LONDON, UK \u2014 South by Southwest has officially expanded to Europe.<\/p>\n
SXSW London<\/a> kicked off this week, making it the second international version of the Austin-born festival after Sydney.<\/p>\n Among the few Austinites on the ground is Emmy-winning local content creator Dani Dudek of @spilltheatx<\/a>, who\u2019s been covering SXSW since 2008.<\/p>\n “The vibe is really a lot like the Austin vibe,” she said. “I\u2019ve met some really rad people, made some great connections. Everybody\u2019s super friendly.”<\/p>\n “I\u2019ve met some really rad people, made some great connections. Everybody\u2019s super friendly.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But there are some differences.<\/p>\n MORE | <\/strong>South by Southwest to shorten 2026 festival amid Austin Convention Center remodel<\/a><\/p>\n “It\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also made an appearance, sharing a message that hit home for Dudek.<\/p>\n “He talked a lot about continuing to keep Austin weird and keeping Austin homegrown and not pricing people out of the city,” she said.<\/p>\n Dudek\u2019s also keeping an eye out for stars.<\/p>\n “I saw Joseph Fiennes and the new Eminem documentary Stans,” she said. “Tonight I\u2019m seeing Deep Cover. Orlando Bloom is gonna be there. Idris Elba is the biggest draw. He\u2019s doing a chat and spinning later tonight.”<\/p>\n ALSO |<\/strong>Selena’s legacy reignites in Austin at SXSW with emotional premiere of new documentary<\/a><\/p>\n With SXSW Austin set for big changes in 2026 due to construction at the convention center,<\/a> Dudek said her trip to London is a bit of a test run.<\/p>\n “That\u2019s part of the reason I came,” she said.<\/p>\n “I thought it would feel scaled down, but it doesn\u2019t. 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.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Dudek is posting updates throughout the week on Instagram<\/a> and TikTok<\/a> at @spilltheatx, with a full festival recap to follow at stilltheatx.com.<\/p>\n