One of the world’s largest industry festivals has closed its Sydney business after three years into a five year contract with the NSW Government.
SXSW Sydney, the Asia Pacific version of the iconic SXSW festival in Texas, will not proceed in 2026, blaming “prevailing market conditions” and “a changing global environment that is impacting major events, festivals and cultural programs worldwide”.
SXSW Sydney worked closely with the NSW Government and SXSW’s global owners, Penske Media Corporation, to explore potential pathways forward for the event but pulled the pin. Industry rumours have suggested an Asia-Pacific version of SXSW could be moved to Singapore.
Between 2023 and 2025, SXSW Sydney said that it generated an estimated $276 million in total economic impact, attracted more than 63,000 out-of-region attendees and recorded a 35 per cent year-on-year growth in international visitation between 2024 and 2025. In 2025 alone, organisers said that the event attracted a total attendance of more than 345,000, representing a 15 per cent year-on-year increase.
Nonetheless, the event struggled to remain viable in a tough events market in which sponsorship dollars have been squeezed.
On the ground, reaction to the event has also been mixed with critics questioning whether it attracted a calibre of speakers near the level of the original Texas version, and conference sessions being far too spread out across Sydney’s Darling Harbour and Pyrmont areas. Several delegates who have spoken to B&T were particularly disappointed with the 2025 event.
The event also operated in a saturated market, competing against well established and successful conferences such as the Cairns Crocodiles, which is run by B&T’s parent company The Misfits. One business owner, who spoke to B&T anonymously, said that SXSW Sydney organisers had offered them “highly distressed rates” for a speaking slot at the conference.
SXSW Sydney was sometimes perceived as a challenge to attend for media, agency and marketing executives as it was always staged during the busy media upfronts season.
SXSW Sydney said is committed to its staff and will be working closely with team members to provide appropriate support.
“SXSW Sydney would not have been possible without our partners, Destination NSW and SXSW, as well as those who contributed to the event – our speakers, sponsors, volunteers and attendees. SXSW Sydney was an unforgettable three-year journey, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the people who joined us for it,” said co-managing directors Simon Cahill and Jono Whyman.
“We are especially grateful to the SXSW Sydney team for their dedication and hard work in bringing this event to life and establishing a platform that showcased Australia and the Asia-Pacific as pioneers in global culture.
“SXSW Sydney represented an ambitious and meaningful extension of the SXSW brand, and we are incredibly proud of what was built in partnership with the Sydney team, Destination NSW, and the broader creative community,” said Jenny Connelly, Director in Charge of SXSW.
“Over three years, SXSW Sydney demonstrated the power of convening global innovators, creatives, and leaders, and created a platform that elevated voices from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region onto the world stage. While the event will not proceed in 2026, we are grateful for the collaboration, creativity, and commitment that defined SXSW Sydney.”
