“There are weeks where decades happen.” Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
It’s no longer Austin’s own and hasn’t been for a while, actually, but Friday’s bloodletting pretty much completes the gutting of the SXSW originals that began two years ago.
Austin American-Statesman, April 29, 2025.
The leadership no longer lives here and what we helped create is being exported to other cities. Look no further than Sundance to see what’s on the horizon. That festival put itself on the auction block last April , posting an RFP for potential host cities. Utah responded with a 3.5 million dollar annual incentive package. Colorado offered 4 million for the first year and $34 million over the next decade. So it’s moving to Boulder .
“Part of the decision-making process was around opportunity for growth.” Acting Sundance Institute CEO Amanda Kelso. Deadline, March 27, 2025.
“SXSW London will build upon London’s place within the community of over 20 million people working in the creative and technology sectors across Europe. In the UK alone, the cultural and creative industries contribute £125 billion.” PMC Press Release, May 2024.
SXSW expanded to Sydney in 2023 and SXSW London will debut next month. With no Austin Convention Center until at least 2029 , one can imagine a future where the Los Angeles-based ownership talks of the exciting opportunity to explore and meet makers where they are — whether it’s Miami, New Orleans or New York.
Broadening the brand beyond Austin means the world doesn’t need to come here, and that dilution carries a huge cost. It also means we need to double down in supporting those who are actually rooted in our community, the folks who grew what others are harvesting. Consider ATX TV Festival , which launched in 2012. Co-Founders Emily Gipson and Caitlin McFarland built a huge following, then sold to Penske (PMC) in 2022. In announcing the sale, Penske-owned Variety wrote:
“ATX TV is a natural fit with PMC’s portfolio that includes the Austin-based SXSW event franchise, which is in the process of expanding to Sydney, Australia, next year. PMC also recently acquired the Life Is Beautiful festival and next month will launch LA3C , a multi-day music and culture event celebrating the creativity and communities of Los Angeles.” Variety, Nov. 28, 2022.
Let's fast forward.
Life is Beautiful first was scaled back to a block party before being cancelled this year.
The last post on the LA3C instagram is from 2023, as is the last update on the website .
SeatGeek listing
As for ATX TV Fest ? Gipson and McFarland regained control this year. Their official statement on how that happened is five words long: “details yet to be disclosed”. Whatever the case, homegrown diplomacy laid the groundwork for a stacked line-up in a festival once again led by locals.
RETHINKING THE LANDSCAPE Co-Founders Roland Swenson, Louis Black, Louis Jay Meyers and Nick Barbaro were masters at leveraging official power — and budget — for SX’s benefit, starting with the modest $5,000 grant from the Austin Chamber of Commerce to explore starting a festival. As SXSW grew, the relationship evolved and deepened. The festival pays for an economic impact study every year that trumpets the importance to the local economy, and since 2019 the City of Austin has contributed millions of dollars to cover things like police overtime and street closures.
But a single side-by-side illustrates the gap between then and now.
We don’t need to close 6th street, and less people should mean less cost to taxpayers. If this is no longer about “the community” it should be purely transactional. Penske has the right to shape SXSW however it desires, but the pivot from music also should include moving away from the whole false premise of “you come here to get discovered”. Pay market rates for bands to play branded events. Head the way the wind blows. Tech companies can afford the astronomical badge prices, and they come in part to rub elbows with artists. It makes them feel cool, and is baked into how Penske is marketing SXSW London , breathlessly described…
“trailblazing talks, legendary live performances, fearless film screenings and immersive art and fashion across the conference, music and screen festivals.
…and schizophrenically appended.
“Our conference will address 6 core themes: Humanity, Machines & The Future of AI; Our Future Health; New Tech Frontiers; Tech, Government and The Future of Society, Navigating Business in a Changing World; Innovation Meets Imagination: The Future of Creativity.”
The new CEO, Los Angeles-based Jenny Connelly, currently oversees Penske's engineering, data, IT, product, project & SEO teams. SXSW released a report three weeks ago, drafted by a multinational professional services network with roots in accounting, that offers eight key insights into how the festival defines itself in the here and now. Not a single one mentions film or music. In fact, the 54-page report contains only one photo from a concert, and it’s of the crowd. Here’s how the authors described their methodology:
“ Leveraging AI to help transcribe session notes and scan media coverage, the PwC team combined cutting-edge technology with human expertise to identify and prioritize the SXSW 2025 insights .” SXSW 2025 Key Insights
The single concert photo and other images courtesy SXSW 2025 Key Insights.
I’ll close by admitting my bias. I do understand that “AI, quantum, and immersive tech” are reshaping what artists create, but the technical part has always been less interesting to me. It feels cold, remote, and removed — as does the festival itself. My personal history with SXSW dates to year one, the professional relationship began a decade or so later, and over the past several years I’ve watched close friends and colleagues wash out, jump ship and head to distant shores.
Here’s how Tuesday’s New York Times article describes Hugh Forrest:
Here’s how it describes the current ownership:
Here’s a taste of the original tribe.
clip from Outside Industry: The Story of SXSW, courtesy Arts+Labor.
“Creative communities have to happen.” Let’s hold on to that.
SPEAKING OF LENIN JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE ART AND LIFE OF PUNK ICON AND SELF-PROCLAIMED “COMMIE FAG” GARY FLOYD
This is free, RSVP here!
LAST CALL AT THE SKYLARK
Another heartbreaking moment this week came with the Facebook post that The Skylark Lounge is closing Sunday. Here’s the lineup for this final weekend — go on by and touch a bit of history before it’s gone. And finally, next week’s Give Back Gig on May 7th is tasty fun while also helping our city support the next generation of culinary all stars. Here’s the link for tickets.
Go see something, tell us about it, we’ll share more stories next month.
Let’s build something together. We’d be forever grateful for your help, and an easy way to do so is by subscribing to the Happy Heat Substack. What comes in goes right back out in artist commissions and live shows. To which you’ll get to come!
Alan Berg, Publisher.