By Kimberly Nordyke, Hollywood Reporter | South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) organizers are reportedly cutting back on the music portion of the annual event. According to the Austin American-Statesman, this will result in the 2026 edition of the festival being two days shorter than this year’s, which ran March 7-15. Next year’s edition is set for March 12-18. The move eliminates the weekend traditionally dedicated to music performances and a conference for the first time in SXSW history.
The news comes just after the end of the 2025 edition, which wrapped Saturday. Participation in the music festival has reportedly been dropping since the 2010s, when the average band count peaked at around 2,000. This year’s edition reportedly saw 1,012 bands showcasing.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Penske Media for comment. Penske Media, the owner of THR, invested in SXSW in April 2021 as part of what it described as a long-term partnership with the festival.
> > > > > > > > > >
Go here to read the full story:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/sxsw-music-is-no-more-report/
# # # # #
No, SXSW Isn’t Getting Rid of Music
By Justin Curto, Vulture
South by Southwest may have begun as an independent music festival, but in the past few years, movies and tech have definitively overtaken the convention’s original focus. But, contrary to reports, SXSW won’t be cutting music entirely from its schedule. The Austin festival is paring back its schedule for 2026, from nine days to seven. (It will run March 12 to 18.) This means there won’t be a dedicated music weekend that used to close the festival. But, a spokesperson confirmed to the Austin American-Statesman that music events “will take place throughout the entire event.” 2026 festival passes are currently on sale, including a music option.
That’s not to say SXSW’s music arm is in a good spot going into 2026. The Statesman noted that the 2025 festival featured 1,015 acts — down from around 1,200 in 2024 and 2,000-plus at the mid-2010s peak. And this year’s flagship showcases reportedly failed to sell out.
> > > > > > > > >
Go here to read more of Justin’s perspective:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/no-sxsw-isn-t-getting-rid-of-music/
Photo: SXSW 2026 | https://www.facebook.com/SXSWFestival