The long-running US festival South by Southwest (best known by the name SXSW) is returning to London after a successful inaugural year in 2025. The event celebrates far more than just music, a festival of sounds, sights and ideas – but their announcement today focuses on music, and it revealed a selection of global artists who will be performing live in Shoreditch this June.
The original SXSW festival has run in the US since 1987, and while it also serves as an exposition of emerging technology, scientific discovery and a showcase for independent films, it’s best known for its musical component. Crossing the pond for the first time last year, SXSW London’s organisers describe it as “a festival where innovation meets imagination, blending business, tech, music and culture in one place”.
Serving as a springboard for up-and-comers and unsigned artists, the 2025 list of names saw established acts like iconic guitarist Nile Rogers rub shoulders with over 500 talents from both the UK and afar. Held in the culture-rich East London region of Shoreditch, SXSW London operates across venues, clubs and many other important sites around the area. The roster of acts involved are just as diverse as London itself – as they put it “the programme reflects the diversity of sound and community that defines the UK music landscape, while connecting it to global talent and audiences”.
The first wave of 10 acts for 2026 continues the mission to bring the sounds of the world to East London, with an international contingent headed up by two of Africa’s leading lights. Tiwa Savage is one of the biggest names in Nigeria’s Afrobeats scene, having made history as the first female to win the Best African Act award at the MTV European Music Awards in 2018. Also that year, she became the first African female to sell out London’s IndigO2 venue, and she was personally selected by Coldplay’s Chris Martin to perform at the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg in front of 70,000. ODUMODUBLVCK is another of Nigeria’s great success stories – his mixture of drill rap with Grime, Afrobeat and R&B which he named “Okporoko Rhythms” has made him a hero of his scene since his 2017 breakthrough.
Next up is American rapper and producer Earl Sweatshirt, a former member of bizarre hiphop collective “Odd Future” alongside Tyler, The Creator. Since going alone, his unique lyrics and style have led him to become a cult hero. He’s joined on the lineup by New York soft rock band Infinity Song, who consist of 4 siblings, bringing beautiful vibes with their family-driven harmonies.
Also there is Amaria BB, a Hackney-based, Jamaican-Guyanese singer-songwriter, who since starting her full career in 2020 has gained a large fan base for her deep themes and mixture of R&B, pop and soul music. Rachel Chinouriri, a London-born, Zimbabwean-British singer-songwriter, will be bringing her exciting indie-pop tunes too, which saw her hit the Top 20 charts with debut album ‘What a Devastating Turn of Events’ and has earned her 2 BRIT Awards nominations. An interesting inclusion is Sega Bodega, whose jouney saw him travel from Ireland, to Glasgow, settling in London to build a foothold in music, fashion and film.
South-London is represented by Shame, a post-punk band known for their live reputation and confrontational lyrical content. They’re supporting their 2025 album ‘Cutthroat’. Liverpool’s Circa Waves are familiar with the top of the charts, having scored a Top Ten album with 2015 debut ‘Young Chasers’ and its hit indie-rock singles ‘T-Shirt Weather’ and ‘Stuck in My Teeth’. English multi-award winning producer and songwriter Fraser T Smith, who had success with his involvement on Adele’s ‘Set Fire To The Rain’ and Tinchy Stryder’s ‘Number 1’ will be in attendance, and finally we have Pete Tong, one of the UK’s best-known and most beloved DJ’s, who will bring his internationally-recognised dance set to Shoreditch.
In the official press release, Adem Holness, the Head of Music at SXSW says “At a moment when technology can generate endless music, what really shapes the future are the communities and scenes where artists push culture forward in their own contexts. SXSW London brings those global scenes together in one place. From artists like Sega Bodega reimagining live electronic performance, to bands like Shame building careers on their own terms, and artists like ODUMODUBLVCK bypassing genre and fusing his cultural influences into something entirely his own. The future of music isn’t uniform.”
SXSW London Music is held across Shoreditch from the 1st to the 6th of June, with wristbands available here ranging from £25 for one-day or £79 for the full experience. For the day-by-day breakdown of the event’s schedule, as well as further information and updates, visit their website here.
