It's that time of year again. Hundreds of thousands of folks are preparing to descend upon Austin for SXSW, aka one of the biggest festivals on the planet.

The festival will be held from Friday, March 7 to Saturday, March 15 this year. There's a lot on the agenda, so let us help you break it down.

Psst — stay tuned for an upcoming guide on how to do SXSW for free.

Impact

This isn't just one festival we're talking about — it's several of them wrapped into one.

SXSW has so much programming that it would be impossible to see it all. The nine-day festival includes conference sessions, musicians, films, comedy sets, pop-ups, interactive exhibits, and XR experiences.

Here are a few fun stats about SXSW's reach in 2024:

512,722 people attended the festival
3,852 people spoke during the conference
1,248 musicians performed
24.6% of total attendees came from one of 108 countries outside the US

Plus, SXSW generated $380.9 million worth of economic activity in Austin during the 2023 fest. Suffice to say, it's a big deal, not to mention that SXSW recently expanded to London and Sydney.

Conference

Get ready for nine days of learning, imagining, rocking, and exploring at one of the biggest festivals in the world. | Graphic via SXSW

From panels and speakers to exhibitions and keynotes, SXSW is categorized into 29 tracks. Here are 17 must-see sessions we’re keeping our eye on.

Note: Programming access depends on your badge type — check “badges” under each event to see if your pass allows entry.

Featured Session: "Meet the Astronauts Going to the Moon with NASA’s Artemis II" | Friday, March 7
"Enough with the 'Delving' – Staying Human in the Age of AI" | Friday, March 7
Featured Session: "Kevin Bacon: A Career Retrospective From Footloose to The Bondsman" | Friday, March 7
Featured Session: "Amy Webb Launches 2025 Emerging Tech Trend Report" | Saturday, March 8
"Future-Proof Housing for the Next Generation" | Saturday, March 8
Keynote: "A Conversation with Issa Rae" | Saturday, March 8
Keynote: "Colossal: Technology Company Turning Science Fiction to Science Fact" | Sunday, March 9
"Enemies, Friends or Frenemies: Why Work with Competitors" | Monday, March 10
Featured Session: "All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Right Now" | Monday, March 10
Keynote: "The Future of Social with Jay Graber, Bluesky CEO" | Monday, March 10
Featured Session: "How America’s 33M Small Businesses Can Grow and Prosper" | Monday, March 10
Featured Session: "AI is the new UI: Transforming Your Everyday" | Tuesday, March 11
Featured Session: "Claiming the Future of Entertainment" | Tuesday, March 11
"AI, Creativity, and the Fight Around Fair Use" | Tuesday, March 11
Featured Session: "Balloonerism - A Film Based On The Album By Mac Miller" | Wednesday, March 12
"The Era of Personal Flight: Flying Cars (Finally) Takeoff" | Wednesday, March 12
"Antone’s: 50 Years of Blues" | Thursday, March 13

We also make sure to tune in to the welcoming remarks to set the tone for the festival. See the full conference schedule.

SXSW premieres are often a star-studded event. | Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for SXSW

Film & TV

Film and TV fans, get excited. There are dozens of world premieres on the SXSW schedule, with more than enough content to consume. Here are six film + TV premieres that we recommend:

Film premieres

"Death of a Unicorn" | Saturday, March 8-Sunday, March 9 | Starring: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, and Will Poulter | After a father and daughter hit and kill a unicorn while on the way to a retreat, a pharmaceutical CEO seeks to exploit its magical properties in this A24 film.very important for me to see this one
"The Makings of Curtis Mayfield" | Monday, March 10-Wednesday, March 12 | Directed by GRAMMY Award-winner H.E.R., this documentary pays homage to producer, musician, and entrepreneur Curtis Mayfield.
"Ash" | Tuesday, March 11-Wednesday, March 12 | Starring: Eiza González and Aaron Paul | When a woman wakes up on a distant planet after the death of her space station crew, her investigation unveils a terrifying chain of events.

Television premieres

"The Studio" | Friday, March 7 | Starring Seth Rogen, this show follows a team of film executives fighting to keep the industry alive and relevant.
"#1 Happy Family USA" | Sunday, March 9 | In a post 9/11 America, the patriotic Hussein family navigates finding humor in hardship in this animated show starring Ramy Youssef.
"The Yogurt Shop Murders" | Monday, March 10 | This true crime docuseries recounts the unsolved, tragic deaths of four Austin girls in 1991.

See the full SXSW Film & TV Festival lineup.

Chief Cleopatra has been a local SXSW mainstay for the past four years. | Photo by ATXtoday

Music

You can't have a festival in the Live Music Capital of the World without some tunes. Read our roundup of all 112 local artists performing at SXSW 2025 — and jot down these big names we're excited to see:

Check out the official SXSW Playlist and the full SXSW Music lineup.

Comedy

We're still awaiting the full announcement for this year's SXSW Comedy Festival, but you can look forward to a live taping of "Comedy Bang! Bang!" with Scott Aukerman + Lauren Lapkus, impressionist James Adomian performing as Elon Musk, and "Saturday Night Live" alumna Melissa Villaseñor.

Activations

Lose yourself at an interactive pop-up this year — check out these four:

The Criterion Mobile Closet | Friday, March 7-Monday, March 10 | Explore a collection of 1,000+ of the best films in this exhibit on wheels.
FX’s "Alien: Earth" | Friday, March 7-Saturday, March 8 | Get in on highly classified operations... if you have what it takes.
Paramount+ The Lodge | Friday, March 7-Monday, March 10 | Step inside the sets of "Yellowjackets," "1923," "Gladiator II," and "Happy Face" at this third annual pop-up.
Whataburger Museum Of Art | Sunday, March 9 | In celebration of the burger brand's 75th anniversary, visitors will be able to peruse tons of fan art.

Psst — don't forget to check out the full lineup of XR activations.

Badge breakdown

Badges for SXSW range between depending on level of access:

Platinum: $2,195+
Interactive: $1,595+
Film & TV: $1,355+
Music: $895+

That said, volunteers at the festival can receive a free badge. To earn a badge, you’ll need to work between 24 and 56 hours, depending on the badge you’re aiming for, and be at least 18 years old. See the full requirements.