SXSW London 2026 Unveils Agenda with Jill Scott MBE and Key Themes

SXSW London Announces 2026 Festival Conference Agenda and Headline Speakers

SXSW London has officially unveiled its 2026 Festival Conference Agenda today, March 27, 2026, with just 10 weeks remaining until the event kicks off. The festival, returning to Shoreditch for its second year this June, draws inspiration from over 40 years of SXSW in Austin and aims to converge founders, artists, creators, policymakers, and leading voices across technology, business, health, and culture.

Headline Speakers and Key Themes

Among the notable speakers announced are Tom Quinn, founder of NEON, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, and the renowned broadcaster and Lioness Jill Scott MBE. The 2026 programme is structured around six pivotal themes designed to address contemporary global challenges and innovations.

AI as the New Power Structure: This theme delves into the sovereignty, control, and accountability of AI systems as they scale, influencing global economies and algorithms. Sessions will explore who holds authority over defining technologies and bears responsibility in the algorithmic age.

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Living Longer, Living Better: Focusing on how AI and machine learning are accelerating medical discovery, this theme examines the translation of AI-led breakthroughs into real-world treatments and therapies, reshaping healthcare beyond traditional settings.

Culture Can Save Humanity: Addressing complacency in creative industries, this theme highlights the power of music, nightlife culture, and creative communities to drive social impact and climate action, mobilising audiences for progress.

Society Rewired: As misinformation and media influence challenge free speech, this theme explores redundant public discourse rules, navigating evolving landscapes with activism, and defending democratic values against authoritarian trends.

Creativity in the Algorithmic Age: With platforms dictating information discovery, this theme questions obsolete marketing models and examines how creators design content within algorithmic systems, where attention is a valuable currency.

Futurism in Practice: Exploring frontier technologies like robotics, extended reality, and AI, this theme blurs physical and digital boundaries, showcasing breakthroughs from institutions such as ARIA and Google DeepMind.

Music and Screen Festivals

Alongside the Conference, the SXSW London Music Festival will feature over 200 artists, including emerging voices and established acts like Tiwa Savage, ODUMODUBLVCK, Rachel Chinouriri, and Circa Waves. The Screen Festival, with its official programme yet to be announced, will offer premieres and screenings across film and series, spotlighting rising talent alongside figures such as Mia Bays, director at BFI Film Fund, and Tom Quinn of NEON.

Insights from Programming Director

Katy Arnander, Director of Programming at SXSW London, emphasised the festival's focus on convergence: "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, balancing tension and harmony to foster healthy debate and provide insights for business leaders, venture capitalists, and marketers."

Event Details and Growth

SXSW London represents a ten-year commitment to the UK, with activities centred in Shoreditch venues like Protein Studios, Truman Brewery, and Devonshire Square. The inaugural 2025 edition attracted over 25,000 attendees from 85 countries, featuring 900 speakers across sessions, performances, and screenings. Building on this success, the 2026 programme expands in scale and ambition, positioning the festival as a global hub for future-shaping ideas.

Additional Speakers Include: