SXSW Sydney – 2023 – Review

SXSW Sydney is here to stay!

SXSW has long been on our bucket lists – so the moment the festival announced its first iteration outside of the US was to be held in Sydney, we knew we had to be there. Since its birth in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW has long been an epicentre of music, screen, tech and innovation – where artists are recognised, and ideas are brought to life. Held 15-22 October, the festival was a showcase of both local and international talent, with its first run in Sydney seeing the festival held in the city’s event precinct; primarily within the impressive ICC, as well as spanning across venues throughout Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Haymarket, Chippendale, and more. 

As real sufferers of FOMO, our team at MEL Live stayed out day and night for a full week to bring you the highlights and everything on offer. It’s impossible to see and do everything (that’s what makes it so special), but we gave it a red hot go anyway. From stumbling onto a new favourite band, to seeing a film that will change how you see the world, SXSW Sydney was an incredible festival from start to finish. From the main conference, to the streams of Tech and Innovation, Screen, Music, Games, and expos, SXSW Sydney had all bases covered and delivered on an incredible experience from start to finish. As confirmed during a keynote session by SXSW Sydney managing director Colin Daniels, the man responsible for bringing the festival to Australia, we’re already keen to see what the next five years of SXSW look like in Sydney.

OUR CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Keynotes and Featured Sessions 

  • Keynote: Charlie Brooker in Conversation with Julia Zemiro – the incredible mind behind Black Mirror opened up about his creative process, his favourite all-time favourite episodes, and about possibly being a psychic. Capturing the audience with stories of giving the one and only Jodie Foster editorial notes, the effects of AI on the industry, and how Apple’s photo memories can sometimes come back to haunt you, the enigma that is Charlie Brooker quickly became a festival highlight for many.
  • Held at an absolutely packed-out Darling Harbour Theatre, Keynote presentation 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop feat Chance the Rapper saw the influential artist in conversation with Rolling Stone AU/NZ Editor In Chief Poppy Reid. The born and bred Chicago rapper shared his inspiring journey on navigating the industry as an independent artist, and how the genre evolved over the years since its inception. Leaving no stone unturned, Chance used his platform to discuss today’s political matters at hand, his non-profit SocialWorks and how we can all act as a movement together.
  • Coachella Co-Founder Paul Tollett and AEG’s Michael Harrison sat down for a session on the festival’s history; from its first year of extreme losses to the world’s most popular festival it has become over the past 24 years. Giving us all an insight into the industry, Paul and Michael kept it casual as they took us through their shared years of promoting – with Paul’s Coachella numerous spinoffs, and Michael’s past work with industry icon Michael Gudinski. 
  • There was a packed house for the featured session with Nicole Kidman and Per Saari, as they talked to Nine Network Journalist (and Kidman’s childhood friend) Peter Overton about their company Blossom Films. Respectfully conducted in line with the restrictions based on the present strikes, their conversation talked about their production company, their focus on finding new filmmakers, and the differences of being on the other side for Nicole as both a producer and actor. From discussing where they find content for their films, to the details of their processes, an audience of over 2,500 people took it all in as part of the Screen Festival program. 
  • Colossal CEO Ben Lamm and and Head of the Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research (TIGRR) Lab, Professor Andrew Pask, sat down with Macquarie University Wildlife Scientist Vanessa Pirotta for featured session Dodo de-extinction and other lost animals, to discuss the incredible work they are doing to bring back the Tasmanian Tiger. Explaining the incredibly painstaking process they are working on to de-extinct the Thylacine, wooly mammoth, as well as other species on the verge of extinction, Ben and Andrew spared no details on how their ground-breaking methods will be used to save and repair delicate ecosystems.

