by Stevie Art

While SXSW 2025 was slower than most years, it wasn’t without its gems and unique impressions. Though the number of total music acts had decreased tremendously from past years, the number of international acts rose to 35 percent.

This year, I found those to be the most interesting. Of note was the all Japanese line-up showcased by Tokyo Calling at Mohawk and the Sounds from Japan showcase at Elysium. Three stand-out artists from those showcases were Tokio Den Nou, Gokumon, and Runyu Qian.

Other performances that I really enjoyed this year were Austin’s Die Spitz, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Slash Need, Almost Heaven, and Tear Dungeon.

We caught some big names and interesting panel interviews like legends John Fogerty & Tom Morello, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, and Blue Sky Socials’ Jay Graber. Two music conference panels that I wish I would have caught were Conan O’Brien and Michelle Obama at the Austin Convention Center.

It’ll be interesting to see how SXSW changes next year after the convention center is torn down and the length of the festival is reduced with all portions running simultaneously. If I could give one tip for attending SXSW, it would be to also catch some of the unofficial shows. Not only easier to get access to, but especially for out-of-towners, it is a great way to catch amazing local artists that are the backbone of our iconic music scene.

Check out all our SXSW photos and past coverage on Austin 101.

Stay tuned to our channels for announcements for SX 2026!