SXSW kicks off its 38th year in Austin, Texas with a plethora of musical acts, artists, and speakers. The annual conference combines the worlds of film, media, technology, and music all under one umbrella. From official and unofficial events, this year promises to showcase both unsung talent and well-known names. South by Southwest begins with a focus on film and TV for the first half of the week and transitions to music festivals for the latter half. While SXSW passholders will have priority for certain official musical events, there are plenty of “unofficial” but adjacent events that the public can attend (for free or for a price) on a first come first serve basis.
Although this year, some longtime organizers will not be returning, including the powerhouse that is Jaded. Three weeks before SXSW’s March 7th start date, Jaded shared on Instagram that they would not be coming back, and thanked their fans for an incredible three years. It’s unclear what direction Jaded will take next, but they were responsible for bringing over 40 pan-Asian artists under their FRIENDS:FOREVER Showcase in 2024, such as thuy, Kikuo, MEMI, and BEBE YANA.
For those who are only at SXSW for the first half of the week or the latter half, there are still plenty of events and showcases from Saturday onwards. One is Dialled In, a collective that displays the diverse talent within the South Asian community. Others include Sound of SEA, Sound of Japan, Taiwan Beats, Tokyo Calling, Soundvilla, Pinoy Potluck, ATX Film Talks, and Bakery Presents: BANZAI!
Bakery Presents: BANZAI! – March 8 at 9:30AM – 6PM CST (Free)
Join the Bakery Agency for a day full of talks, bands and brawn at SUMO + SOUNDWAVES event. BANZAI! is open to all with tickets available on their Eventbrite page. They’ll have creative guest panels covering the world of sports and global culture, music from Grocery Bag, promqueen, and Austin Taiko. There will also be live sumo matches to watch as you enjoy food and drink.
ATX Film Talks & Happy Hour – March 8 at 3PM – 7PM CST (Free)
Presented by APFE, AZN AMERICANA, AAFFF, and CAPE, the ATX Film Talks will gather Asian and Asian American filmmakers who are premiering their films at SXSW 2025. This event will have networking opportunities and panels featuring the hardworking Asian creatives who are bringing their talent to the Austin area for SXSW. The event is free to the public and boasts local Asian American vendors, such as custom portraits by artist Lian Soy and matcha pastries from Little Twist Bakery.
Pinoy Potluck SXSW Block Party – March 9 at 3PM – 7PM CST (Free)
Celebrating their third year, the Pinoy Potluck is back with an all-Pinoy musical lineup and vendor crew at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard. There will be hands-on activities, drinks, and food provided by community when you bring your own Filipino dish. For those from out of town or don’t have a kitchen, the organizers ask for other support such as plates, napkins, plastic cutlery, cups, ice, serving spoons, or even just hands to help. Musical performers include Soul Sipper, Tåsi, Habang Buhay, Honey Son, and Austin Pinay Movement Collective demo.
KEXP’s Eastern Echoes – March 10 at 1:20PM – 5PM (FREE)
Eastern Echoes brings together Asian artists who shape the future while honoring their roots. KEXP’s Eastern Echoes and El Sonido will host artists Sonido Gallo Negro, HIEN, Chinese American Bear, Volcán, tiger bae, and NISATIWA X NOTEP at Austin’s Rivian Park.
Soundvilla Presented by South Asian House – March 10 at 7:30PM CST (SXSW Badge or Ticket Purchase)
Presented by South Asian House and Ms. Media, the SOUNDVILLA Music Showcase features a music initiative with global talent all at Austin’s Flamingo Cantina. The event promises a night of music from DJs and indie-pop artists coupled with a live interactive painting throughout the evening. As an official SXSW event, Music badge and Platinum badge holders will have primary access, and holders of Music Festival wristbands, Interactive badges, Film & TV badges will get secondary access. All remaining access will be available for purchase at the door based on capacity. More information can be found on the Flamingo Cantina website. South Asian House is founded by independent producers Monika Varma Samtani (Ms. Media) and Rohi Mirza Pandya (Box Office Guru) who advocate for representation in the industry.
Eastern Music To Your Ears – March 10 at 8PM – 12AM (FREE)
Tencent Music Entertainment and Berklee College of Music are collaborating on a musical showcase as part of 2025’s SXSW Music Festival. Combining the genre blending energy of Chinese traditional music and Western jazz, this event will feature four performances from Berklee Chinese Traditional Music Club, Rijah Banerjee, Run Yu Qian, and Tia Ray.
