SXSW Sydney has abruptly shut down and future events have been cancelled after the New South Wales government pulled funding, just a month after organisers said in an email they were “gearing up” for a 2026 event.

The organisers of SXSW Sydney — the Asia-Pacific version of the iconic South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas — announced on Wednesday the event would not go ahead in 2026 or later because of the “changing global environment” impacting major events and cultural programs.

After the announcement, a spokesperson for Destination NSW, which acquired the rights to SXSW and has provided support to the event, told local media the agency had withdrawn its funding.

“SXSW has played an important role in showcasing Sydney’s creative and innovation sectors; however, following a review, it was agreed not to proceed with the event in 2026 and 2027,” the spokesperson said.

SXSW Sydney has run for the last three years, featuring a range of technology, startups, music, film, and culture across numerous keynotes, sessions, networking events, screenings, and performances.

The decision to shutter the event comes despite a total of 345,000 people attending SXSW Sydney 2025 in October — a 15 per cent increase from the previous year, according to organisers.

The event had a three-year cumulative economic impact of $276 million, they said.

In an email in mid-December wrapping up the 2025 event, organisers had said they were “gearing up to announce our 2026 dates soon…stay tuned”.

Economic headwinds

A statement posted on the SXSW Sydney website pointed to tough economic conditions for significant events as the reason behind the cancellation.

The statement said the organisation had tried to work with the NSW government and SXSW global owner Penske Media Corporation to “explore a pathway forward”, but to no avail.

“SXSW Sydney was an unforgettable three-year journey, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the people who joined us for it,” SXSW Sydney co-managing directors Simon Cahill and Jono Whyman said in the statement.

“We are especially grateful to the SXSW Sydney team for their dedication and hard work in bringing this event to life and establishing a platform that showcased Australia and the Asia-Pacific as pioneers in global culture.”


SXSW Sydney 2025 was held in October in and around ICC Sydney. Image: Shutterstock

In a post on LinkedIn, Cahill said the event in Sydney had been “ambitious and bold”.

“We generated trade, tourism, investment, careers and collaborations that will continue long after the stages have been cleared,” he said.

In a separate post, Whyman said he was “incredibly proud” of what the SXSW Sydney team had built.

“When we took on the challenge of bringing South by Southwest to Sydney, we knew we were attempting something ambitious, creating a platform where Australia and the Asia-Pacific could take their place on the global stage alongside the world’s best thinkers, creators and innovators,” he said.

'Ambitious and meaningful'

SXSW Sydney launched in 2023 and marked the first time a SXSW event had been held outside of Austin.

The rights to the name were acquired by Destination NSW, which provided ongoing in-kind support to the event, while the City of Sydney also provided funding over the three years.

SXSW director in charge, Jenny Connelly, said the Sydney event “represented an ambitious and meaningful extension of the SXSW brand”.

“Over three years, SXSW Sydney demonstrated the power of convening global innovators, creatives and leaders, and created a platform that elevated voices from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region onto the world stage.

“While the event will not proceed in 2026, we are grateful for the collaboration, creativity and commitment that defined SXSW Sydney.”

The 2025 iteration of SXSW Sydney included 1,128 speakers across 467 sessions, as well as 200 networking events.

The event often featured tech breakthroughs and emerging startups.

At the 2025 edition, Melbourne-based artificial intelligence company Maincode gave the first public demonstration of its Australian-made model Matilda, which had been in development for more than a year.