SXSW is expanding to London in 2025. Here's what you need to know

One of Austin's biggest and most popular events is starting up in London next year.

The South by Southwest Festival and Conference, known for its countless panels, celebrity appearances, music performances and movie premieres, will head to London in 2025, the festival announced at midnight Wednesday.

This doesn't mean Austin won't have SXSW next year; the London version is just another addition to SXSW's event roster, as they also have SXSW Sydney, which launched in Australia last year.

More: Here's our favorite things celebs said on the red carpets at SXSW 2024

Here's everything you need to know:

When and where is SXSW London?

While SXSW hasn't announced exact dates yet, SXSW London will take place in June 2025. The event will encompass much of Shoreditch in east London, according to a news release, and will include "boundary pushing visual arts, design and fashion programming, with exhibitions and interactive and immersive experiences in public spaces."

London was already linked to SXSW prior to this announcement through the cultural exchange that produced the British Music Embassy at SXSW in Austin. The British Music Embassy just marked its 17th year at SXSW this past March.

When is SXSW 2025 in Austin?

SXSW will return to Austin during March 7-15. SXSW PanelPicker will open for programming suggestions and submissions beginning June 25.

Next year's festival in Austin will be the first time since 2019 that the event's dates don't line up with surrounding schools' spring breaks. The University of Texas, St. Edward's University, Austin Community College and the Austin school district will all observe spring break March 17-21. This could potentially create population control issues as well as a lack of student volunteers for SXSW.

More: 10 big ideas we learned at SXSW 2024, including AI, gun violence and Roe v. Wade

How did SXSW get started?

The festival and conference started in Austin in March 1987. The founding members convened in secret to brainstorm at The Austin Chronicle, and music quickly became one of the centerpieces of the event.

Crowds numbered 700 for the first SXSW, and roughly 170 acts performed. Badges cost only $35, while shows at 15 participating venues cost $10.

What is SXSW Sydney?

The Australian event serves as another location for SXSW, and it started in October 2023. According to a Statesman article from 2022, SXSW Sydney aims "to be an Asia-Pacific version of SXSW." The festival will take place from Oct. 14-20 this year.

What about the boycotts?

SXSW experienced protests and a boycott related to the Israel-Hamas war at this year's event in Austin. Protesters called out SXSW for its U.S. Army "super sponsor" as well as its platforming of arms companies such as Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems.

The boycott led over 80 bands to pull out of the festival.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: SXSW is coming to London in 2025. Here's what you need to know