Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

South by Southwest

Role / Field:

Annual multi-industry festival in Austin, Texas, covering film, music, and technology.

Born:

1987

Century / Era:

1987s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conference and festival that takes place in March in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1987, SXSW features programming across technology, film and television, music, education, culture, gaming, and other creative industries. The event includes keynote and featured sessions, exhibitions, screenings, music showcases, networking opportunities, and more held across multiple venues throughout Austin. SXSW is run by the company SXSW, LLC, which organizes conferences, trade shows, festivals, and other events.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In addition to SXSW, the company runs the SXSW EDU conference and the SXSW London festival, and co-runs North by Northeast in Toronto, Canada. The company has previously run or co-run the events North by Northwest (1995–2001), West by Southwest (2006–2010), SXSW Eco (2011–2016), SXSW V2V (2013–2015), the me Convention (2017–2019) and SXSW Sydney (2023–2025). A large number of other events, past and present, sometimes collectively referred to as "four-letter festivals", have been inspired by SXSW. The Austin Convention Center in Downtown Austin which functioned as the "hub" of the festival began renovations in 2025 and will reopen in 2029;...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaron Carter — Contemporary (Born in 1987) (1987): American singer and rapper known for teen pop stardom and enduring musical career.
• Afrojack — Contemporary (Born in 1987) (1987): Dutch DJ and record producer, known professionally as Afrojack.
• Aidy Bryant — Contemporary (Born in 1987) (1987): American actress and comedian known for her work on Saturday Night Live.
• Alexander Gustafsson — Historical peer (Born in 1987) (1987): Swedish mixed martial artist known for his elite Light Heavyweight contender status in the UFC.
• Alice Rahon — Historical peer (Died in 1987) (1987): French-born Mexican poet and painter whose work bridged surrealism and abstraction.
• Adolfo Pedernera — Historical peer (Died in 1995) (1995): Argentine football legend, nicknamed 'El Maestro,' pivotal in the 1940s.
• Alexander Knox — Historical peer (Died in 1995) (1995): Esteemed Canadian actor and writer, known for dramatic roles and literary contributions.
• Aaliyah — Historical peer (Died in 2001) (2001): Pioneering R&B artist known for redefining urban pop and hip hop sounds.
• Ahmad Shah Massoud — Historical peer (Died in 2001) (2001): Afghan military leader, known as the "Lion of Panjshir", fought against foreign occupations.
• Aaron Spelling — Historical peer (Died in 2006) (2006): Pioneering American producer of hit TV series like Dynasty and Beverly Hills, 90210.
• 1987 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1987

Frequently Asked Questions about South by Southwest