Big Names Join SXSW London Podcast Lineup as Crossed Wires Takes the Lead
Some of the biggest names in British podcasting are heading to SXSW London this June, thanks to a new partnership with Crossed Wires, the UK's largest podcast festival. Miquita Oliver, Jamie Laing, and a host of other major voices have been added to the event's podcasting track, which Crossed Wires will now co-curate.
The festival's co-founder, Levine, will host the track. Two new panels have been announced: 'Beyond Podcasting: Building Show People Belong To' and 'Crossed Wires: The Live Podcasting Boom.' The first panel features Oliver, who co-hosts the BBC podcast *Miss Me?* with Lily Allen, along with Laing, his JamPot Productions CEO Craig Strachan, and Crossed Wires co-founder Dino Sofos. The live podcasting panel includes Danny Robins, host of *Uncanny*; Levine, formerly of *My Dad Wrote a Porno*; Sofos; and Jonny Kanagasoorium, Managing Editor of Podcast Strategy & Video at BBC Sounds.
They join a lineup that already includes Callum 'Calfreezy' Airey, GK Barry, Elis James and John Robins, Joe Marler, Keisha Buchanan, and Fin Taylor. The SXSW London Podcasting Track takes place Wednesday, June 3, at Christ Church Spitalfields.
Crossed Wires also announced Ian Bushell as its new Managing Director. With over 25 years in live events—including Ministry of Sound's Millennium Dome New Year's Eve and Formula 1's F1 Rocks—Bushell will oversee the festival's daily operations and strategy.
The news comes a month before Crossed Wires' third annual festival in Sheffield, which has drawn more than 45,000 attendees so far. This year's lineup includes shows like *Dig It with Jo Whiley & Zoe Ball*, *Elis and John*, and *Uncanny Cold Cases*.
“We started Crossed Wires because podcasting deserved to get out of people’s headphones and into venues full of fans,” said Sofos. “Partnering with SXSW London on its podcast track is hugely exciting.”
Katarina Sherling, Head of Conference at SXSW London, added: “Podcasts dominate our lives. This isn’t a 'how to record' stage—it’s showcasing one of the furthest-reaching industries that touches us all.”