From AI to immersive realities, SXSW London 2026 is gearing up to turn the capital into a playground of ideas.
After lighting up East London in 2025, SXSW London is back — bigger, bolder, and ready to push every boundary. From 1st to 6th June 2026, the capital will once again become a convergence zone for the world’s most innovative minds, rebellious creatives, and culture-defining voices. Submissions are officially open.
For those who missed the electric debut last year — yes, shame on you — SXSW London isn’t your typical industry conference. It’s where tech, music, film, art, and ideas throw a six-day rave and invite the public to vote on what matters. Think less suits and slideshows, more future-gazing and mind-bending conversations over flat whites (or something stronger).
And the location? While SXSW London spans the whole capital, it began — and still pulses strongest — in East London, where Shoreditch’s creative energy helped shape its gritty-meets-gloss identity. This year, expect the vibe to ripple outwards, as the whole city joins the celebration of human connection and disruptive thinking.
→ Curious about what’s on? Find it in Things to Do in Shoreditch – Your Essential Guide.
Submissions Now Open: You Don’t Need to Be a Tech Bro to Apply
Got a bold idea? SXSW London 2026 wants to hear it. Whether you’re an AI researcher, grassroots artist, climate innovator or punk-rock philosopher, the platform is wide open.
In 2025, they received nearly 10,000 submissions and over 40,000 public votes for the Conference strand alone. That says a lot. SXSW isn’t just about who you know — it’s about what you have to say. And London’s diversity of thought is exactly what fuels its global relevance.
Starting today, proposals are being accepted across three verticals:
Conference, Music, and Screen. The most compelling ones will undergo public voting, before being reviewed by advisory panels and editorial teams. It’s democratic, disruptive, and just the kind of participatory culture Shoreditch creatives live for.
15 Conference Tracks That Go Beyond the Buzzwords
This year’s Conference doesn’t just scratch the surface — it digs deep. Expect real conversations on topics like:
AI and the New Human Experience: Not just another ChatGPT demo. It’s about how AI redefines emotion, work, and creative purpose.
Frontier Technologies: From quantum computing to biotech, this is the real next-gen playground.
Unreal Realities: Where virtual and physical collide, with immersive experiences that don’t just entertain — they transform.
Society Rewired: Technology, geopolitics, and culture — all clashing and collaborating in real-time.
London 2050: Because this city’s future isn’t just property prices and transport delays.
The goal? To create unexpected intersections. A beatmaker meets a climate scientist. A coder meets a choreographer. A Shoreditch DJ meets a Tokyo roboticist. That’s the SXSW energy.
Music & Screen: Diaspora, Subculture, and Big Sounds
Music isn’t just a vibe — it’s an engine of culture. SXSW London’s 2026 Music programme will amplify voices from global diasporas, underground collectives, and the iconic spaces where sound meets technology. Think boundary-breaking performances, raw energy, and cultural commentary wrapped in beats.
Meanwhile, the Screen programme doubles down on its distinctly European identity. Expect UK premieres with sharp political undertones, experimental narratives, and a spotlight on visual storytelling that pushes form and function alike.
It’s not just film. It’s film that makes you rethink reality.
The Deadline Hustle: Key Dates for Creators
If you’re thinking of submitting, don’t sleep on the deadlines:
Conference submissions: Close 7th December 2025
Public voting: Opens 8th December 2025
Music submissions: Close 24th November 2025
Screen submissions: Close 31st December 2025
Tickets go live: 20th October 2025
So, whether you’re a tech disruptor, street poet, audio-visual wizard or just a curious Londoner with a lot to say — now’s your shot.
Let Shoreditch energy meet global scale. SXSW London 2026 is London’s cultural brain firing on all cylinders.