SXSW

SXSW Music is the annual music festival and conference in Austin, Texas

South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual festival and conference held in Austin, Texas, celebrating the intersection of music, film, tech, and media. Established in 1987, it’s grown into one of the most influential creative industry gatherings in the world, drawing artists, musicians, filmmakers, tech innovators, and entrepreneurs from all over. It is one of the biggest music showcases globally, featuring thousands of artists from a range of genres, both emerging and established.

SXSW provides a major platform for discovery and networking, drawing media attention and offering career-defining exposure to up-and-coming talent.

Irish Artists Announced

  • Basht., hailed by HotPress as "one of the most exciting young rock bands to emerge in eons," Combing new-wave bass lines, hip-hop-inspired drum beats, and raw guitar riffs with a classic rock and roll energy, their sophomore EP, Bitter & Twisted, was released in May 2025.

  • At just 24, Jamie Duffy has emerged as one of Ireland’s most compelling new artists, blending folk, classical, and contemporary influences into a sound that’s both intimate and cinematic. His debut single Solas became the most streamed debut by an Irish artist since Hozier’s Take Me To Church, with over 135+ million streams on Spotify, 27 million YouTube views, and 7.3 billion views on TikTok. In 2024, he released his debut EP On A Wing, sold out his first Irish headline tour (2,600+ tickets), and supported Andrea Bocelli and Hans Zimmer at BST Hyde Park. In October 2025, he released his highly anticipated debut album Jamie Duffy.

  • Conflict is interesting in art. It forces conversations, and asks questions that often still need to be answered. On “Black’s Law”, the third body of work from Irish quintet Bricknasty, some of society’s most complex topics are explored — religion, political disillusionment, nationalism, human mentality.

  • Irish/Brighton-based artist Sarah Crean is an indie-pop singer-songwriter whose music combines emotional clarity with layered, melodic arrangements. The first single from her upcoming album, “22 Angel,” has already reached 80,000 streams and was featured on New Pop UK.

  • Chalk is the project of award-winning musicians and filmmaker duo Ross Cullen and Benedict Goddard. An informed mix of Dublin's guitar band scene and the sweaty hardcore dance floors of their native Belfast, Chalk are IDLES meets Daniel Avery, Death Grips meets Bicep - techno-infused industrial punk.

  • YARD are the electrifying three-piece electropunk band from Dublin. Known for their intense and immersive live shows, YARD bridges the gap between electronica and post-punk, creating an auditory onslaught that leaves audiences sweaty, energised, and strangely unnerved. Since their inception, YARD has shared stages with the likes of A Place To Bury Strangers, Psychotic Monks and Mandy Indiana.

  • From forwarded many times WhatsApp releases to 12K monthly Spotify listeners, Sugaboo has been building a buzz in the Dublin underground. His debut mixtape “Kimmagination” released in August 2025 has garnered attention from Kneecap’s Moglai Bap.