SXSW announces London 2025 debut, calls Shoreditch a “microcosm” of what the city is

nme.com:

SXSW has announced its first edition in London set for 2025. See dates below.SXSW, also known as South by Southwest, marks its latest overseas venture after last year’s Sydney debut – and its first time in Europe.

The festival-conference will take place from June 2 to 7 next year within the Shoreditch neighbourhood.Per Billboard, the festival is set to generate more than £75million (roughly US$97million) for the UK economy and attract over 20,000 attendees, according to its organisers.SXSW London’s head of music Adem Holness promises big things for its inaugural edition, aiming for a seamless cross-pollination between the SXSW touchpoints of music, film and technology.“The thing we can do uniquely is pull together reflections of the cutting-edge, grassroots music communities and – if I’m just thinking about the music program – how people can get involved in what is happening at the cutting edge and how they might be able to work with those different international music scenes to develop them and develop ideas with them,” Holness tells Billboard. “That’s what I think SXSW London should be.”He adds that he wants SXSW London to not “just feel like a series of performances, but like you’re experiencing culture and [moments] around that”.SXSW London aims to be a hub for broader European perspectives, Holness explains.

He wants it to “make sure our neighbours and friends feel like they’re a big part of what we’re trying to do”.Its Shoreditch location was selected because it “feels in a way like a microcosm of what London is”, Holness adds. “It’s a hub of technology, but you’ve also got incredible nightlife.