SXSW London Takes Over Shoreditch with 200 Acts in Unexpected Spaces
For six days in June, East London’s Shoreditch district will transform into a sprawling music festival where the setting is just as surprising as the lineup. SXSW London returns for its second edition from June 1-6, packing more than 200 performances into about 20 venues—including a church, a basement, and other unorthodox spaces.
The festival’s head of music, Adem Holness, says the goal is simple: give artists a platform. “It’s about providing a platform for music artists to realize their ambitions, whatever they might be—getting into the industry, getting further into the industry, or into new markets,” he explains.
Holness, a London native, sees the city’s diversity as the perfect backdrop. “You can step out of any tube and find yourself in a really distinct community,” he says. “That’s what lends itself so well to being a European home for SXSW.”
Each venue will act as a gateway to a different musical world. One night you might catch underground Korean pop in one room, Caribbean sounds in another, and contemporary classical in a basement. “It’s a bit like going to a Punchdrunk theater show,” Holness says of the classical showcase at Shoreditch Town Hall’s basement, The Ditch.
The lineup spans established acts and newcomers. DJ Pete Tong, Nigerian star ODUMODUBLVCK, and rapper Earl Sweatshirt share the bill with emerging voices like Kimmy gone and afromerm. Some artists are using the festival to debut new material: electronic producer Sega Bodega will play his ambient album in full for the first time—in a church.
Holness believes live music matters more than ever in a digital age. “Algorithms are flattening the way people experience all culture,” he says. “We are somewhere you can get away from those screens and experience real music cultures, distinct diasporic cultures alongside each other.”
Day wristbands cost £25 ($33.60) and grant access to all stages on a first-come, first-served basis. Whether you stick to one genre or hop from classical to drum and bass to reggae, the festival promises discovery at every turn.