SXSW Returning To Sydney With The Kid LAROI As Music Keynote

South by Southwest (SWSW) Conference and Festivals is going down under once again, expanding beyond Austin, Texas, and celebrating music, film and technology in Sydney from October 14-20 and bringing some notable speakers to Australia, including local star The Kid LAROI.

The Kid LAROI, whose song “STAY” with Justin Bieber has garnered more than 3 billion streams on Spotify, was announced as the music keynote for SXSW Sydney. The 21-year-old Australian rapper-singer will stop by Darling Harbour Theatre on Oct. 19 to discuss his career, going from Redfern to stardom.

SXSW recently unveiled an updated list of speakers and sessions for the conference in Sydney, and it includes Wasserman’s Marty Diamond (EVP and managing executive) and Larry Webman (SVP), Global CEO Ogilvy Devika Bulchandani, actress Lucy Lawless and Indian composer and musician A.R. Rahman. The event will also feature WME Global Head of Touring Lucy Dickins, Australian actor Liam Hemsworth, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy and TikTok Global Head of Business Marketing Sofia Hernandez.

The SXSW Sydney Music Festival will feature more than 135 artists from 13 countries, including United Kingdom pop singer Jorja Smith and rock trio Voice of Baceprot, who were the first Indonesian band to play Glastonbury. After focusing on Asia-Pacific acts in 2023, SXSW is putting the spotlight this year on India, a growing market that has made quite a cultural impact. The festival will have a single-day showcase of Indian culture called “+91 Calling!” at the Tumbalong Park Main Stage on Sunday, Oct. 20, which will feature six acts from India and the Indian diaspora from multiple genres, including hip-hop, pop and neo-classical.

SXSW is returning to Sydney after a successful inaugural event in 2023 which empowered creatives in the Asia-Pacific region. This year’s week-long conference and festivals will host more than 1,000 world-class speakers covering relevant topics in music, film, gaming and technology as well as 200-plus artists from over 15 countries and 75-plus screenings across five cinemas.

Badges and wristbands for SXSW Sydney are now on sale at sxswsydney.com/attend. Prices will be raised on Aug. 30 and securing a spot before then will save attendees $400.