Like so many things in Austin, the iconic two-weekend event, South by Southwest, goes by many names. It is usually written as SXSW and is often shortened to South by in conversation. Since the first SXSW event in March of 1987, SXSW has grown into the SXSW Conference & Festivals that takes place over 10 days in Austin, Texas.
The SXSW Festival portion of the event is actually comprised of four festivals: SXSW Interactive, SXSW Film, SXSW Music, and SXSW Comedy, and each area is explored with parties, awards, screenings, and showcases.
Interactive Festival
Kicking off with the SXSW Interactive Festival Opening Party on March 9 and running through March 13, the SXSW Interactive Festival will provide evening networking experiences ranging from parties to award presentations.
Film Festival
From March 9 through March 17, the SXSW Film Festival will feature a diverse selection of films in a variety of genres including documentaries, dramas, and comedies.
Music Festival
The SXSW Music Festival will host a mix of new, up-and-coming, international, and legendary artists from many different genres performing in a wide variety of venues around central Austin from March 12 through March 18.
Comedy Festival
From March 9 through March 17, the SXSW Comedy Festival will feature a daily and nightly schedule of a diverse line-up of comedy including standup, improv, sketch, podcasts, panels, and parties.
SXSW’s website has a lot of information to help you make the most of your time at SWSW. Check out online schedules for SXSW 2018.
SXSW offers student deals! Take advantage of the Buy One, Get One Free Student Registration Offer.
And to save even more cash, you can subscribe to SXSW 2018 Free Events updates.
Finally, whether or not you plan to attend any of the SXSW events, remember that with more people in Austin, there will be longer travel times, so make sure to plan some extra time into your commute if you plan to travel across town!
