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

  • 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. For mercurial frontman/guitarist Fatboy and co, it’s less about seeing the light themselves — and more pointing others in the right direction. The winding road to releasing the nine-track project has been arduous but enriching.

  • 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. Their electrifying live performances, akin to Death Grips, Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy, have earned them coveted slots at festivals such as Les Transmusicales, Haldern Pop and Into The Great Wide Open. With a recent live performance on KEXP, continued support from Rolling Stone, BBC Radio 6, Clash and Louder Than War among others and two self-titled EPs under their belt, YARD are set to continue their meteoric rise in 2026. A recent live review captured the YARD experience perfectly: “In their presence, you see and feel them painstakingly crafting every note and sound with their bare hands, wrestling with different sockets, switches, strings, or even their voices. The venue was transformed into this factory of raw, unadulterated noise which kept us all at the mercy of the sound - collectively banging our heads in synchronicity.”


  • Irish/Brighton-based artist Sarah Crean is an indie-pop singer-songwriter whose music combines emotional clarity with layered, melodic arrangements. Her 2023 EP Death by Laundry featured the breakout single “2:00am,” now streamed over 7.5 million times on Spotify, and earned support from BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 1, The Line of Best Fit, Clash, Nialler9, and Spotify editorial playlists. The first single from her upcoming album, “22 Angel,” has already reached 80,000 streams and was featured on New Pop UK. Sarah has toured the UK supporting acts including Florence Road, U.S. Girls, and Bombay Bicycle Club, with highlights such as a performance at the O2 Forum London alongside CMAT. Now independent and on the verge of her debut album - created entirely by women and inspired by the myth of Calypso - Crean explores heartbreak, home, and everything in between. With the album due mid-2026, she is emerging as one of alt-indie pop’s most compelling new voices.