A lot to love, but a lot to improve. Was the first year of London SXSW a success? Paul Armstrong gives his verdict

Last week South-By-South-West (SXSW) came to London. A win in itself. It’s not easy launching a global franchise event in one of the busiest cities in the world, during the busiest week of the tech conference calendar. And while I didn’t see every panel, I had eyes and ears across the venues, from Whatsapp groups to fringe pop-ups to those quietly abandoning the main stage for side alley drinks. The feedback was consistent: ‘We’re glad it happened, we just wish it had hit harder.’

Attending SXSW Austin years ago, when living in the US and working with Yahoo! Music (yes, I’m that old) was, frankly, nuts. I haven’t been back recently, but I’ve followed its evolution, spoken to those who still go, and have seen how the festival has transitioned. Not without criticism, still widely respected, and still notorious for not paying its speakers anything. Multiple speakers I spoke to weren’t compensated for their time or travel, a standard SXSW move, but whalit stood out was how many said they weren’t even briefed properly. Direction was “minimal”. That lack of intentionality seems to have bled through into the main stage content.

Safe speakers and Linkedin soundbites

Let’s start with the ticket price. In Austin, access costs anywhere from $895 to $2,295. London SXSW was £1,300 unless, apparently, you were among the crowd of Tiktok influencers getting comped left and right. The music programme felt inclusive, £25 and up, so the intent was there. But if you’re trying to recreate the “collision of ideas” that SXSW is famous for, it helps to let more people in and keep them in one place. A more inclusive ticketing structure, and live streaming, would have been a powerful statement.

The main issue for most was the content. The conference stage lacked sharpness, didn’t push buttons, boundaries or reflect where the UK is really going in tech, culture and creativity. Did it confront and delight? At times it felt like a conference programmed for safe Linkedin soundbites, not ideas worth sweating over at a time when everyone seems to be sweating about something. The lack of editorial........

© City A.M.