Podcasting Festival, New Music Hubs & More

South by Southwest (SXSW) is introducing a number of changes to its 2027 edition, including a new podcast festival, a reordering of the event’s footprint and a new badge designed exclusively for C-Suite executives and founders, the festival announced on Tuesday (Aug. 18).

Podcasts will now be “a core pillar of the SXSW experience,” according to a press release, with a new podcast festival set to run March 17-21 at next year’s event. Open to all SXSW badge holders, the festival “will bring talent, platforms, brands, marketers and the broader podcast industry together in one dedicated home,” says the release.

Another change to next year’s event is a relocation of the Music Clubhouse to Austin’s Thompson Hotel and an overall shift of the music conference’s programming to the Thompson and Westin hotels, which are “more central in the SXSW event footprint,” the release adds.

Elsewhere, the film & TV festival will host premieres, screenings and red carpets at ACL Live at The Moody Theater on a temporary basis, as Austin’s Paramount Theatre undergoes a restoration. The Paramount will once again host the film & TV festival in 2028.

At the innovation conference, “the Culture track becomes Lifestyle, now dedicated to exploring how personal identity, culture, and emerging trends across fashion, wellness, relationships and digital media shape our daily lives and choices,” the release continues. “Sports and Gaming will once again become distinct tracks, with Sports focused on the future of athletic performance, fan engagement and sports entertainment, and Gaming examining the industry’s evolving role in technology, storytelling and entertainment.”

Meanwhile, the education conference, SXSW EDU, will kick off the first weekend of SXSW next year and feature two crossover days, March 15-16. Attendees of both SXSW and SXSW EDU will be provided special access and co-programming opportunities. SXSW EDU will also host programming at the JW Marriott hotel, a change from earlier editions.

You can check out a full view of SXSW dates and tracks here, and SXSW EDU dates and tracks here.

In other news, next year, the festival is introducing the CxO Badge, described as “a curated premium experience designed for the C-Suite and founders who need to maximize their time and access all parts of the event seamlessly.” Applications for the badge are now open. Additional information on the perks and access afforded by the badge can be found here.

Also new in 2027 will be a special discount and perks for Austin-area residents. The first perk, announced Tuesday, is a locals lounge called the 512 Club, where Austinites can take meetings and reset between work and the event.

The 2027 changes follow a scaled-back 2026 edition of SXSW, which ran for seven days — two days shorter than the 2025 event — and hosted its music, film & TV and interactive programs concurrently. Next year’s edition, which is set to take place March 15-21, will maintain the seven-day schedule.

“2026 proved that we can evolve the event while preserving the discovery, connection and creativity that make it special,” said Greg Rosenbaum, senior vp of programming at SXSW, in a statement. “We heard amazing feedback from attendees, with 2027 PanelPicker submissions and Music and Film & TV festival applications up by as much as 50 percent so far. For 2027, we’re building on what worked by creating more intentional hubs across downtown Austin, giving growing communities like podcasting a bigger platform, and making it easier for attendees to find the ideas, people and opportunities that matter to them. There is much more to come as we continue to build toward SXSW 2027.”

All SXSW badges and Music wristbands are on sale now.

Billboard’s parent company PMC is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.