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 and SXSW’s global owners, Penske Media Corporation, parent of Billboard, to explore potential pathways forward for the event, the statement continues. However, “prevailing market conditions” meant the Sydney leg “will not be going ahead at this time.”
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SXSW Sydney’s brief lifespan was bright, and busy. According to a statement from TEG, the event generated an estimated A$276 million ($184 million) in total economic impact across its three-year run, presented in October at the start of the Australia’s long, hot summer; attracted more than 63,000 out-of-region attendees; and recorded a 35% year-on-year growth in international visitation between 2024 and 2025.
For last year’s final SXSW Sydney, more than 345,000 attendees attended its showcases, panels, keynotes and more, a 15% year-on-year increase.
A social post from the SXSW team confirms the worst. “Every great story has a final page, and it is with a heavy heart that we share that SXSW Sydney has reached its closing chapter and will not be returning in 2026. It’s bittersweet to be saying goodbye while the momentum is so high.”
TEG appointed Simon Cahill and Jono Whyman as co-managing directors of SXSW Sydney in March 2025, succeeding industry veteran Colin Daniels who had helmed the first two shows (Cahill was also appointed TEG’s chief commercial officer).
“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,” Cahill and Whyman remark in a joint statement.
“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 the brand’s first expansion outside of the United States, and a push into the vibrant Asia-Pacific region. But it did so post-COVID, as costs soar across the board. Money is tight. And competition is tough, both from the established BIGSOUND event, presented one month earlier in Brisbane, and the Amsterdam Dance Event, which overlapped with the first two editions of SXSW Sydney, and elsewhere.
Among the hundreds of artists who graced the SXSW Sydney stages were Ninajirachi, 9lives, Tkay Maidza, The Buoys, while keynote speakers included Chance The Rapper, Paul Feig and Teddy Swims.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported SXSW Sydney over the last three years: our attendees, speakers, exhibitors, partners, performing artists, developers, volunteers, and more. You all came together to help us build a vibrant, global community that transformed the heart of our city every October,” reads the social post from the Sydney team.
“We’re walking away knowing that something special happened here. We couldn’t have asked for a better community to share this journey with, or a better city to call home.”
