SXSW London
As Head of Music, I lead the music strategy, artist programme, music industry conference and partnerships for the European edition of SXSW, bringing together global music scenes, emerging talent and industry leaders through performances, conversations and cultural exchange.
30,000+ attendees
14 stages across Shoreditch
200+ artists
40+ Co-Curated Showcases
The Challenge
Establish a new international festival for Europe that reflected the complexity of contemporary culture and London’s position as one of the world’s most diverse creative cities.
My Approach
Rather than replicate the traditional festival model, I wanted to create a programme that treated Shoreditch as a collection of global creative communities, with each venue becoming a gateway into a different scene, sound or cultural movement. The result was a festival built around discovery, exchange and meaningful encounters between artists, communities and industry.
Programming Principles
Discovery over hierarchy
Creating opportunities for audiences to encounter artists and ideas they may not otherwise have found.
Communities over genres
Working with collectives, platforms and organisations already shaping culture within their communities.
Experiences beyond the stage
Building programmes that connect performances, conversations and networking into one ecosystem.
Global exchange
Creating meaningful opportunities for international scenes and artists to connect with audiences and industry.
“We’re not doing this on our own. The festival is co-led by our industry.”
— Adem Holness, speaking to IQ Magazine
A Love Letter to London
London is a city of villages. You can step off the tube and immediately find yourself immersed in a distinct community with its own sound, identity and perspective.
I wanted SXSW London to feel the same way. Through our co-curator model, each stage acts as a gateway into a different creative world, shaped by the people already driving culture within it. Together, these interconnected communities create a festival built around discovery, exchange and the excitement of moving between scenes.
Previous SXSW London Co-Curators
ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS · BBC ASIAN NETWORK · BBC INTRODUCING · BILLBOARD · BLACK LIVES IN MUSIC · BRITISH MUSIC EMBASSY · CITY SPLASH · CLASH · CONVERSE · CRACK · FOCUS WALES · GAY TIMES · HACKNEY EMPIRE · HOSPITAL RECORDS · LATINO LIFE · MAHOGANY · MIXTAPE MADNESS · MOBO UNSUNG · NOTION · NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL · REPREZENT · ROLLING STONE · SOFAR SOUNDS · SOHO RADIO · SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING · THE BRIT SCHOOL · THE LINE OF BEST FIT
AFRO FOLK RISING · AFROSONIC X · ALCOPOP! · AMEX UNSIGNED · BANGLA HOUSE · BECCA D’S DEADLY · BITE BACK · BONA DEA · BORN N BREAD · BOUDICA · CARIBBEAN MUSIC HOUSE · CLASSICAL NEXT · CLASSICAL UNLOCKED · CLARA AMFO · CLOUD X · COUNTER CHAMBER · DANKIE SOUNDS · DJ ACE’S EVERYTHING R&B · EASTERN MARGINS · END OF THE TRAIL · EQ MUSIC · FRESH COURT · GENERATOR · GHETTO YOUTHS INTERNATIONAL · GIANT STEPS · GMIA & PREMIER GOSPEL · GOING SOUTH · GOSPEL MUSIC INDUSTRY ALLIANCE · HOODSTOCK · ISLAND WAVE X REGGAE RECIPE · JACK SAUNDERS · JAWANI 4EVA · LAHMACUN · LARAH RECORDS · MY WORLD · NORTHERN MUSIC EXPORT OFFICE · ONE OFF TRACKS X NEW GEN ARTISTRY · OUR HOUSE, ONLINE · PARLAY RECORDS · PITCH SCOTLAND · PLASTIC FACTORY · PREMIER GOSPEL RADIO · QUEER ASS FOLK · QUEER JAZZ · REFORM RADIO · RE:SOUNATE · SCREAM RECORDS · SEANI B’S BRUK OUT · SECRETLY DISTRIBUTION · SEOUL COMMUNITY RADIO · SOUL SURGE · SOUTH ASIAN HOUSE PRESENTS SOUNDVILLA · SOUNDVILLA · SOUNDS QUEER · STEMS BY MAR!K · STUDIO NJOKU · THE BLUES PROJECT · THE ROCK AND METAL ALLIANCE · TLD RECORDS · TOM RAVENSCROFT · TRANS VOICES · TRENCH · TRO ESSEX MUSIC · UMU ENTERTAINMENT · WRAITH · YETI OUT
Previous Special Guests
Special Guests are internationally recognised artists, producers and creative leaders invited to perform, premiere new work and contribute to the festival through unique, one-off experiences.ERYKAH BADU · TEMS · TIWA SAVAGE · TINIE TEMPAH
EARL SWEATSHIRT · FRASER T SMITH
HENRY LAU · KINGDOM CHOIR · MABEL · NAO · ODUMODUBLVCK · PA SALIEU ·
RACHEL CHINOURIRI · TOKIO MYERS
ALICE GLASS · AMARIA BB · BETH MCCARTHY ·
CARLEEN ANDERSON · CASSIA · CHARLOTTE OC ·
CIRCA WAVES · INFINITY SONG · LILA IKÉ · MIRAA MAY · MONO · SEGA BODEGA · SHAME · SINEAD HARNETT · SASHA KEABLE · THE KS · VALIANT
SEGA BODEGA, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“an ambient feast”
— The Standard
TEMS, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“new levels of multidisciplinary cross-pollination”
— The Standard