SXSW Launching Podcast Festival In 2027

SXSW is expanding with the addition of a dedicated podcast festival in 2027, festival organizers announced on Tuesday.

This positions Podcasts a core element of the SXSW experience, alongside Film & TV, Music, Comedy, and the Innovation Conference.

One of South by’s fastest-growing programming categories, podcasts have become an increasingly important part of SXSW through live tapings and industry conversations. Open to all SXSW badgeholders, the Podcast Festival’s inaugural edition will run from March 17-20, 2027.

Alongside the announcement of the Podcast Festival, SXSW today noted a few logistical changes to expect in 2027. Most notably, ACL Live at The Moody Theater will take over as a primary host to major premieres, screenings and red carpets for the Film & TV Festival as Austin’s Paramount Theatre undergoes a restoration to be completed in time for the 2028 event.

South by Southwest said the Film & TV Conference will relocate to The Driskill and Stephen F. Austin hotels, closer to ACL Live and the Film & TV Clubhouse on Congress Avenue. The Music Clubhouse will relocate to The Thompson hotel, with Music Conference programming taking place at The Thompson and Westin hotels.

SXSW SVP Programming Greg Rosenbaum commented, “2026 proved that we can evolve the event while preserving the discovery, connection and creativity that make it special. We heard amazing feedback from attendees, with 2027 PanelPicker submissions and Music and Film & TV festival applications up by as much as 50 percent so far. For 2027, we’re building on what worked by creating more intentional hubs across downtown Austin, giving growing communities like podcasting a bigger platform, and making it easier for attendees to find the ideas, people and opportunities that matter to them. There is much more to come as we continue to build toward SXSW 2027.”

SXSW 2027 runs from March 15-21.