Ultimate guide to attending SXSW 2019
South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual ten-day, multi-media festival and conference which takes place every March in Austin, Texas. Participants can either pay for a badge or, with a bit of effort, see gigs and events for free.
What makes SXSW notable is that the festival takes over the whole city. It is not unusual to watch a band play in a hotel, church, park or club. The 10-day event is split into three sections, interactive, film and music. You can purchase badges for each theme or go platinum for primary access to all three. If you choose just the interactive or film or music badge you gain secondary priority access to the other two.
SXSW events run from March 4-17, 2019. SXSW Edu kicks off the show March 4-7, SXSW Interactive starts March 8-15, SXSW Film runs from March 8-16 and SXSW Music is the last portion of the fortnight March 12-17. Limited presale badges have been released from $295-$1150. Badges and passes can be purchased at https://cart.sxsw.com.
SXSW badges explained
SXSW was created to support artists and industry to meet and discuss future partnerships. Those who are serious about networking should invest in SXSW badges. Badges give one access to all shows, talks, events and gigs in the chosen area (or access to all areas for the platinum badge). One may still need to queue but not to the extent of those who enjoy SXSW by stalking the free events.
To learn more about the difference between the four badges check out this video produced by SXSW: https://youtu.be/bPryFT8idxw
For a schedule of events and music festival line-ups, check out: https://schedule.sxsw.com
Twitter is a must
Planning for SXSW starts months before the big event, but it is still possible to get a good list of things to do and plan a few weeks beforehand (if you pull a few all-nighters with Red Bull). Pay attention to SXSW Twitter accounts, as well as venues in Austin, as their tweets will offer information on where to get food, updates on lines and announcements of surprise gigs taking place. One might want to create a separate Twitter account to keep track of events.
Line waiting and hacks
Waiting in line is just part of the SXSW culture. Even badge holders have to stand in line at times, although in the primary queue. However, one of the best things about SXSW is that although queued out one day, one will get to see the artist at another venue. Another hack is to keep a charged portable battery bank on your person at all times. Entertaining yourself (and checking Twitter) while waiting in the long lines is bound to drain your phone sooner rather than later. Make sure you have enough juice to capture all those memories!
Wristbands for free shows
Do not expect free food and drink at every party. The free, like actual free, days will be the big parties held at the notable venues:
- Mohawk
- Stubb’s BBQ (free breakfast tacos and Steele’s beer)
- Fader Fort (be sure to sign up for their email list, as this is the only way to get the email to RSVP for Fader Fort)
For Stubb’s BBQ, you wait in line on guest list opening day to collect the passes then queue to get in. Once the free beverages run out there are no more so get in early.
RSVPster review
RSVPster acts as your mass RSVP agent for free parties. Create a new email address specifically for the free party RSVPs (you will be inundated with RSVPs) and let the company respond on your behalf. Download the tickets to the parties you wish to attend and ignore the others. However, it does not work for all parties though and is important to check the entry requirements for every one separately.
SXSW Apps
The Do512 app is useful but can be difficult to use. The best way to get around it is the search for the act one wishes to see and pull up the venues they are playing at. Twitter is definitely the best app at one’s disposal and taxis apps will be required to get into and out of the city.
Getting around Austin
Uber, Lyft and Ride Austin all operate as taxis in Austin. Ride Austin is a nonprofit company operating in Austin and carries the slogan “Keep Austin Local.” It operates on an app basis like Lyft and Uber. Austin B-Cycle programme allows bike rental for up to 24 hours. Austin also has electric scooter such as Bird and Lime. Be sure to download their app to locate scooters around town.
