrams. The 27-year-old’s appearance at the festival on Wednesday (June 3) provided a moment of grounding and reconnection, during which she teased new music and reminded herself of her songwriting abilities. Read the full report.
Shame also returned with a typically raucous set that served as a victory lap for one of London’s biggest bands of the past decade. Closing Village Underground on Friday (June 5), the career-spanning setlist nods not only to their spirited beginnings at the city’s famous Windmill venue, but also to the growth of their sound since then. Read the full report.
big name guest
Prince William was among the celebrities who attended the event, turning out to meet the recipients of the Diana Legacy Award, named after his late mother. Former first lady Michelle Obama also stopped by to talk about the success of her podcast IMO, and politicians such as Labor’s Wes Streeting were among the speakers.
However, the festival was heavily criticized after two of its speakers – left-wing political commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uyghur – were banned from entering the UK by the Home Office because they were “not in the public interest by reason of their conduct, character, association or otherwise”. Both men have criticized the Israeli government in recent years.
DJ AG stands for new
DJ AG’s livestream has been the source of many viral music performances in the post-COVID-19 capital. In recent years, the likes of Will Smith, Akon and Skepta have joined the London-based creator and DJ in hopping on the mic and doing some guerrilla work.
But his show at Billboard’s The Stage prioritized new and up-and-coming artists from the SXSW London lineup. Indie pop group Infinity Song performed, as well as the House Gospel Choir and emerging London artist Imiya. The set took place at Ely’s Yard, outside the festival’s central hub near Truman’s Brewery, and was streamed on AG’s social profiles.
voice asking for approval
While detailed analysis of the intersection of culture and technology dominated the conversation, Music Tech UK used its program for something simple: recognition.
In an interview with Billboard UK, Matt Cartmell, the industry body’s chief executive, explained that the UK music technology sector needs to make its position clearer as corporate investment declines. “We need to be more aware of the value that music technology brings,” Cartmell said. “We are not beneficiaries of the music industry; we are actively responsible for being part of its success.”
MTUK’s new report ‘Sound Investment’, published alongside a program of panels and keynotes at the HOME space in Shoreditch, included data that investment in UK growth-stage music technology companies has fallen by 90% since 2020. Cartmel’s mission, and the pop-up event, aimed to shed light on these issues and find a way forward.
Abbey Road takes over
One of SXSW London’s strengths is its partnership with external curators. Abbey Road’s Studios for Initiative is back for a second year with a range of programs that demonstrate the involvement of renowned studios across creative disciplines. One panel saw the composers of Peter Jackson’s iconic music for The Lord of Rings discuss how the creative and technological process has evolved over the past 25 years, while other panels touched on dance, photography, technology, and more.
The studio’s managing director, Sally Davies, told Billboard UK: “Studio Four has really captured the breadth of our ambitions. The Abbey Road of today is not the Abbey Road of the past. We’re more than just a studio, and we’re really delivering on that at Studio Four, where you see us sitting very comfortably at the intersection of technology and creativity.”
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