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Music Festival Submissions

The SXSW Sydney Music Festival is back in 2025 for a third year

Showcasing at SXSW Sydney means playing in one of Sydney’s central live music venues for industry reps, media members, and thousands of fans and fellow musicians from all over the world.  

It’s a place to make connections and achieve meaningful outcomes for your career.  Previous showcasing artists have secured management, international and domestic festival offers, North American and UK booking agents, toured and collab-ed with other international showcasing artists and made new fans.  They’ve upskilled their production, AI, and industry knowledge, learned about new markets and had facetime with influential tastemakers and curators.  

Our mission is to showcase your work, provide you with the tools you need, and connect you with the people who can help you take the next big step.

Join SXSW Sydney alumni including Fcukers (USA), Miss Kaninna (AUS), Flyana Boss (USA), ENNY (UK), Fazerdaze (NZ), Isyana Sarasvati (IDN), Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers (AUS), Los Bitchos (UK), Lil Cherry & Goldbuuda (KOR), Prabh Deep (IND), Voice Of Baceprot (IDN), Ayesha Madon (AUS), Songer (UK), Radio Free Alice (AUS) and apply today.

Apply Now

SXSW Sydney Music Festival – 2025 Key Dates

Submissions Open
30 Jan
Submissions Close
6 April
Showcasing Artists Notified
7 June
2025 Music Festival
15–18 October

What We Are Looking For In Submissions

Music Festival showcase submissions are open to: 

  • All music genres 
  • Artists from around the world
  • Signed and unsigned artists
  • Solo artists and musical groups
  • Emerging and established artists

Our assessment panel considers export readiness, career achievements, touring, recording and release timelines, originality, technical ability, songwriting, and overall artistry when assessing submissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have applied to play SXSW Sydney previously.  Can I be selected to showcase again?  
Yes! Both past showcasing artists and previous applicants are welcome to apply.
Do showcasing artists receive remuneration for their participation?
Showcasing at SXSW Sydney provides valuable networking, mentoring, and career development opportunities that are not readily available to artists at traditional consumer-focused festivals.    

SXSW Sydney will offer showcasing artists a choice of remuneration for their participation in the Music Festival.  The applicant can select either a Pro Pass for each performing member of the artist and one management representative (plus an opportunity to purchase an additional two (2) passes at a 50% discount from the lowest rate available) or a single one-off payment of $350 (+GST, if registered).    

The Pro Pass provides showcasing artists full access to the SXSW Sydney 2025 Conference, Music Festival, professional development, workshops and exclusive networking events and parties.
Is there a fee to submit?
An administration fee of AUD$55 + GST per submission applies.  Submission payment can be made via the submissions platform as the final stage of your submission.       

If the submissions fee presents a barrier to entry for you, please reach out to us at musicfest@sxswsydney.com and we will be happy to help.
Does SXSW Sydney cover travel and accommodation costs ?
Participants are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and visa costs associated with their attendance at SXSW Sydney. 
Will travelling international artists require a visa?
Due to Australian Government regulations, performers, speakers and other talent based outside of Australia and New Zealand require a visa to perform at the SXSW Sydney.  Costs associated with these visas are the responsibility of the artist.    

If a submission is accepted into the SXSW Sydney 2025 program, SXSW Sydney can provide a support letter to confirm participation in the SXSW Sydney event to assist with the visa application. We recommend that international artists apply for any required visas as early as possible, as processing times can vary, and delays may occur.    

More information on the Temporary Activity Visa (Subclass 408) Entertainment Activities Stream can be found via the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-activity-408/entertainment-activities  
Help & questions 
If you have any questions for the SXSW Sydney Music Team, please reach out to us at musicfest@sxswsydney.com

