LONDON, UK — South by Southwest has officially expanded to Europe.
SXSW London kicked off this week, making it the second international version of the Austin-born festival after Sydney.
Among the few Austinites on the ground is Emmy-winning local content creator Dani Dudek of @spilltheatx, who’s been covering SXSW since 2008.
“The vibe is really a lot like the Austin vibe,” she said. “I’ve met some really rad people, made some great connections. Everybody’s super friendly.”
“I’ve met some really rad people, made some great connections. Everybody’s super friendly.”
But there are some differences.
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“It’s very spread out, and the venues are a bit smaller than ours,” Dudek said. “After the first day, I stayed in one area and bounced between a few spaces.”
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also made an appearance, sharing a message that hit home for Dudek.
“He talked a lot about continuing to keep Austin weird and keeping Austin homegrown and not pricing people out of the city,” she said.
Dudek’s also keeping an eye out for stars.
“I saw Joseph Fiennes and the new Eminem documentary Stans,” she said. “Tonight I’m seeing Deep Cover. Orlando Bloom is gonna be there. Idris Elba is the biggest draw. He’s doing a chat and spinning later tonight.”
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With SXSW Austin set for big changes in 2026 due to construction at the convention center, Dudek said her trip to London is a bit of a test run.
“That’s part of the reason I came,” she said.
“I thought it would feel scaled down, but it doesn’t. Same energy, same excitement. I think next year in Austin will be more spread out, more lines, and people will have to pick one or two things they want to focus on each day.”
Dudek is posting updates throughout the week on Instagram and TikTok at @spilltheatx, with a full festival recap to follow at stilltheatx.com.