Sessions and Workshops 

  • AI Fluency: What’s Coming For My Job? with Rae Johnston (Queens of the Drone Age Journalist), Kellie Nuttall (Deloitte Australia AI Institute Leader & Straegy and Business Design Leader), Sandra Peter (University of Sydney Business School Director of Sydney Executive Plus) and Kai Riemer (University of Sydney Business School Professor of Information Technology & Organisation). Covering off how AI first began; from its humble beginnings of learning from pictures of cats, to today’s human face and voice generators, a panel of experts delve into how far we’ve come in the science of AI over the years. The reality is that AI isn’t coming for your job – someone who knows how to use it properly is.
  • Hosted by Rove McManus, Hello 2050, what’s on the menu? explored the future of food and our need for a massive increase of protein production in the next couple decades. From regenerative farming, to plant-based alternatives, the panel consisting of CSIRO’s Michelle Colgrave and Sinéad Golley, and Lime Cordiale’s (and farmer) Oli Leimbach discussed what changes we need to make in order to support the earth’s next huge population boom.
  • An interesting session on the Workplace of the Future was hosted by Tyro Payments Non Exec Director Aliza Knox, while supported by a panel of Koala Group’s Culture Officer Netta Efron, McKinsey and Company’s Helen Mayhew, and Bates Smart Architect and Director Kellie Payne. This session covered off the workplaces of the past and where things are heading with in-person attendance, remote working and the architecture spaces we spend our time in for our 9-5. With the average workplace turned on its head due to the pandemic, this was an interesting panel that discussed the change of control from employers post-covid, productivity drivers and how you can get the most out of your space. 
  • Finance session How Young Australians Can Retire Early in an Uncertain Future provided info on the methods we can take to ensure financial independence in a world of inflation and uncertainty. Hosted by Pearler co-founder Nick Nicolaides, Get Rich Slow Club’s Ana Kresina, Tash Invests’ Natasha Etschmann and New Money’s Brandon van der Kolk, the session touched on life-changing investment and sought to normalise conversations about finance.
  • AWS Innovation House’s session on Little Ripper Drones saving lives with AI was an incredible look into the work behind the lifesaving drones, Sharkspotter AI systems, and the ever-evolving use of the game-changing drones. Presented by Little Ripper Drones CEO Colin Frew and University of Technology Sydney professor Nabin Sharma, the possibilities for their technology are truly endless in the scope of natural disasters, agri industries, and ecological research.

OUR MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS

Just over 300 local and international artists were at SXSW Sydney – of these, we were able to catch 33 artists across the week, in over 16 different venues. From standard concert venues, to intimate shows played in corner pubs and even the local church, each artist gave their all at the festival. Here are some of our highlights.

International artists

  • Austin natives and Gen Z siblings form the absolutely wild We Don’t Ride Llamas, who put on an absolute beast of a show which had the entire Pumphouse up and moving.
  • Global girl group XG played their first ever Australian show at Hordern Pavilion for an exclusive, one-night-only concert, supported by Lil Cherry & GOLDBUDDA. Needless to say, the crowd brought a whole new level of energy not seen elsewhere. 
  • English singer-songwriter Connie Constance was the only artist we managed to catch twice – and for good reason. Her brutally honest lyrics and catchy melodies were on point, and her energetic performance was one not to be missed.
  • South Korean indie-pop outfit Adoy opened the Korea Spotlight Presented by KOCCA, to a packed venue at the Kyiv Social. Their dreamy sound had us swaying along to each song, and got us pumped for a big night ahead.
  • Kyoto’s own Otoboke Beaver put on an insane show at The Soda Factory, playing to a crammed room that couldn’t get enough of the punk-rock four-piece. Complete with moshpits and the audience yelling along with their middle fingers up, the set was a raw show of energy, with everyone in just the best mood.
  • Hailing from New Zealand, Korean indie-pop singer hanbee showcased her dream-like, bubblegum-sweet music, which was hard not to love. Her take on the genre has earned her a decent following online, so we’re excited to see what her upcoming 2024 debut album has in store.
  • Sarah Kinsley brought her alt-pop to the stage at Barney’s Church; performing tracks from her latest EP Ascension. The American singer-songwriter’s track The King went viral on TikTok back in 2021, so seeing the artist in action was a great way to kick off the night at such a cool venue.
  • As the solo side project of Baskara Putra, Hindia brought in huge crowds at Tumbalong Park, who couldn’t get enough of the Indonesian artist’s huge set. Backed by his talented band, Hindia ran through his deeply personal songs; all the while encouraging the audience to get up and dance with him. 
  • Indie band Sorry from North London played their signature shoegaze blends to a packed audience; switching up their genre throughout the set. Taking their time to work through tracks from their two albums, 925 and Anywhere but Here, it was clear to see how they’ve gained such a big following worldwide.
  • LA native Wallice played her catchy-as-anything indie pop to a packed crowd who bopped along to every word. Having caught Wallice in Melbourne last week, we couldn’t wait to catch her one last time before she heads back to the US.
  • No stranger to SXSW, Auckland’s Will Swinton played a series of shows across the festival, including a particularly intimate show at Mulan Music Restaurant and Bar. The up-and-coming artist’s set went down an absolute treat, with hit single Wasted You being a particular highlight.

