The first ever SXSW London took over Shoreditch this month, offering a wealth of inspiration and insights across tech, business and culture. We share our thinking into how it can return even bigger and better for 2026.
The first ever SXSW London took over Shoreditch this month, offering a wealth of inspiration and insights across tech, business and culture.
From the value of creativity and the importance of the human touch in an AI-driven world, to conscious daily actions that can drive equitable workplaces and a call for ‘niceness’ in business, all the way through to repairing rather than replacing technology in ‘joyful revolution’ - we left feeling positive and inspired.
Along with star turns from Idris Elba and Sophie Turner, speakers included Claire Williams of Formula 1, Liz Jeffrey of Sony Music Entertainment, Henrietta Rix of RIXO and Emma Baines, of Tony's Chocolonely.
Of course, no one expects a debut conference in a new city to be flawless - but the logistics didn’t quite match the energy of the talks. That said, the potential is huge. With a few strategic improvements, there’s a real opportunity to elevate the overall visitor experience for 2026 and beyond.
Here’s where we see room for growth - and where the right attention and investment can make all the difference:
Turning wait time into ‘wow’ time
Like many British festivals, lengthy queues were a prominent feature of SXSW London. On days one and two of the conference, the Glastonbury-esque line to pick up passes meant spending half of your time at the festival outside of the event simply trying to get in. Once inside, attendees were greeted with more queues and a lack of clear directions.
An efficient system, clear communication, refreshments and entertainment for those waiting would improve visitor satisfaction from the get-go, turning the queuing time into a positive element of the overall experience journey.
Navigation that inspires
The space itself looked fantastic, set across some iconic buildings and with an immersive entrance which we loved, but, once inside, the lack of wayfinding made it feel like a vast labyrinth, making it difficult to get to talks on time. Many opted to camp out at various auditoriums ahead of the panels they wanted to listen to.
A simple, interactive digital map and staff members well-versed in the spatial layout could make a huge difference here.
Shaping environments for deeper engagement
In some talks, there were audience members who were unable to hear or see the key speakers properly, with pillars placed in front of some seating areas and a lack of second-screens for those that couldn’t directly see the stage. More strategic environmental design, clever digital and screen placements and noise-cancelling audio equipment could vastly improve the overall experience and allow visitors to engage fully in the engaging content.
Making space for human stories
As is often the case these days, AI took over much of the discussion at SXSW (from our experience), and while it’s clearly an important subject, more creative-led content on the bill focusing on human connection would have helped to balance out the thought leadership and insights.
Every festival deserves room to evolve, and with thoughtful adjustments, we’re excited to see SXSW London return even stronger next year. With the right experience design partners behind the scenes, it has every chance to become a standout moment on the global creative calendar in Europe.