The inaugural SXSW London closed on Saturday with the premiere of Life of Chuck and final music performances from Idris Elba, Új Bála and J Staxx. During its six-day run in Shoreditch, SXSW London was visited by numerous leaders in tech, politics, culture, media, entertainment and music, including His Majesty King Charles III.
As South by Southwest® (SXSW®) London concluded its first event, industry leaders and community members complimented the festival for convening global leaders and future innovators, and positively impacting Shoreditch, one of London’s most diverse and creative areas. At SXSW London, business, technology and culture converged to create a new and unique event in Europe.
Over the six days of the festival, SXSW London welcomed 20,505 pass-holders from 77 countries and over 50 different industries across its conference, screen, music and interdisciplinary arts programme. The top ten countries to visit the festival, including the UK, were the USA, Netherlands, Germany, France, Brazil, Sweden, Norway, Australia and Spain. Passes to the inaugural event were bought by 51 different industries, with the highest attendance from advertising, music, technology, media, marketing, business consulting, events, design, public relations & communication services.
Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, said, “SXSW London has brought creativity, innovation and excitement to venues across Shoreditch. From inspiring talks to electric performances, the inaugural European edition of this world-renowned festival has shown why our capital is the leading city for creativity, talent and business. It has kicked off the biggest ever month for business and investment in London, as we build a more prosperous city for everyone.”
(Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images for SXSW London)
Ayesha Qureshi MBE, who was instrumental in the London 2012 Olympics, working across community engagement and planning, commented, “Just like the Olympics, SXSW London has sown the seed that it can be a catalytic event for the UK. The festival has had a tremendous impact in its first year alone and represents a huge opportunity for us in this country to be global innovation leaders. On the ground, it also injected new diverse global audiences into buildings and venues in East London, who desperately need the revenue streams. I walked up and down Brick Lane and spoke to local businesses, who told me that they had experienced an exponential increase in footfall. The promise of SXSW London as a ten-year stint also means we can continue to grow the halo effect the festival can have across the whole of the UK, marking the UK as unique leaders in global innovation.”
CEO of SXSW London, Max Alexander, added, “We set out to build a unique addition to the UK’s already incredibly rich cultural endowment, to write a ‘Love Letter to London’. Our ambition over the coming years is for SXSW London to establish itself as a critical part of the economic, intellectual and artistic capital of this great city. We’re delighted with the first steps towards that.”
Here at Cinerama, we are honoured to have covered the first SXSW London, and if they will have us, we will be back next year for more. SXSW London has brought something fresh, unique, and vibrant to London: a festival about culture, politics, conversation, art, film, and music and the intersections between them. It has also brought people from around the world to the vibrant, beating heart of Shoreditch and its surrounding areas, a part of London often overlooked by people visiting our great capital. See you next year!
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