Local artists

  • Our faves Middle Kids dropped by Barney’s Church to perform songs from their upcoming album, as well as some crowd favourites. Earlier in the day we managed to catch the band’s touring guitarist’s solo set under the name Milku, who performed to a big crowd at The Chippo Hotel. 
  • We’d been meaning to see Cat & Calmell and Charley for some time, so seeing both acts showed why they are some of the biggest names in breakthrough artists this past year. We can’t recommend checking them out for yourselves enough. 
  • The wildest mosh title of the festival belongs validly to These New South Whales, while some of the most electric performances came from Newcastle duo RAAVE TAPES at Mulan Music Restaurant and Bar, as well as Trophie and SUPEREGO, who both performed at the incredible Powerhouse Museum. 
  • Other favourite sets at the festival included the party atmosphere brought from ASTON at the TikTok Presents Australian Artists to (re)Discover, and pop-supergroup Blusher. Our final recommendations include Melbourne’s own Radio Free Alice, and the rapidly rising Mia Wray. 

OUR FAVOURITE EXTRAS

  • Wil Anderson and Jan Fran brought a live version of their latest ABC TV comedy show Question Everything to the Great Hall at UTS. With comedians Mel Buttle, Alex Lee and Nath Valvo on their panel, the comedians navigated through recent news headlines; taking them on with their own unique comedy flairs. No subject was safe – with the non-televised event providing a no-holds-barred approach to picking apart the latest news around Australia. Highlights of the show were when the cast realised that their assigned ASL Interpreter had to sign everything they said, leading to them not holding back in the slightest. 
  • Young Henrys brought the Rock & Roll Circus to Tumbalong Park, complete with an absolute dynamo of Australian and international talent. Impossible to name everyone who participated; the house band featured members of The Preatures, The Delta Riggs and True Vibenation, who played a set of covers to the absolutely chockers park. Our favourites included Dan Sultan covering INXS, Annie Hamilton performing No Doubt, OG Wiggle Murray Cook performing The Rolling Stones, Tyne-James Organ nailing some Bowie, as well as Hayley Mary’s cover of Summer Rain. The whole event had something for everyone, and was exactly what was needed to kick off the night of music. 
  • The biggest Esports tournament in Australia returned to Sydney for the first time since 2019, for Intel Extreme Masters at the Aware Super Theatre. Battling it out for the championship over the course of three days, we were thankful to catch one of the quarter-final matches between the US’ Complexity and Russia’s Betboom teams.
  • Gaming and music met at the Games Festival Opening Night Party, held at Fortress Sydney. Performing songs from Stray Gods was voice acting legends Troy Baker and Anjali Bhimani, supported by Aussie singer-songwriter Montaigne, who co-wrote the game’s score.

