SXSW has launched its first-ever event in London, but awareness remains low. Many passersby were seen puzzled by signs advertising the festival in Shoreditch.
The festival, well-known in Austin, Texas, aims to showcase music, film, art, and tech. London Mayor Sadiq Khan kicked off the event, promoting the city as a "hub for talent, trade, tech, and innovation."
Khan remarked, 
“So at the time when there’s so much uncertainty and political turmoil across the pond, defined by an inward looking mentality, I’m going to reach out to international investors, businesses and creators to say that London offers you the opposite.”
The festival, packed with branding, has taken over Shoreditch. It features murals, signs, and events across various venues, including the Truman Brewery and Shoreditch Electric, close to London’s tech hotspot, Old Street.
Star power is evident. Celebs like Sophie Turner and Idris Elba are in attendance. Tech leaders such as Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, and Thomas Wolf, co-founder of Hugging Face, are also part of the lineup, discussing advancements in AI.
The buzz around attendee perks? A press bag included a SXSW-branded chocolate bar and a map. Merch includes $24 socks and a $37 T-shirt. The main venue is bustling, with food trucks and pop-up ads from brands like Ray-Ban and Polestar.
AI is a central theme. Hassabis warned that the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI) could be bigger than the internet. He said:
“I think they’re going to be able to achieve superhuman things.”
Expect a week packed with sessions featuring big names, although night performances may clash with early morning schedules. SXSW London may not resonate yet, but it’s clearly making waves.
