SXSW announces first round of 2023 sessions and artists

South by Southwest (colloquially referred to as SXSW) has announced its first round of showcasing artists and over 350 sessions in the biggest programming drop of the season.

SXSW will hold its 37th conference in March 2023, celebrating tech, entertainment and creative visionaries of culture across the world.

Among the artists announced, Def Jam’s Armani White will lead the charge, hot off the success of his viral single Billie Eilish alongside Brooklyn rapstress Lola Brooke. Former Calle 13 singer iLe will return to SXSW with a Grammy and a list of collabs (Bad Bunny, Residente, Mon Laferte, Natalia Lafourcade, Ñengo Flow, Adrian Quesada) under her belt.

SXSW 2023 artists

Additionally, South Korean rapper Beenzino makes his SXSW premiere, while underground hip-hop collective Balming Tiger, whose latest single features RM of BTS, return with their whole crew in tow.

SXSW also announced over 350 sessions taking to the stage in March, including sessions made up of top-level speakers from notable companies, universities, and creative industries including Blackbird.AI, Grammarly, Cheddar, Duolingo, Reddit, Meow Wolf, Google, Sony Pictures, Epic Games, The Walt Disney Company, Indeed, McKinsey, LEGO Group, Shopify, IBM, Spotify, Accenture, Warner Music, Wizards of the Coast, MIT Mobility Initiative, Partnership on AI, Axios, and many more.

Hugh Forrest, SXSW co-president and chief programming officer said, "We're excited to host so many innovative thinkers across many different pursuits and professions."

"The staff has selected the best of the best from thousands of speaking proposals with a unifying theme of extraordinary creative thinking and exceptional creative solutions. We can't wait to showcase all of these amazing sessions next spring in Austin."

Mediaweek has now opened registration for its official tour of South By South West, offering a custom experience designed and curated by Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham in Austin, Texas. The tour will inspire new tech innovations and maximise both attendees’ careers and overall experience while at SXSW. The packages include travel, accommodation, SXSW registration, and exclusive experiences including a VIP happy hour with SXSW guest hosted by Mediaweek.

To find out more information, and book a ticket, head here.