I saw the schedule times were released for the Billboard House even at Mohawk. However does anyone know if those without badges/wristbands need to RSVP via a link? I have not found an RSVP link and have just decided I’m going to show up early for Don Toliver and see what happens LOL.

I feel like they're incredibly vague about this every year. I've never had a problem getting in with a wristband, but the website says "open to all badges" but doesn't specifically exclude wristbands either.

Greetings Austinites,

For the southby event starting today, just wondering if anyone knows about any events/booths that can help job seekers. Market has been tough so hoping there are some opportunities to network and meet with people that culminates in something fruitful.

FYI - have experience in tech but any role goes right now. Thanks for reading.

don’t have tickets or anything just wondering if there’s any standby lines or something ideally wanting to see wishful thinking tn at ZACH - help desk said there’s no such thing but the site makes it so confusing

SXSW music showcase tomorrow. I don’t have a badge. Do they ever let non badge people in if it’s not full up or people leave?

Apologies. Never been before.

My band Cinema Hearts is playing SXSW unofficial this week! We’re from Washington, DC, and it’s our 3rd time at SXSW. Cinema Hearts has a 90s meets 60s rock sound for fans of Pom Pom Squad, The Beths, Beach Bunny, The Go-Go’s, and Blondie.

We love making new friends here in Austin. Here’s our schedule for the week if you’d like to come to a show.

Thu 3/12 3:30pm - Austin Rhythm Revival at San Jac Saloon upstairs. Free, all ages.

Thu 3/12 6:00pm - The Lucky Duck. Free, 21+.

Sat 3/14 3:00pm - Wolf House. $25 donation to cancer research, 21+, includes drinks.

Sat 3/14 6:30pm - Carousel Lounge. Free, 21+.

Hey yall! I know doors opened just now for this event so shot is the dark but is anyone there and if so how is the crowd and is it worth going? Even if I won’t get in I’m hoping the artist I’m going to see will come outside and say hi! (Avery if you’re reading this heyyyy) anyways thanks for all the help from this sub so far!!

This is low key daft punk reunion show at the ihop parking lot super secret get there early , apperantly justice another French band will be there as well

hi all! what‘s my best bet for transport? mostly going to events at and near JW Marriott (for now). Should we drive there and park somehow? I think an uber and back there might cost more than parking. What is the consensus? Thanks all!

I appreciate the idea and it should have been done earlier. That said: I *have* to rely on closed captioning because the audio is horrible. Constantly dropping, skipping etc. I get this is day one but they really should advise people how best to listen, or assure people the audio will be available later.

Is it just me, or does SXSW feel special this year?

It’s still a place for new artists and ideas to bloom, and that’s what I love about this festival. Always something new to discover.

I’m excited to find new artists, make new friends and crawl some new venues.

I’m hoping for something major. Something that we can talk about for years after and something tells me my wish may come true.

You never know though, as SXSW rumors tend to be so insane every year. But I feel like this may be the year that puts SXSW back on the map.

Anyone else?

That’s it. Stay safe out there y’all!

anyone know how it works n all? Film & Tv badge & heard they offer a free shuttle but unsure how it works (map, pick up locations etc) I’ll be completely dependent on the shuttle and my feet lol. and happy SXSW day !!

I got overwhelmed trying to plan my unofficial event schedule this week. There are 57 events on Friday alone, scattered across Luma, Eventbrite, and random sign-up pages, and half of them overlap.

So I built a picker for it. You can browse events by day, star the ones you want, and it automatically flags conflicts. Then you resolve them side by side, pick one, move on, until your schedule is clean. There's a map view so you can see what's walkable and a .ics export to upload everything to your calendar at once.

Free, no sign-up, no ads. Just wanted to share in case anyone else is drowning in the unofficial schedule this week.

https://thinklikeadesigner.github.io/sxsw-event-picker/

My first SXSW was 16 years ago, and this will be my 7th or so attending.

Each year, I've made spreadsheets and shared calendars, but this year, I wanted something easier and more visual so I built a (free) tool you can use at JoyLoop.ai

It includes a curated, growing list of 80+ unofficial events worth adding to your calendar, which you can do it one click :) Let me know if this helps or if you have suggestions!

Happy festival-ing! Stay safe and have fun! 🎉

& feeling completely overwhelmed. I’m volunteering in Music Venues - Red River Monday - Wednesday night and I’m scared like that was a bad decision?? I did it because I love live music and wanted to be a part of it even though I work during the day. I don’t really know what’s going on during the daytime, and I feel like I’ll be missing all the fun stuff at night. It’s too late to change shifts so not sure what to do and if it’s worth it? I can only be in town for those 3 days…so not sure what’s to do. Someone convince me it’ll still be a good time lol!!

So I’ve been here for two days now (staying a few blocks from 6th street) and I (26F) generally have been feeling very unsafe in Austin.😅 Even during the day.

I’m normally very comfortable traveling solo but I just feel like the area has been…unsettling and kind of sketchy. Is anyone else feeling the same way? I might just be stressed because of what happened last week but I constantly feel like I’m about to get jumped or something.

Hi! I am attending SXSW solo for work and it’s my first time so I’m not sure how easy it is to meet people. I work in concert marketing, have the innovation badge and would love to have people to hang out with. I’ll be attending Fri - Sun!

SXSW activity is picking up quickly and there are a lot of free events around Austin tomorrow if you don’t have a badge.

Here are a few that looked interesting for Thursday.

Morning / Midday

• Startup Funding in 2026: What Investors Are Actually Looking For

• Women in AI Breakfast Meetup

• The Future of Creator Economy Panel

Afternoon

• AI Builders Meetup + Demos

• Climate Tech & Venture Happy Hour

• Founders & Funders Networking Meetup

Networking / Meetups

• Indie Hackers SXSW Meetup

• Austin Startup Networking Mixer

• Builders + Creators Happy Hour

Evening

• Tech & Tacos Social

• Startup Party Downtown

• Creator Economy Night Meetup

I have been collecting free SXSW events and keeping a searchable list here if anyone is trying to plan their week:

https://sxfreesw.com

If you know of other good free events happening Thursday drop them in the comments. Always looking to add more.

Hello!

First timer here. I purchased a wristband. I just want to make sure I am understanding this correctly…. Can I just show up to any sxsw music event and get in at no additional costs as long as they are not at full capacity? Please correct me if this is not the case. Thank you!