Music Commission News

Iconic global music industry event SXSW Music Festival have announced that their 2026 Austin, Texas festival will take place from March 12-18. The festival offers a unique opportunity to explore the worlds of Interactive, Film, Music, and Comedy with parties, awards, screenings, and showcases. SXSW Music Festivals have since expanded to Sydney, Australia and London, UK.

The SXSW Music Festival presents a great opportunity to network with industry pros and perform with thousands of artists from all over the world. As a leading industry event, there will be reps from record labels, booking agencies, management and PR firms, publishers, and media outlets in attendance, as well as up-and-coming musicians and potential future fans.

Each year the SXSW Music Festival hosts a curated mix of artists performing in bars, clubs, parks, churches, hotels, and more in Austin, Texas. Many New Zealand bands have performed at SXSW Music Festivals over the years, with recent artists including: Teo Glacier, Tami Neilson, Foley, Lontalius, Earth Tongue, SWIDT, Borderline, CHAII, Bakers Eddy, and Guardian Singles.

Showcasing artist applications are now open, closing on Friday, October 24, 2025 (11:59pm PT).

For more information about applying to showcase at the 2026 SXSW Music Festival, please visit their website here.