South by Southwest® (SXSW®) London has put passes on sale for its second European edition, running 1-6 June 2026 in Shoreditch.
The festival will use the same East London campus as its inaugural event, including Christ Church, Truman Brewery and local music venues. Last year’s edition drew 20,500 visitors from more than 80 countries and featured speakers including King Charles, former prime ministers, Idris Elba and Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis.
The 2026 conference programme covers 15 tracks, including AI, quantum computing, robotics, space exploration, entertainment, the creator economy and corporate transformation. The film strand will expand into North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, and schedule more television content ahead of Emmy voting.
The music programme returns after showcasing Pa Salieu, whose album Afrikan Alien was later nominated for the Mercury Prize, and Lila Ike, who went on to win Female Reggae Artist of the Year.
SXSW’s Venture Spotlight competition, which attracted over 100 submissions from European universities in 2025, will return. Last year’s winners were Kneu Health (a precision neurology platform for Parkinson’s and dementia), Mimicrete (self-healing concrete) and XRLabs (surgical care using XR and AI).
Katy Arnander, director of programming at SXSW London, said: “SXSW London 2026 is about deepening the convergence of technology, business and creativity in one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Our editorial intent is to spotlight bold ideas, unexpected perspectives and diverse voices and we aim to offer our independently minded community the connections, insights and discoveries they need as they navigate an increasingly complex world.”