SXSW MUSIC FESTIVAL – FIRST ROUND OF SHOWCASING ARTISTS ANNOUNCED

This year’s festival welcomes groundbreaking artists spanning genres and continents, from Cuernavaca’s buzzy regional Mexican singer Justin Morales to raucous Dublin punk band Gurriers. Rising stars like Middle Eastern-influenced Indonesian psychedelic funk band Ali, Montreal’s angular art-punk ensemble La Sécurité, Virginia-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Yasmin Williams, and hard hitting Aussie rock band Delivery will join established acts including Japanese environmental music legend Shiho Yabuki and new wave-pop sensation and SX alum Twin Shadow, who will be launching his sixth album Georgie at SXSW. SXSW 2025 will also host the debut live performance of Immersion (Colin Newman of Wire & Malka Spigel of Minimal Compact) and SUSS, as part of their Nanocluster collaboration series.

“This announcement is an excellent teaser for what you can expect to see at SXSW 2025,” said James Minor, VP of Music Festival. “This round includes a range of exceptional artists, from up and coming talent to established legends, and everywhere in between. If you’ve been to SXSW before, you’ll know that this list is more than an eclectic playlist; it’s a guide to discovery, and your first step toward what you’ll experience in March.”

One of SXSW’s distinct features is global representation, with the first round of acts hailing from countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greenland, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Turkey, and Wales.

Many of SXSW’s showcases are curated by SXSW programmers in collaboration with record labels, booking agencies, export offices, music publishers, media outlets, lifestyle brands and more. These showcases give attendees the opportunity to experience sets in exclusive, small-stage performances. The initial list of showcase presenters includes: ATC Live, Billboard, C3 Management, Chicken Ranch, De Los, Deezer, Don Giovanni, Focus Wales, German Music Export, Green Witch Recordings, Jazz Re:Freshed, The Loyalty Firm, M for Montreal, Mint Talent Group, Mothland, Music From Ireland, The Line of Best Fit, Need Pastel, NIVA, The Noise Company, Planetary Group, Pop Montreal, Reeperbahn Festival, Rolling Stone, Sofar Sounds, Spanish Wave, Taiwan Beats, Tokyo Calling, UTOPiAfest, Wide Days Scotland 

Linked here is a sortable airtable that contains information on each artist’s genre, publicist contact information, and social media pages where available.

The first round of artists invited to perform include:

Listen to the artists who will be performing at SXSW 2025 by subscribing to the official SXSW Spotify and YouTube Music Video playlists.

Music-focused Conference Programming grants attendees the opportunity to learn how to navigate the music business and meet people who can help advance careers at every level. All SXSW Music registrants receive primary access to the Music & Tech and Music Industry tracks, Music Mentor Sessions, Music-focused Workshops, Keynotes and Featured Speakers, Music Festival showcases, the SXSW Comedy Festival, exhibitions,networking Meet Ups, and more. Secondary access is available for most Interactive and Film & TV programming. Last week, SXSW announced the addition of over 450 sessions to the 2025 Conference slate. A snapshot of the hundreds of speakers across 23 curated tracks is available here.

The online SXSW Schedule provides a complete rundown of 2025 programming, broken down by time and event category, with the ability to build a customized schedule.

About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of opportunities to meet and connect with people. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and individuals come together. SXSW 2025 will take place March 7–15 in Austin. Learn more at sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.

SXSW’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region, with SXSW Sydney starting in 2023 and Europe with SXSW London in 2025, provides new possibilities at this iconic experience. These events, each with their own distinct flavor, make South By an indispensable three-stop tour for the global creative community.