Following the conclusion of SXSW 2025 on Saturday, the festival have announced they are shortening the festival by two days. This sparked rumors that the festival's music portion will be significantly diminished, but representatives for the festival have clarified that is not the case.

Due to this reconfiguration, music will be more heavily dispersed throughout the weekdays, with performances happening concurrently with the film and tv programming.

The spokesperson's statement reads as follows:

We are really excited about the plans for SXSW 2026. With the Austin Convention Center closing down for three years, we believe it’s a great opportunity to put new ideas into action. A shorter SX gives attendees more of a chance to be here for the entire run. With the Conference, Film & TV Festival, and Music Festival all taking place concurrently over seven days, everyone will have the chance to experience the whole of SXSW. This gives music fans an opportunity to enjoy seven nights of showcases instead of the six we’ve had for several years. It also allows us to continue the work the Music Festival programmers have done over the last decade in paring down the numbers of showcasing artists while spreading the shows out over a greater part of the event. This creates a more curated experience for attendees and artists while retaining the discovery that the music festival is known for. We also know that post-pandemic attendees want more personalized experiences, and we’re excited to explore new ways to bring people together.”

On background: Per other reports, there has never been a dedicated Music Festival weekend as the Film & TV Festival has always run throughout the entirety of the event. Conference details are still being worked out but we will go back to having separate access and sessions for Interactive, Music, and Film & TV.

Numerous artists dropped off SXSW in 2024 in protest of the festival’s ties to defense contractors and in support of the Palestinian people. In response, the festival cut ties with the US Army

While the ATX convention center is shut down for renovations, the festival is “taking this opportunity to reinvent spaces for our community by creating industry-specific hubs to enable new ways to connect and bring the SXSW community together, all while delivering the stellar programming we’re known for.”