SXSW had branding throughout the neighbourhood of Shoreditch in London.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
South by Southwest (SXSW) could also be a well known occasion in america, nevertheless it definitely hasn’t reached the identical stage of recognition in Britain.
“What’s that?” requested a pedestrian who was passing by a SXSW London signal.
SXSW is a pageant held in Austin, Texas, yearly that brings collectively large names in music, movie, artwork and know-how. The organizers have introduced the occasion to London for the primary time this week, and CNBC took at take a look at what is going on on.
CNBC’s Tania Bryer moderated a dialogue with London Mayor Sadiq Khan who throughout a gap speech made the pitch for the town as a “hub for expertise, commerce, tech and innovation.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks with moderator Tania Bryer in the course of the “Opening Remarks – Welcome to SXSW London” panel dialogue on the primary day of SXSW London 2025 at The Truman Brewery on June 2, 2025.
Jack Taylor | Getty Photos Leisure | Getty Photos
Khan took veiled swipes on the U.S. President Donald Trump and his commerce insurance policies and pitched London as open for enterprise.
“So on the time when there’s a lot uncertainty and political turmoil throughout the pond, outlined by an inward wanting mentality, I will attain out to worldwide traders, companies and creators to say that London provides you the other,” Khan stated, in response to Deadline.
SXSW is being held in numerous venues throughout the artistic neighborhood of Shoreditch which can also be near Outdated Road, a key tech hub within the early days of London’s startup scene. Shoreditch was taken over by SXSW London branding, from murals to indicators on lampposts.
SXSW had murals throughout Shoreditch, London, which marketed the occasion.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Large names are in attendance, similar to “Sport of Thrones” star Sophie Turner and actor and musician Idris Elba. On the tech entrance, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis spoke, as did Thomas Wolf, co-founder of synthetic intelligence agency Hugging Face.
$24 socks and free chocolate
So what was the expertise like? The day began with me selecting up my press move and receiving an SXSW tote bag. There was a schedule and map in there and bar of SXSW-branded Tony’s Chocolonely.
I made my method to Shoreditch Electrical, a venue I simply came upon is house to the Nationwide Centre for Circus Arts. I watched a session the place Thomas Wolf of Hugging Face mentioned the progress of open-source synthetic intelligence fashions and the way forward for robotics. Open source is a big deal in AI right now due to the robust efficiency of these fashions, particularly out of China, that are free to make use of.
Shoreditch Electrical hosted some talks throughout SXSW London. The courtyard was a spot for attendees to sit down within the solar.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
The venue was an industrial-style, uncovered brick constructing. Simply exterior was a espresso bar, which was excellent for the sunny climate in London on Monday.
I then walked over to the Truman Brewery, the place the primary stage of the convention was. Outdoors the doorway had been numerous meals vehicles and, in fact, large model shows from sun shades agency Ray-Ban and electrical automobile firm Polestar, which had reside music performances all through the day.
Polestar and Ray-Ban took the possibility to promote their merchandise throughout SXSW London, 2025.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Then there was the official merchandise retailer which was promoting a pair of SXSW-branded socks for £18 ($24) and a T-shirt for £30.
After a fast safety verify, I used to be within the Truman Brewery in time for a session from Hassabis. I made a decision to attempt to watch it on stage however the line to get in was lengthy, even about half an hour earlier than the speak. So I made a decision to observe it on a display screen within the media lounge, which had fairly first rate sandwiches.
The doorway to the Truman Brewery the place the primary stage of SXSW London was positioned.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
AI all over the place
AI was definitely a giant theme, with firms like Hugging Face, Google DeepMind and even Wayve, a U.Okay. driverless automobile startup backed by SoftBank, discussing the way forward for the know-how.
Hassabis spoke about synthetic normal intelligence (AGI), which is mostly understood as AI that’s smarter than people. He stated AGI could be “larger” than the Industrial Revolution and the web by way of its affect on society. He additionally warned about the necessity to develop this know-how responsibly.
The DeepMind founder additionally stated that over the following 5 to 10 years, AI instruments are going to “supercharge technically savvy people who find themselves on the forefront of utilizing these applied sciences, however combining it with creativity and different abilities.”
“I feel they are going to have the ability to obtain superhuman issues,” Hassabis stated.
There was a protracted queue of attendees ready to get into the following session the place Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis was about to talk at SXSW London, 2025.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
There are many large names performing all through the week, together with R&B star Tems — however they’re far too late within the night and do not sync up with my 5 a.m. wake-up name. So you will need to look on social media to see what sort of vibe these occasions have.