What we’re excited for at SXSW 2026
Austin 40 — For the festival’s 40th anniversary edition, we are heading to Texas to join one of the biggest global meetups of the year. We’ve selected a few things to highlight on your schedules.
Tomorrow, the curtain raises at SXSW’s 40th edition in Austin, Texas. Over the past four decades, the festival has been a gathering place for heads and industry professionals, as well as a proving ground for fresh musicians, filmmakers and other creative talent.
Huck is delighted to be a media partner for this year’s event, which means we will be on the ground in Austin, hitting up showcases and screenings. Of course, the festival contains far too many events to see everything, and digesting the line-up can be quite the task. So, here are a few things that we’ve circled on our timetable, in case it helps you plan your week.
MUSIC
When: Monday, March 16, 7 – 8pm
Where: British Music Embassy @ Palm Door On Sixth
Since he first began popping up around key London thoroughfares with decks and a microphone, streaming local rappers, DJ AG has redefined what DJing can mean in the modern world. Catch him spin his stuff at the British Music Embassy @ Palm Door On Sixth.
We’ve also interviewed him in our latest magazine, Huck 83: Life Is A Journey – The 20th Anniversary Issue. Order your copy to read it.
When: Friday, March 13, 12:12:40am; Saturday, March 14, 10 – 10:40pm; Sunday, March 15, 12:40 – 1pm
Where: British Music Embassy @ Palm Door on Sixth; Central Presbyterian Church; Mohawk Outdoor
The now-solo project of Oslo producer and vocalist Sunniva Lindgård, her debut album Dreamer+ – which was released earlier this year – is set to see her break out from the European underground scene. It’s a brilliant, hazy record, with enough crunched out grit to move dancefloors, which should translate to the live stage with spark.
When: Thursday, March 12, 11:20 – 11:50pm; Friday, March 13, 7pm; Saturday, March 14, 12am-12:40am; Saturday, March 14, 4pm; Saturday, March 14, 8 – 8:40pm
Where: British Music Embassy @ Palm Door on Sixth Patio; SX San Jose; Music For Ireland; Swan Dive Patio; Hotel Vegas
Ireland is perhaps one of global music’s most fertile grounds at the moment. In the past couple of years, Fontaines D.C. and Kneecap have risen to international acclaim, proving the country can punch far above its weight.
Next up are Bricknasty, whose wild, genre-hopping style spans jazz, rap, soul and even punk sonics. In a world of trend-chasing, their music is defiantly idiosyncratic, and their live show is electric. Good thing they are playing five times – you’ll want to catch every set.
FILMS
When: Sunday, March 15, 11 – 12:42pm; Monday, March 16,11:30 – 1:12pm; Tuesday, March 17, 3:15 – 4:57pm
Where: Zach Theater; Alamo Lamar 5; Alamo Lamar 6
Climber Mandy Horvath doesn’t know how she lost her legs. After a night out with her friends escalated, her world went black and she woke up as a double amputee. But overcoming the horror is the subject of The Ascent, in which she attempts to climb Mt Kilimanjaro using her arms.
When: Thursday, March 12, 2:30 – 4:08pm; Friday, March 13, 2:30 – 4:08pm; Friday, March 13, 2:30 – 4:08pm; Saturday, March 14, 6 – 7:38pm
Where: Alamo Lamar 9; Alamo Lamar 7; Alamo Lamar 2; AFS Cinema
Directed by Sara Robin, the feature documentary focuses on parents and youth fighting back against big tech and social media’s control over human connection. As we dive deeper into ‘smart’ technologies, it asks important connections about what living in a society will mean moving into the future.
When: Saturday, March 14, 11:00am-12:23pm; Monday, March 16, 2:15 – 3:38pm; Wednesday, March 18, 11:15am-12:38pm
Where: Alamo Lamar 5; Alamo Lamar 8; Alamo Lamar 8
Robert Christgau is possibly the most influential music critic of all time, and definitely one of the longest tenured. Having been reviewing for six decades, he’s experienced the industry through a period of drastic change. As he approaches his twilight, the film asks about the meaning of music criticism in the age of algorithms and AI.
CONFERENCE
The Guardian in Conversation with Mahmoud Khalil on the Cost of Dissent
When: Sunday, March 15, 10:00am – 11:00am
Where: JW Marriott – Salon 1 – 4
Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil found himself at the centre of a political firestorm after the Trump administration attempted to deport him over his advocacy. Now released from detention, he joins The Guardian to reflect on the ordeal, from the personal toll it took on him and his family to the wider implications for protest and free speech today.
When: Saturday, March 14, 11:30am – 12:30pm
Where: JW Marriott – Salon 6 – 8
For more than a decade, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been the unlikely heart of one of television’s most influential creative runs. Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and longtime collaborator Rhea Seehorn reunite with members of their crew to unpack how the city became the backdrop for a cultural juggernaut, and how that legacy feeds into their new series, Pluribus.
Social Health Trends & Predictions: Connection is the New Frontier
When: Thursday, March 12, 4:00 – 5:00pm
Where: Hilton Austin Downtown – Hilton Grand Ballroom (Salon HJK)
As loneliness and disconnection increasingly shape modern life, the idea of “social health” is gaining traction. Researcher Kasley Killam returns to SXSW to break down what’s driving the movement, discussing new research and the ways technology, culture and public policy are starting to respond. A look into how to rebuild meaningful connection in a hyper-online world.
For the full SXSW 2026 schedule and to purchase a badge for this year’s edition, visit the official website.
Buy your copy of Huck 83 here.
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