Conference Tracks

2050
2050 programming is long range and forward looking offering a glimpse into our future or possible futures. Featuring the latest scientific and technological advancements such as life extension research, nanotech and quantum breakthroughs, interplanetary travel and habitation, and other innovations that continue to shape our world.
Advertising & Marketing
Hear from leading agencies across the Asia Pacific and globally on the power and impact of brands, and uncover strategies to engage audiences through traditional, digital and experiential marketing. These sessions are geared towards agencies, in-house teams and organisations that want to explore new ways to connect with their communities.
AI & Robotics
Discover the expansion of AI across all industries and the coming wave. Sessions in this track may also explore regulation, ethics, misinformation, cyber & data privacy, the impact of AI on an evolving workforce and the integration of AI & robotics.
Creator Economy
Hear from key opinion leaders, agencies and content creators on the trends, tools, and monetisation strategies fuelling the creator economy. From how to build communities and brands, to the opportunities and challenges that come with this shift in how people work and connect.
Culture, Society & Media
From local to global, our collective interactions, engagements and experiences give our lives meaning, influencing how communities function and individuals thrive. Programming explores the dynamic interplay of culture, communities, government, and the policy directions that impact us all.
Cyber & Your Data
Programming in this track examines the critical measures and practices designed to protect our sensitive information, and to ensure the integrity of digital systems. Topics span deepfakes, cyber threats, employee training and risk management, encryption and the future of security technologies.
Design
The designers, developers, architects, and creatives who build our physical, digital and virtual worlds, with an emphasis on design's role in fostering innovation and addressing complex challenges.
Education & Skills
Bringing together educators, industry professionals and thought leaders on the future of education and EdTech. This track explores evolving approaches in learning, from personalised learning experiences, microlearning, recruitment and workplace training, to the impact of emerging technologies across the sector.
Energy, Climate & Sustainability
Explore the latest innovations, solutions, and approaches to building a sustainable and resilient future. Programming focuses on the energy sector, including alternative and renewable energy sources, ClimateTech, and promising ideas on mitigating (and living with) the effects of climate change.
Fashion, Lifestyle & Beauty
A dynamic and ever-evolving sector, encompassing a wide range of people, styles, trends & products. From research, design and manufacturing, to logistics, retail and end-use, explore how we experience and engage with these industries and their impact on our lives.
Food
Hear from chefs, growers, creators, and tech innovators transforming the food industry and explore how we will grow, prepare, and experience food. Bringing together the brightest minds in the food industry across production, technology, agriculture, distribution, retail, and consumption.
Future of Work
With a focus on the evolution of when, where, and how we work, programming explores the changing nature of societal expectations, remote collaboration, physical workspaces, technological advancements, and the impact of these changes on individuals, organisations, and communities.
Games Industry
With the games industry's continued rise as a dominant entertainment platform, programming explores its integration across industries including new technologies, e-commerce, entertainment, social media investment opportunities and Esports.
Health & MedTech
Health & MedTech sessions explore the latest advances in healthcare, improving patient outcomes, and driving technical innovation in the medical field, from gene editing technologies, through to personalised medicine, psychedelics and mental health outcomes.
Money, Markets & FinTech
Programming examines the influences impacting a tech-driven global economy, including the changes and challenges to our systems of commerce, AI, economic trends, the evolution of financial services, the dynamics of crypto, inflation, supply chains and other disruptions in our world.
Music Industry
Explore how technology continues to re-invent how we create, discover, distribute, promote and experience music. Hear from leading figures across the industry, including artists, record labels, brands, streaming platforms, and live events on the enduring power of music to shape culture. Programming also offers professional development, touring and career guidance.
Screen Industry
The creative and business processes behind creating screen, episodic & self-produced content. Hear from iconic creatives including producers, directors, and actors; and explore current and future trends in audience engagement, screen technology, distribution, financing and streaming platforms in this ever-changing industry.
Sports Industry
From icons to innovators, discover the breakthroughs in technology, biometrics, data analysis, fan experiences, brands, health, revenue streams, media and sponsorship that continue to reshape this global industry.
Startups
These sessions will feature the brightest new entrepreneurial ideas, unexpected founders, funders, success stories and epic failures that make up the experience of launching a new venture.
Technology: Presented by CommBank
Technology sessions delve into the people, platforms and technological solutions creating the next wave of change. This track will explore emerging and existing technologies, with a focus on growth across the Asia Pacific as well as Australia and global players.
Transport & Smart Cities
Tackle the technological advances transforming transport and the development of smart cities. With a focus on electric and autonomous vehicles, sessions can also explore digital grids, aviation breakthroughs, commercial space travel, shipping technology, high speed rail, alternative fuels, and new ideas in micro-mobility.
Travel & Leisure
Discover the destinations and new experiences that have become increasingly popular as well as emerging trends, breakthrough technologies and challenges these industries continue to face.
XR & Metaverse
Explore the latest developments in immersive technologies, from virtual and augmented realities to digital identities and the metaverse. Sessions navigate the potential of these mind-bending experiences across industries - from healthcare to entertainment - through new software and hardware technologies.

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