SXSW came back in full swing for 2023 with many star studded celebrities, bands and artists coming to Austin, Texas for the week like music, film and interactive festival. This year saw many new brand activations, new pop ups, the rise of new artists and a whole lot of fun to go with it.

We were excited to see new activations and showcases brought by Coca-Cola, Paramount Plus, Dolby, and Lush amongst many others. A fan favorite that came back strong was the Culture Collide showcases on Rainey Street. These are amongst the most popular showcases that take over venues and bars on Rainey Street with lines that go around the block for various locations. There was a lot of free food to go around as well as drinks and free swag.

One showcase we got the pleasure to attend was the Rolling Stone Future of Music. Artists include J.I.D., Chloe Bailey, Cuco, Remi Wolf, Mariah The Scientist, Koffee and after all was said and done the secret guest turned out to be Macklemore. Years after performing at the MTVU Woodie awards during SXSW back in 2013, Macklemore has made his return. Fans loved every bit of his performance as he kept the crowd pumped and on their feet all night long.

We always look forward to SXSW every year because of the way it brings out Austin and showcases the city and what can be done here. We can’t wait to see what exciting surprises next year will bring us.