2ND RELEASE PASSES AVAILABLE NOW!
Featuring Jen Malone (Music supervisor behind Euphoria, Overcompensating, Mr & Mrs Smith & more), Dr. Marcus Collins (Best-Selling Author of For The Culture, former digital strategist for Beyoncé) & many more.
Sydney, Australia – Tuesday 27 May – South by Southwest Sydney® (SXSW Sydney) has today revealed the first speakers featuring in the Music program of the 2025 conference.
The line-up features some of the world’s best thinkers, buyers and culture-makers, speaking to topics including the state of independence, digital strategy, breaking out of the geobubble and into global markets, and the opportunities and challenges AI presents for the music industry.
Leading today’s announcement is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand music supervisors, Emmy Award-nominated Jen Malone, who has curated culture-defining moments at the cross section of music and screen through high profile credits such as Euphoria, Wednesday, Mr & Mrs Smith, Atlanta, Overcompensating and more. Award-winning marketing professor, cultural translator and #1 best-selling author (plus former director of digital strategy for Beyoncé!), Dr. Marcus Collins will also be a must-attend for artists, marketers and music industry strategists alike.
Joining the lineup from the USA includes Senior Director of A&R at All Flowers international label Group, Alex Berenson; tech entrepreneur Andrew Batey; VP of Music Festival for SXSW in Austin, Brian Hobbs; co-founder of Rareform marketing team (TOKiMONSTA, Royel Otis, Tash Sultana, Obongjayar), Hallie Anderson; and founder of Ode strategic agency, Jashima Wadehra.
Further global talent includes Sally Dunstone, Agent/Partner from Primary Talent (UK); Founder of Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Festival Justin Sweeting (Hong Kong); Lucy Atkinson, Senior Agent at ATC Live (MØ, Erika De Casier)(UK); Apodaca Group and Pal Norte Festival’s Macarena González (Mexico); Meng Ru Kuok CEO of Caldecott Music Group (Singapore); Patrick Daniel from Europe’s beloved Reeperbahn Festival (Germany); Priya Dewan from music networking platform GigLifePro (Singapore); and Roochay Shukla, Believe’s Head of Creative Marketing (India and South Asia).
The first taste of the local lineup includes Australian host of Airing Your Dirty Laundry podcast, Daphne Berry; John Watson, President of Eleven Music and John Watson Management (Missy Higgins, Midnight Oil, Gotye); music industry consultant Jono Harrison; AI expert and artist Kartini Ludwig of Koup Music; and head of local marketing and artist services company The Annex, Mardi Caught.
Claire Collins, SXSW Sydney’s Head of Music says, “SXSW Sydney is about big ideas, bold conversations and unexpected connections. It’s a chance to hear directly from the people who open doors — the buyers, curators and deal-makers — and to better understand how to cut through, stay independent, or scale globally. Whether you’re building a team, exploring how AI can support your creative and business goals, or just looking for inspiration from other creative industries, this is where the conversations start.
We’re proud to bring this talent to Sydney, and to connect them with the broader SXSW Sydney community. It’s a week packed with fun, discovery, and opportunities to connect, collaborate, and imagine what’s next for music in our region and around the world.”
Today’s announcement follows last month’s first artist announcement, with more Music Conference speakers, parties, panels, workshops and more still to be revealed, alongside details of 300+ buzzy international and domestic artist performances.
To find out more visit www.sxswsydney.com/music-showcase and secure a pass, visit www.sxswsydney.com/attend.
SXSW Sydney is delivered in Partnership with the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. Plan your SXSW Sydney 2025 trip now, visit sydney.com.
SXSW SYDNEY 2025: 13 – 19 OCTOBER
SXSW SYDNEY WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
DESTINATION NSW WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK
TEG WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM2025 SPEAKER HEADSHOTS HERE | 2024 EVENT PHOTOS HERE
For SXSW Sydney Music Conference & Festival media inquiries please contact:
charlotte@thinkingloud.com.au | bianca@thinkingloud.com.au | https://sxswsydney.com/
Music Speaker Line-up (announced thus far):
+ plenty more to be announced.
Artists already announced:
+ plenty more to be announced.
About SXSW Sydney
SXSW Sydney is an annual gathering of visionaries, thought leaders and emerging talents from the Asia-Pacific region. The week-long program is stacked with 1,600 events and networking sessions across the conference, expo and the tech and innovation, games, music and screen festivals. The event seamlessly integrates art and entrepreneurship with cutting-edge advancements, fostering a collaborative ecosystem where ideas are exchanged and partnerships are forged. SXSW Sydney 2025 will take place on 13–19 October, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. SXSW SYDNEY, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST SYDNEY and other SXSW, LLC marks used under license.
About SXSW
South by Southwest (SXSW) dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2026 will take place from March 12-18 in Austin. Learn more at sxsw.com.
About Destination NSW
Destination NSW is the champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government. Spearheading a whole-of-government approach to visitor economy growth, Destination NSW influences and shapes the visitor economy through strategic research, policy and thought leadership, stakeholder engagement and consultation, commercial partnerships and investment in visitor experiences, business support, marketing and events. Destination NSW is also the major investor in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) for the purpose of securing more international and domestic conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and exhibitions.
About TEG
TEG is a global leader in Live Entertainment, Ticketing and Technology and has been at the heart of the live event experience for 50 years through its touring and ticketing operations. Every day TEG connects fans to experiences and customers with brands. TEG are proud partners of some of the world’s largest and most iconic venues as well as leading global brands and events. Through TEG’s integrated operating model, the business brings the best live content, ticketing, and technology to partners with access to the best and most compelling music, sporting, and entertainment events across the globe. TEG is headquartered in Sydney, Australia and operates globally with offices across Asia, Europe and the US.
