SXSW 2026 Innovation Conference

Where Your Work Today Meets Your Work Tomorrow
Conan OBrien at SXSW 2025 Innovation Conference

In Austin, TX, the SXSW Innovation Conference brings together curious minds for seven unforgettable days of creative discovery March 12-18, 2026. From breakthrough technologies to culture-shifting ideas, this is where technology, business, and culture unite to reimagine what’s possible. 

Want to stay ahead of what’s next? Sign up for our Conference Community Newsletter below for exclusive programming updates, speaker spotlights, and insider news. 

Why Get aN INNOVATION Badge?

It’s your all-access pass to the conversations, sessions, thought leaders, and communities shaping the future of all industries. 

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Keynotes & Featured Sessions

Learn from the visionaries shaping the future across industries.

SXSW Pitch 2025
SXSW Pitch

Witness 45 cutting-edge startups across nine industry categories showcase their innovative vision to a live audience and a panel of expert investor judges on March 13 & 14. 

SXSW Innovation Conference 2025
Mentorship & Networking

Get one-on-one advice from industry leaders and connect with other dreamers and doers ready to make an impact. 

SXSW Expo 2025
Cross-Industry Collaboration

Join discussions and dive deeper into industry-specific sessions, hands-on workshops, panels, and more.

XR Experience at SXSW 2025
Plus, Access To:

Emerging Tech Expo, International Innovations Expo, Comedy Festival Showcases, SXSW EDU Crossover Day, XR Exhibitions, Flatstock, and more. 

2026 Programming

Home to 10 of the 12 SXSW Conference Tracks, the Innovation Conference dives deep into topics like Culture, Design, Health, Startups, and the Creator Economy. Across hundreds of sessions you’ll find unmissable themes like the AI Revolution, Creative Renaissance, Fandom & Following, and Industries Colliding. 

Speaker Highlights

Jon Youshaei

Jon Youshaei (Youtuber, Youshaei Studios)

Dava Newman

Dava Newman (Apollo Professor of Astronautics, MIT)

Joost Van Dreunen

Joost Van Dreunen (Video Games Professor, ALDORA)

Ian Beacraft

Ian Beacraft (CEO, Signal and Cipher)

Amy Webb

Amy Webb (CEO, Future Today Strategy Group)

Timnit Gebru

Timnit Gebru (Founder & Exec Director, Distributed AI Research Institute)

Explore Sessions Like: 

What Makes the SXSW Innovation Conference Different?

SXSW Innovation isn’t just about what’s trending, it’s about what’s shaping the future. For seven days, Austin becomes the epicenter of forward-thinking ideas and where cross-industry collaboration sparks the kind of breakthroughs that can only happen here.

Unlike Any Other Conference

At the Innovation Conference, you don’t just talk about the future—you see it taking shape in real time. From Twitter’s 2007 launch to Siri’s participation at SXSW Pitch, and countless projects since, SXSW has always been there at the start. In 2018, we were talking about AI replacing jobs; today, it’s reshaping nearly every industry. 

Designated Clubhouse

This March, Brazos Hall will transform into the SXSW Innovation Conference Clubhouse—your headquarters for meetups, networking, and collaborations with some of the brightest minds across all industries. Centrally located just steps away from all things Innovation. 

Four Dynamic Exhibitions

Explore four dynamic SXSW exhibitions—International Innovations, Emerging Tech, Flatstock, and XR Experience—each with their unique area of creativity and technology. 

Four Nights of Comedy

Your Innovation Badge includes access to the SXSW Comedy Festival—four nights of stand-up, improv, podcasts, and more. It’s the perfect break between sessions. 

Expect the Unexpected

At SXSW, surprises aren’t just possible, they’re inevitable. During a 2025 Featured Session, Robert Downey Jr. crashed the stage to share updates on Disney’s Avengers Campus. A few years earlier, Bill Nye popped into AOC’s Q&A. Every March, moments like these remind us why curiosity is the best invitation in the world. 

“The festival didn’t just showcase the future – it was the future unfolding in real-time. From AI’s growing creative role to the reinvention of live experiences and the rise of in-flight advertising, the big players weren’t just making announcements – they were making statements.” 
 - The Drum, SXSW 2025: the 10 trends that shaped this year’s festival

Your Savings

👥 Group Registration
Bring your team, friends, or organization and save up to 20% on badges—because discovery is even better together.  :point_right: Register Your Group

💼 Convince Your Boss 
Use our toolkit to show how attending SXSW drives innovation, inspiration, and ROI for you and your team.
 :point_right: Download Our Template

🏨 Book Your SX Stay
Lock in a room at one of the many Austin hotels to be steps away from sessions, meet ups, and networking events. 

Ready to Shape What’s Next?

From the Creative Renaissance to the AI Revolution, SXSW Innovation is where careers accelerate, ideas evolve, and the future unfolds in real time.

💸 Save up to $100 off the walk-up rate when you buy your Innovation Badge by March 5. That’s a $1,395 investment right now for a week full of inspiration, collaboration, and discovery across the entire SXSW Innovation ecosystem. 

Don’t wait until prices go up.

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