Standout Brand Events and Activations

When our team were exploring all of Sydney, there was no shortage of places to visit and brand events across town. Sponsors pulled out all the stops for some of the most memorable stands and installations. Our favourite places of the festival included: 

  • Spotify House at The Lansdowne Hotel; featuring up-and-coming artists and intriguing panels from industry experts.
  • American Express X Universal Music House at Barney’s Church, which included an insane line up of live acts, free SXSW-branded t-shirts, happy hours, and DJ sets to keep you dancing.
  • A Laneway Festival SXSW Sydney Party held at the electric Mulan Music Restaurant & Bar. Ran by the legends behind one of Australia’s best indie festivals, the party was chock-ful of local and international artists who are slated to blow up the airwaves.
  • Doc Martens presents SXSW Sydney took over The Chippo Hotel, to showcase a diverse bill of artists who are unapologetically themselves. Taking place in the Chippo’s basement, Doc Martens’ lineup kept the good vibes going with the packed den full of energy.
  • Suntory -196 cast a shadow over Tumbalong Park with its 12-metre-tall extreme vending machine. While its ground floor providing plenty of spots to soak up the sun, the first floor was home to the inner workings of the brand’s Freeze Crush Infusion technology, as well as a resident DJ. Atop the vending machine was a rooftop bar that offered an incredible view of the festival, Tumbalong Park, and Darling Harbour.
  • Amazon’s Primeville took you on a journey through the worlds of Jack Reacher, Gen V, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. With plenty of photo ops, snack breaks, and chill vibes, Primeville was the perfect place for a bit of downtime.
  • Porsche House fused creativity and innovation, playing host to a slew of experts across the creative industries. Whether it was testing out new camera techniques, getting a new tattoo, or exploring graphic design, Porsche House had you covered.
  • AWS Innovation House hosted a series of inspiring talks and presentations on new developments and game-changing companies that are flipping their industries on their heads. 
  • Snapchat House merged reality with their AR technology, as they invited visitors to try out filters, and then have them recreated with makeup.  

Expo

SXSW’s Tech and Innovation Expo offered a glimpse into the future of business systems, entertainment, health, and education. Featuring developments from both established tech companies, start-ups and indie developers, the expo allowed for a hands-on experience, as well as the chance to tune into sponsored sessions. Our personal highlights included losing ourselves in some VR games, witnessing generative AI imaging in motion, and catching Salesforce’s session on the AI revolution.

Screen

The SXSW Sydney Screen Festival celebrated visual storytelling, whether it was featured films, TV premieres, music videos or shorts. Numerous venues across Sydney, such as the ICC’s Darling Theatre and Palace Central Cinemas, held screenings for new material in the traditional and non-traditional sense, including VR and mixed reality technologies.

  • From screen galas including Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles (Sally Aitken, AU), to Saltburn (Emerald Fennell, UK), to a 40th anniversary restoration of Stop Making Sense (Jonathan Demme, US), there was easily something for everyone. 
  • Faraway Downs, Baz Luhrmann’s reimagined extended version of his 2008 film Australia, made its world premiere at Darling Harbour Theatre. Now told in six chapters, the premiere was followed by a discussion with Luhrmann, as well as a performance by artist Budjerah.
  • A dedicated First Nations Screen Festival was curated by Pauline Clague, founder of Winda Film Festival, which highlighted First Nations storytelling from around the globe. 

Regardless of the conference track followed along at SXSW Sydney, there was always something to stumble upon at the next venue. Since its initial announcement, the festival lived up to the hype and absolutely delivered on bringing together artists, visionaries, futurists, and entrepreneurs from around the world to explore the forefront of emerging trends and ideas. 

From inspiring keynote speakers to cutting-edge showcases, SXSW Sydney proved to be an unmissable experience for those seeking to stay at the cutting edge of arts and technology. As the week drew to a close, we left with a renewed sense of inspiration and a wealth of insights that will undoubtedly shape the future. Until we meet again at SXSW Sydney 2024!

Photo Credit: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney