How to Do SXSW Right – Matt Sparks's Website

I’ve attended SXSW since 2015. I take all nine days off from work and go go go 15+ hours a day. As a seasoned veteran, I often get asked for advice for how to get the most from the South by experience. My lessons learned over the years are far too numerous to list in a conversation, so I usually pick one or two tips at random and hope they’re helpful. This year, I want a better answer.

In that spirit, I’ve compiled and organized into one blog post all my lessons learned about how to have the best SXSW possible. Now I can point people who are truly interested (and not just making conversation) to this blog post. Enjoy!

General: Preparation

Start prepping early. There are 1000s of speakers, bands, films, comedy shows, and other events to sift through, and tens of thousands of attendees. Even if you’re only interested in one aspect (i.e., music) for just a couple days, it will take time to sift through it all.
Make a goal for what you hope to get from SXSW. It could be meeting new clients or investors, connecting with other industry professionals, learning, being inspired, being exposed to innovative tech and ideas, or simply having fun. As cool as all those sound, you can’t make them all your number one priority. Personally, I pick a top priority, a secondary priority, and a tertiary priority every year. These priorities help me decide when I have to choose between attending multiple tantalizing events that are occurring simultaneously.
Don’t limit yourself to one session topic or track, one style of music, one genre of film, etc. SXSW is the perfect opportunity to expose yourself to lots of incredible stuff you’ve never heard of. Push your boundaries. Try something new. You won’t be disappointed. Instead, you’ll likely be blown away and inspired.
Make a matrix or calendar of some sort. Have a list of what you want to do each hour of each day. Have backups to your favorites too, in case they’re full or the line is too long.
Share your matrix and/or schedule with friends. Even if they’re a new friend you met while waiting in line or chatting after an event. SXSW is way more fun to share with friends.
Bring a fanny pack or purse, or, if you must, bring a small messenger bag or backpack, in order to carry all the stuff you bring and all the stuff you accumulate throughout the day. However, the bigger it is, the more you’ll carry and the heavier it will be. You’ll be wearing it all day for days on end. Slimmer, lighter bags will be more convenient and less tiring. Your shoulders and back will thank you. However, if all you’re doing is music in the evenings, then you can probably get by with pockets. I still bring my fanny pack in the evenings though.
Leave the computer at home or in your hotel room. You don’t need it. Your phone can do everything you need anyway. You should be out talking to people, learning, and enjoying stuff instead.
Pack a pen and a tiny notebook that fits in your pocket, purse, or fanny pack. Pack a backup pen in case your main one runs out of ink or you lose it.
Pack a power brick and a short charging cord. Your phone will run out of juice once or twice a day, no matter how good your battery is.
Pack business cards or personal cards. I print up personal cards like a business card, with only my name and personal email and personal website. These cards have lots of white space for notes or writing my phone number. You could include your number on the card too, but you may not want your personal cell number on a card you hand out to people you just met. Having a personal card is useful when you meet someone in line, sitting next to you at a session, or on a shuttle bus. You or they might leave quickly, so a card is a way to quickly stay connected and share all your businesses, passion projects, artistic pursuits, and side hustles that may not all be accessible through a single business card.
Bring healthy, packable food, such as energy bars, tacos (wrapped in foil), sandwiches (wrapped in foil), fruit (but not smushable fruit like pears or kiwi, which will become a mushy mess in your bag), carrots, nuts, trail mix, etc. It’s cheaper, more convenient, faster, and healthier than buying every meal at a food truck or restaurant. Chocolate is another packable pick-me-up snack that can also be healthy if you buy a low-sugar variety. Sharing chocolate is a great way to make friends with someone in line or sitting next to you.
Bring a toothbrush in your bag. You likely won’t be back at your hotel or house all day, and you don’t want food stuck in your teeth or bad breath from the garlic fries you ate five hours ago.
Bring multiple pair of good walking shoes. Swap them out each day so you don’t get hotspots.
Walk a lot in the weeks leading up to SXSW so you’re in good shape for it.
Read this Sasha Chapin blog post about how to like everything more. It’s a fantastic article on how to really, really enjoy art. He focuses a lot on music in the article, but it applies to any art form. In addition to music, he includes examples of film, poetry, architecture, food, and more that exemplify the concepts he describes.

General: During the Event

Let go of FOMO. You’re going to miss lots of amazing stuff. You’ll hear about it the next day, or you’ll get in line too late to get in, or you’ll have to make a hard choice to attend something else. Get used to it. Nine times out of ten, you’ll see something else cool instead, maybe even better than the thing you wanted to see, so don’t worry about it. In 2022, my girlfriend and I didn’t get in line early enough to get into Wyclef Jean’s dance party, which was always amazing if he ever has it again, so we walked across the street and got in line for a random film showing. That film happened to be the red carpet premier of Everything Everywhere All at Once that ultimately won the Oscar for best picture. We were a few feet from the directors, stars, and crew. During the film, we laughed so hard our stomachs hurt the next day. After it was over, we got to hear them talk about making the film. Wyclef’s party would have been fun, but so was the Everything premier. That’s classic SXSW Serendipity at work.
To skip the lines at restaurants, order online from Pueblo Viejo at the Line Hotel or Cava on Congress, then pick it up. Koriente is another tasty, health, fast, convenient, and affordable option. Avoid eating on Rainey or Sixth Street. Both will be crazy busy and overpriced.
If there’s anyone you want to meet, reach out to attendees and speakers via the SXSW Go app, LinkedIn, email, IG, and/or other social media. Schedule a 15-minute chat somewhere easy like the lobby of the ACC or the Hilton. Even if they’re famous or just well-known in their industry, they likely don’t know anyone in Austin and are looking to meet interesting people too. Don’t just be a silly fan. Share something amazing you’ve seen. They’re likely looking for recommendations too.
To take your networking to the next level, listen to this Tim Ferriss podcast about how to network at SXSW.
A good conversation starter is to ask what’s the coolest/best thing they’ve seen at SXSW so far. Everyone has had their mind blown by something and is dying to talk about it. No one back home will get it, so now’s their chance to share it with a comrade. This is also a great way to find out about the coolest stuff at SXSW.
Take the shuttles if you’re going far (i.e., Alamo South Lamar, Zach Theater). Walk if you’re going close or medium distance (i.e., downtown, the East Side close to downtown, Palmer, or South Congress).
Eat healthy and get as much sleep as you realistically can, given the circumstances. This will keep your energy high during a long, demanding, week. You don’t want to miss out of the fun at the end of the week.
Don’t drink or party too hard. I don’t drink ever, but just saying, this will slow you down and diminish your ability to finish the week strong.
Wear layers. March in Austin can be 90 or 30, sunny or rainy. All in the same day. Maybe even have a small umbrella handy, just in case.
Allow room for serendipity. Don’t over plan. If you do over plan like I do, don’t stick rigidly to the plan. I wrote a whole blog post on SXSW Serendipity. Heck, my partner and I fell in love at SXSW. You really never can tell what might happen.
Pace yourself. If you plan on doing all of SXSW, or even just a few days, it’s going to be a long week. Don’t overdo it. Head home early one night if you need to. Rest when you need it. Take breaks. Most of the hotels have cushy chairs and couches in the lobby and upstairs on the balconies and near the session rooms. I’ve taken naps in these chairs and couches before.
There are two Marriott hotels downtown, and both host lots of SXSW events. Make sure you’re going to the right one.
If you want to buy any SXSW merch, do it the first day. Sometimes the best clothing designs sell out quickly.
When it’s too far to walk, use the SXSW shuttle when possible. If that’s not a good option, Lyft or Uber. If you absolutely must drive, park on the East Side, south of Cesar Chavez. If you’re in a hurry and have money to spend, the hotel valet parking services are very convenient and almost affordable (by SXSW standards anyway), especially if you plan on parking there all day. You don’t have to be a guest.
If you need a restroom at any time, find a hotel and go up a floor or more. They’re usually clean and empty, and during SXSW, the hotels don’t care who uses them.
I’ve never managed to get my SXXpress Passes to work. Not once, and I’ve tried dozens of times. Neither have my friends. We try to use them literally in the first second they’re made available to reserve some event or session, but it’s always somehow already too late and the event is full. I’ve heard of people using them successfully, but in my experience, it’s a waste of time trying. Usually, the times I’ve heard of them working, it was for events that don’t fill up, so they weren’t necessary in the end anyway. Good luck.
Take notes on what you do every day, ideally as you go. Include favorite sessions, bands, films, etc. Take notes on stuff you learned or that inspired you. So much will happen that you will forget 90% of it if you don’t write it down.

Interactive

If you have to choose between attending a session by an unknown speaker / small event and a famous keynote / featured speaker, go to the unknown speaker / small event. The famous keynote / featured speaker session will likely be recorded. You can watch it later in the app or on YouTube. Plus, smaller sessions are often my favorite, and you might be able to chat with the speaker afterward, if you’re so inclined.
Skip the Q&A for any session you attend (that is, unless you want to chat with the speaker afterward). The questions always suck and aren’t worth staying for. More importantly, skipping them nearly always ensures you’ll beat the lines and get into the next session.
Sit front row center. You’ll pay attention more, meet other bright people, and you might even get to chat with the speaker before or after the session. Don’t be annoying or inappropriate about it though, especially before the session as they’re getting ready to speak.
Get there early, you might get to chat with the speaker, though don’t be annoying about it. You’ll also get your pick of seats (i.e., front row center). A couple years ago, I arrived early to see Cory Doctorow speak. I sat front row center, as usual. He was killing time sitting on the edge of the stage. I told him I loved the incredible, multi-colored pants he was wearing. We struck up a conversation. He told me that there was a run on Silicon Valley Bank happening at that exact moment. For the next 15 minutes, we theorized what it might mean for tech, the country, and the world. I can’t imagine a better person in the entire world to find out about SVB’s crash from than Cory Doctorow. And that’s why you should always get there early and sit front row center.
Exception: sit in the back and/or along the aisle of big sessions or sessions you’re not 100% sure of/ This allows for a quick, unobtrusive exit.
Workshops are the bomb. They fill up fast, so sign up early. People don’t show, so get there early and wait in line if you’re not on the main list, and you’ll usually get in.
Skip all panels. Most panels don’t prepare much if at all. They just wing it and it shows. Also, most panels don’t provide new ideas, much less nuanced or organized ideas. Each speaker only gets 20-30% of the time, and half of that is often advertorial for themselves and their work. The exception is any panel with Mark Cuban. He always provides loads of value when he speaks, and his co-panelists are usually top-notch entrepreneurs who don’t ramble on.
The meet ups are just OK. Most are phoned in by the hosts. If you do attend, don’t have high expectations. That said, if there’s a meet up on a topic that’s directly related to your work, you can make some good connections.
Book signings often aren’t too busy. You can sometimes meet and chat with really famous authors for a while if there isn’t a line. You should buy their book though. A few years ago, I was walking by the book signing booth, and one of my favorite authors, Ryan Holiday, was just sitting there by himself. I had seen his talk earlier in the day, which was fantastic. Notably, I really liked his shoes. I asked him where he got them. He was so excited to talk about his shoes! He had just bought two pair of them and seemed delighted that we’d noticed. He even let me take a picture of the shoe store receipt so I could remember the make and model to get my own pair from the same store. And yes, I’d already bought his most recent book, though I didn’t have it with me for him to sign. But I got a pic of his him holding up his phone with the shoe store receipt, which was way more fun.
The SXSW bookstore is great! Definitely make 20 minutes to check it out at some point. I buy a few books there every year. Many of the books are even signed by the authors. I’ve even bumped into other favorite authors in the South by bookstore.

Music

Start planning what bands you want to see early. A good way to do this is to listen to the main SXSW Spotify playlist, which typically has one song from each of the hundreds or 1000+ bands that will be performing.
Make your own a Spotify SXSW Favorites playlist, selected from the main SXSW playlist. Listen to the other songs of your favorite bands to decide if you really like them or just like one song.
If you don’t have time for all this, then listen to SXSW Favorites playlists like mine. I listened to the main SXSW playlist in its entirety several times. Then I added more songs that I like from all bands I liked. I include nearly every genre of music in my list, including genres I’ve never heard of, though I do have certain genres I gravitate to more than others. If you don’t like my playlist, you should’ve made your own.
Check the Austin Chronicle daily. Venues, bands, and show times and venues change constantly. They update the Chronicle daily during SXSW. Pull out the right pages. Bring a red pen and mark up the shows you want to see.
The shortcut to listening to all the bands is to pick the days and times that you plan to see some music. Then go through the Chronicle for those days and times. Cross out venues you know you won’t attend. Next, in Spotify, quickly listen to each of the bands from the remaining venues. You can plan a whole day of music in less than an hour. You can plan an evening in 15-30 minutes if you’re fast about it. As you do this, highlight or underline with red pen the bands you want to see. That’ll Chronicle page will be your guide for the night. Whatever you do, don’t lose that page, or you’ll kick yourself. Don’t do this too many days in advance, however, because the lineups will change a little bit daily.
Autotune is a scourge. It’s too often a crutch or shortcut enabling people to become singers without actually learning how to sing. This a band uses autotune for most of its songs, they’re likely not that good, especially live. Skip bands that do this. There are too many talented artists at SXSW to bother with autotuned singers.
Stay mostly downtown. Don’t go to venues that you can’t easily walk to from downtown. Near East Side is OK. South Congress can be OK, but know that you might not return downtown afterward because it’s kind of a long walk to get there. Also, downtown venue lines are usually short or nonexistent with a badge or wristband. That way you can check out a band, stay if you like it, and bounce if you don’t. There are dozens of venues within a few minutes’ walk. I’ve hopped between several venues in a single hour until I found a band I loved. Even if you don’t venue-hop mid-set like that, you can still walk to a new venue between sets at the end of each hour. It’s like a non-stop music buffet. However, if you’re not downtown or near-downtown, you’re stuck with the venue you’re at until you drive somewhere else, which can be a whole ordeal. You’ll see far less music that way.
Avoid walking on Rainey and Dirty Sixth when possible. Both are too loud and packed with drunk people. If you do go to venues or events on Sixth Street, walk along Fifth or Seventh until you’re a block away to minimize time spent in the chaos.
Be judicious about the shows you see at Stubb’s. I’ve seen many great shows there, including during SXSW, but I’ve seen even more shows get ruined by too many talking people and too many people packed in too tightly. Smaller, lesser known bands are usually OK to see at Stubbs. Day shows and weeknights are usually OK too. Weekend evening shows with bigger name bands could be less enjoyable.
Smaller venues are often the best.
The Empire Control Room and Empire Garage are usually too loud, and the sound isn’t great. I’ve seen good shows there, but I’ve also seen a lot of so-so shows there because of the sound. Even if you don’t usually wear earplugs (you should, more on this below), you’ll need earplugs at Empire.
My favorite SXSW venues are the Flamingo Cantina and the churches. The Flamingo Cantina somehow gets many of the best bands and showcases every year, and it’s a super intimate venue with great dancing and plenty of seating. For example, the Nerdcore showcase they’ve hosted the last few years is always a lit dance party. On the other end of the spectrum, but wonderful in a different way, are the churches. I’m not religious, but the churches have amazing sound and ambiance. They’re cozy and intimate. They’re an incredible way to see a singer-songwriter or other small, quiet, or unique performance. They’re seated, organized, and calm, so don’t expect a riotous dance party. They’re simply a truly sacred way to experience an unforgettable artistic performance.
The BME (British Music Embassy) is the best showcase, hands down. You’d do great to just park yourself there all day every day. Every year, my friends and I compare notes on who the best bands of SXSW were. Inevitably, 90% of them performed at the BME at some point during the week. Then I always wonder why I even bothered going anywhere else.
The Day Stage shows at ACC are often fantastic, and they’re seated. It’s a great way to rest, eat, and plan the rest of the day. You can often meet the performers in the back of the room after they perform for a quick selfie or whatever.
Unofficial shows can be good, and often feature some of the same bands that are playing official SXSW showcases. However, the unofficial venues will be packed, the lines will be absurdly long, and there will be a lot more drunk/loud people. They also may not be as organized as SXSW shows. They may not be walkable to the downtown area where everything else is happening. And you’ll likely have to pay a cover charge. If you don’t have a badge or wristband, go for it. Otherwise, I’d stick with the official SXSW events. The official South by music showcases are usually a lot more fun, and there are so many great ones to choose from. Why take your chances with anything else?
Bring 2 pairs of good earplugs. You may lose one. Take it from someone with tinnitus. I implore you, please wear earplugs at every show even if it doesn’t seem that loud.

Film

Get in line super early, especially at the Alamo South Lamar. Violet Crown often isn’t as busy for whatever reason.
Listen to the buzz, ask people in line what they’ve loved and what they haven’t.
Small, unknown films can be the best, and if the audience is small you may get to chat with the director, actors, and/or crew afterward.
The Paramount and Stateside don’t allow bags. Either bring a small, clear bag or leave it at home. If you have a bag, leave it with a hotel concierge. Even if you’re not staying there, if you explain your situation and promise to tip them, they won’t care.
Earplugs can be useful during extra loud films too. Honestly, just keep the earplugs with you at all times during South by.
Many films air more than once. The first showing is usually the best, because the director, producers, actors, and crew are likely to be there and even talk before and after the show. The audience energy and excitement can be higher, amplifying the impact of the film itself. Funny scenes are funnier, scary scenes are scarier, etc. Sometimes there are even swag bags (typically for select big budget films and series). The subsequent showings may be easier to get into though.
Choose indie and foreign films over Hollywood blockbusters. You’ll get a chance to watch the big-name films in any theater in a few weeks, and on streaming services in a few months. It could be years before you get a chance to see the indies, and maybe never. The indies also need our early support more than the big films.

Comedy

Get in line early, especially at Esther’s Follies. The comedy shows fill up fast.
Don’t sit up front unless you want to be roasted or brought on stage.
If the performers do interact with you, don’t try to be funny. That’s their job. You’re just going to annoy everyone if you try.
Don’t forget about comedy. It’s easy to do so with so much else going on with Interactive, Music, and Film, but the comedy shows are fantastic too.

VR / AR / XR

The VR film festival is great. Even if you’re not a technophile like me, many the VR films and experiences are mind blowing.
Just be sure to sign up for time slots way ahead of time. They fill up fast.
You can sometimes get put on a wait list for VR experiences and step into no shows, but you’ll have to be nearby when that slot opens up.

The National Houses

Most national houses aren’t worth visiting, unless they have a specific speaker or a band you want to see. The UK house is a good example of a house that’s worth visiting, especially for the BME shows, but they also have good speakers. The Australia house sometimes has good bands too. But when good bands aren’t playing, the houses are effectively just bars where a quarter of the people have the same accent. Better than a packed drunk-fest on Dirty Sixth or Rainey, I suppose. But, personally, I’d rather experience the world’s best music, film, comedy, etc. You can go to a bar anytime.
Sometimes, the houses are empty or preparing for a private event, so check schedules when possible. Make sure something interesting is happening before you go. The private events aren’t always listed, so can be a crap shoot.
However, if a country’s house showcases new tech with interactive exhibits, that can be fun and well worth checking out. Japan’s past tech showcase have been amazing, though they don’t always have them.

Expo Hall

The Expo Hall (aka the trade show floor) can be interesting. I usually give it 30-60 minutes. However, you could easily spend a lot more time here, especially if you’re looking to chat with people about their booths.
If you’re looking to learn about new tech and startups, don’t forget to visit the national sections, as they’ll showcase a bunch of new tech from startups in their respective countries.
The Expo Hall can be good networking for partnerships and business development, depending on who you want to network with. It’s rows of hundreds of people sitting around waiting to talk to you about their company, and most want to hear about you and your company too.
I’ve bought random stuff at the Expo Hall, including wildly colored shoes, a massage gun, and board games. Keep an open mind, bring a debit card, and have fun.

Flat Stock

Flat Stock has lots of fun art to gawk at. This is great if you like posters and/or chatting with artists. If not, skip it.

Activations

The activations are hit or miss. Film and video game activations can be fun. Banksy and Meow Wolf both had excellent activations in recent years. Brand activations are often lame, with some notable exceptions. Porsche’s activation is fun if you like fancy cars. If Samsung has an activation as they often do, it’s likely to showcase really fun futuristic tech and be well worth checking out.
Good activations will get talked about, so you can always decide to try one out if you’ve heard good things. Just be careful not to miss a can’t-miss one-off event like the Westworld activation from a few years ago. I missed that one, darn it, but I’ve attended many others that were fun.

Unofficial events

Nine out of ten unofficial events (i.e., events unaffiliated with SXSW that are happening all week) aren’t worth your time. The content and audiences often aren’t as high-quality as official South by events. Don’t bother unless you have a very specific unofficial event in mind and specific reasons for attending. Definitely don’t bother if they require you to leave downtown by more than a short walk. You’ll spend half a day getting there and back, and it’ll likely be a bust.
That said, sometimes corporations will host unofficial or semi-official events, such as pitch competitions with music showcases. These can be worth attending, especially if they’re downtown, and depending on your interests and what bands are playing or what presenters are speaking.
Unofficial events can also have free food and drinks, which is nice. But it’s not generally healthy, fresh food (as in, it’s usually chips and queso), so don’t rely on this for meals, or you’ll be dragging by the end of the night and/or week.

I hope this list of lessons learned is helpful. Please let me know if at least one or two of the tips above helped you have a great time at SXSW. Also, I’ll try to update this list prior to future South bys, so feel free to send me more tips that I missed. Or just leave them in a comment to my related LinkedIn post. If I like them, I’ll amend the post and give you a hat tip in return. 🙂

See you at South by!