TOKYO CALLING – March 11 at 9:30PM – 1:10AM CST (Free with SXSW Badge Priority)
Returning for 2025, TOKYO CALLING is a live house circuit festival held in Tokyo since 2016. The showcase originally expanded to SXSW in 2023, and features a electric mix of punk rock bands, such as ACT, Enfants, GOKUMON (Uchikubi Gokumon Doukaukai), TOKYO SYOKI SYODO, and Chiaki Mayumura. Presented in partnership with CEIPA, TOKYO CALLING will be held at the Mohawk Outside alongside another Japanese artist showcase, INSPIRED BY TOKYO.
Inspired By Tokyo – March 11 at 9PM – 2AM CST (Free with SXSW Badge Priority)
INSPIRED BY TOKYO is a live event aimed at introducing the upcoming generation of artists from Japan and Asia under the theme TOKYO. Presented by four Japanese music companies, FRIENDSHIP., Spincoaster, The Orchard Japan, and TuneCore Japan, the 2025 stage will be co-hosted with TOKYO CALLING with INSPIRED BY TOKYO taking place in the Indoor stage and TOKYO CALLING located at the Outdoor stage.
Taiwan Beats – March 12 at 1PM – 2AM CST (SXSW Badge or Wristband Required)
Presented by TAICCA, the Taiwan Beats Showcase returns to SXSW, and once again, brings notable Taiwanese musicians to the Austin stage. The showcase will feature hip-hop artist HSIEN CHING, enigmatic jazz chanteuse ?te (Whyte), Gen Z pop star Andr, ethereal singer-songwriter Enno Cheng, alternative rock powerhouse TRASH, and cyber-Tai-Ke band Amazing Show. There will be a Day Party with music from Enfants and Zamaera, and authentic Taiwanese street food. More information can be found on the official website.
Sound of SEA – March 12 at 8PM – 2AM CST (SXSW Badge or Wristband Required)
The Sound of SEA focuses on highlighting artists from across Southeast Asia. The showcase includes artists from across different genres and sounds, such as Zamaera, Ali, Mad Madmen, Kimmortal, Nisatiwa X Notep, Muri, and OG Avamato. According to MixMag, the event is helmmed by Aryn Rashdi (Malaysia), Bobby Chaniago (Indonesia), Nicole Sarmiento (Philippines), and Phuong Le (Thailand). Sound of SEA spotlights the Southeast Asian region’s diverse musical scene on an international stage.
Sounds from Japan – March 13 at 8PM – 2AM CST (SXSW Badge or Wristband Required)
Sounds From Japan’s showcase features a plethora of artists across Japanese musical genres. From experimental, hip-hop, neo-soul, rock, and electronic, the stage promises to highlight a diverse collective of artists from across Japan. Acts include tamanaramen, ASOBOiSM, Luv, Metome メとメ, and Paris death Hilton. Interestingly, this showcase will also include a virtual idol group, Tokyo den nou. Comprised of three members, the DJ vocal unit will excitedly blend the realms of music and technology.
Dialled In – March 14 at 8PM – 1AM CST (SXSW Badge or Wristband Required)
Described as “an artist-led initiative,” Dialled In aims to create opportunities for South Asian artists to showoff their talents on a world stage. Debuting in the US at SXSW, the line-up boasts high caliber artists from the US and UK—including Madame Gandhi’s electronic music to JAWARI’s genre blending jazz and poetry sounds. Other artists include Arushi Jain, Tommy Khosla, Pritt, and Kapil Seshasayee.
Friends From The East Festival – Mar 14 at 8PM to 2AM CST (Free with SXSW Badge Priority)
Originally setting off in 2018, Friends from the East hosted several Chinese musicians for a special “China Night” stage. After taking a brief break, they returned in 2024, to launch their first “Friends from the East Festival” as part of an official showcase, bringing seven groups of East Asian musicians to SXSW. In 2025, they’re coming back to bring incredible artists from China and Japan. Join them for a special stage featuring Suichu Spica, miso808, JOSEON, Runyu Qian, XAMIYA, and PSYCHIC FEVER.
