SXSW LONDON UNVEILS 2026 FESTIVAL CONFERENCE AGENDA AND HEADLINE SPEAKERS

• With 10 weeks to go, SXSW London 2026 reveals its current agenda, with more names to be revealed in the coming weeks
• 300 sessions on Power, AI and Future Global Influence as the festival returns to Shoreditch for its second year 
• Nick Clegg, Jackie Jantos, Rose Wang, Mike Skinner and Jill Scott among speakers announced for East London takeover – with AI, health innovation, culture, digital power and frontier technologies among themes announced

LONDON, March 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SXSW London announces the 2026 Festival Conference Agenda with industry leading sessions, themes and speakers spanning technology, business, health and culture. Returning to Shoreditch for its second year this June, and inspired by more than 40 years of SXSW in Austin, this year's SXSW London festival brings together founders, artists, creators, policymakers and leading voices including:

• Tom Quinn - Founder, NEON
• Jill Scott MBE - Broadcaster, Lioness
• Jackie Jantos - Chief Executive Officer, Hinge
• Cindy Rose - Chief Executive Officer, WPP
• Nick Clegg - General Partner and Former Deputy Prime Minister, Hiro Capital
• Rose Wang - Chief Operating Officer, Bluesky
• Jamie Laing - Founder, Candy Kittens, Jampot Productions & Tuckshop
• Mia Bays - Director, BFI Film Fund
• Ben Cohen - Co-Founder, Ben & Jerry's
• Mike Skinner - Musician & Producer, The Streets
• Katharine Hamnett - Fashion Designer & Activist
• Vinai Venkatesham - Chief Executive Officer, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
• Josh Payne - Founder & CEO, Nscale
• Nadia Fall - Artistic Director, Young Vic
• Todd Boehly - Chairman & CEO, Eldridge Industries
• Victor Riparbelli - Co-founder & CEO, Synthesia
• Lars Rasmussen - Co-founder, Google Maps

Full speaker list here.

Six key themes shaping the 2026 Festival Programme:

AI as the New Power Structure – From the infrastructure that underpins global economies to the algorithms influencing them - as AI systems scale, questions of sovereignty, control, and ultimately, accountability are becoming everyday concerns. Sessions will explore who holds authority over the technologies defining the digital era and assess who bears responsibility within the algorithmic age.

Living Longer, Living Better – As technology changes how we understand health and longevity, reshaping healthcare far beyond traditional clinical settings, the festival will explore how AI and machine learning are compressing timelines for medical discovery and development. Examining the real-world challenges of translating AI-led breakthroughs into treatments and therapies.

Culture Can Save Humanity – Culture has always been one of society's most powerful forces for progress. This theme will explore the growing complacency in creative industries, the power of music and creative communities to mobilise audiences and drive social impact, the role of nightlife culture in shaping communities, and artists using music to support climate action.

Society Rewired – Societies are being forced to confront new questions about governance and accountability as misinformation and media influence shift the boundaries of free speech.  SXSW London will explore how the rules that once defined public discourse are now redundant and how we navigate this evolving landscape, including the role of activism and how leaders are pushing back against authoritarian trends to defend democratic values.

Creativity in the Algorithmic Age – Platforms increasingly determine how audiences discover information, meaning creators and marketers alike are adapting to a world shaped by algorithms. Sessions will explore how attention has become one of the most valuable currencies, question whether traditional marketing models are becoming obsolete, and examine how creators are learning to design content within algorithmic systems.

Futurism in Practice – Frontier technologies are redefining how people interact with the world, as advances in robotics, extended reality and AI reshape human experience. This theme will explore the technologies blurring the boundaries between physical and digital environments - simultaneously examining breakthroughs emerging from advanced research institutions, including ARIA and Google DeepMind.

Alongside the Conference programme, the SXSW London Music Festival will showcase more than 200 artists, bringing together emerging voices and underground scenes alongside established acts, including Tiwa Savage, ODUMODUBLVCK, Rachel Chinouriri and Circa Waves. The SXSW London Screen Festival, official programme still to be announced, will feature a curated selection of premieres and screenings with new releases across film and series, providing a platform to discover rising talent alongside celebrated names such as Mia Bays, Director at BFI Film Fund and Tom Quinn, Founder of NEON.

Katy Arnander, Director of Programming at SXSW London: "SXSW London is centred around the idea of convergence, bringing together voices – even unexpected pairings - in ways that rarely happen elsewhere. This year's agenda takes that idea even further. From frontier technology and medical innovation to music, activism and the creator economy, the programme strikes a strong balance between tension and harmony, ultimately cultivating a space for healthy debate. By providing a space for this collision of ideas, SXSW London is the place for any business leader, venture capitalist, or marketer to gain insights, discover innovative concepts, and expand their professional networks."

SXSW London is a ten-year commitment to the UK and takes place across Shoreditch with activity centred around venues including Protein Studios, Truman Brewery and Devonshire Square, with Conference, Music, Screen and Visual Arts coming together across the festival programme. The inaugural 2025 edition welcomed more than 25,000 attendees from over 85 countries, featuring 900 speakers across dozens of sessions, performances and screenings. Building on that momentum, the 2026 programme expands the scale and ambition of the festival, establishing a global meeting point for ideas shaping the future.

For more information on the event, speakers and themes, visit www.sxswlondon.com.

About SXSW London

SXSW London is the European edition of South by Southwest®, founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas. Building on nearly four decades of convening global creative communities, SXSW London brings together leaders and emerging voices across technology, film and television, music, business, policy and the arts.

Powered by the dynamism of Shoreditch and spanning venues across East London, SXSW London is designed as a city-wide festival that reflects the capital's role as a global hub for innovation, culture and commerce. Through conferences, showcases, screenings, exhibitions and networking, the event creates a platform where ideas are tested, challenged and translated into real-world solutions. SXSW London exists to connect global perspectives with London's unique regulatory, cultural and commercial influence. Learn more at www.sxswlondon.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2944118/SXSW_London_Logo.jpg