South by Southwest® (SXSW®) has announced new Showcasing Artists invited to perform at the 40th SXSW Music Festival (March 12–18) across Austin’s iconic clubs and venues for seven nights.

SXSW will showcase groundbreaking new artists from around the world, including: Miss Bashful, the Berlin techno provocateur blending sexy energy with dance floor chaos; musical multi hyphenate and country-pop innovator Ink, and the U.S debut of groundbreaking South London rapper Kairo Keyz. Talent from across diverse genres and landscapes also includes viral melodic-trap sensation sosocamo, Texas-based Música Mexicana duo Hermanos Espinoza, breakout Brazilian funk powerhouse MC Danny, British ambient pedal steel luminary Joe Harvey-Whyte, and Detroit’s genre-blending feel-good singer QUINN XCII.

In addition to the eclectic emerging talent, SXSW Music Festival will welcome multi-award winning country music star Lainey Wilson and timeless country blues crooner Charley Crockett, both of whom will be premiering documentaries at the SXSW Film & TV Festival in addition to their headlining showcase performances. Los Lobos, the East LA band and Mexican-American roots-rock pioneers, will play a surprise show in support of the film premiere for Los Lobos Native Sons. Influential indie synth and dance innovators Passion Pit return to SXSW after more than a decade, and, on the 30th anniversary of Mark’s Keyboard Repair and The In Sound From Way Out!, Money Mark will be revisiting tracks from both albums, joined by various guests and co-conspirators.

To see the full list of Showcasing Artists announced so far, visit the SXSW schedule here.

“As we celebrate the 40th year of the SXSW Music Festival, extending our music programming to seven full nights, our 2026 lineup represents some of the most expansive and globally diverse talent in our history,” said Brian Hobbs, VP of Music at SXSW. “This year’s festival is a massive collaborative effort, between our talented team of programmers and our visionary showcase presenters, to bring both global stars and the next generation to Austin, once again turning our downtown into the world’s premier destination for music discovery.”

Listen to the artists who will be performing at SXSW 2026 by subscribing to the official SXSW Spotify and YouTube Music Video playlists.

Showcase Presenters

Music showcases are curated by SXSW programmers in collaboration with record labels, booking agencies, export offices, management and PR firms, publishers, media outlets, lifestyle brands and festivals. Highlights from the announced SXSW Music Showcase Presenters today include Interscope Records, Los Guitarrazos, Notting Hill Carnival, SoundOn Tiktok, Top Dawg Entertainment, TuneCore Japan, Universal Music México’s FONO, Rimas and Warner Music Latina.

For a full list of Showcase Presenters announced to date, see here.

Music Clubhouse

The SXSW Music Clubhouse at The Downright Hotel is the home base for all things music, including live performances, networking and industry connections, meetups, activations, and special surprises.

Performances on the Radio Day stage will feature curation from the world’s most influential broadcasters, such as KCRW, KEXP’s El Sonido, BBC Introducing and NPR Music stations, while the Global Stage will highlight some of the most diverse genres and international performers to be found at the SXSW Music Festival.

For more information on the Music Clubhouse, visit the Music Attendee Guide here.

Music Conference

SXSW also announced new programming for the SXSW Music Conference today, including:

  • Beyond the Track: Storytelling Across Music, Film & New Visual Frontiers with Vic Mensa—Grammy-nominated artist, actor and visionary Vic Mensa explores how musicality shapes cinematic storytelling across film, episodic content and emerging mediums, sharing insights from still with the smoke—filmed on an iPhone in Senegal—his Orange Tree Series, award-winning film Blue Eyes, and a first look at his forthcoming short film.
  • Breaking a Band in 2026: The Girl Tones Blueprint—This session brings together Girl Tones (sister duo Kenzie & Laila), Daniel Oakley, co-founder of the indie label Parallel Vision, and Nicole Rich, Director of Streaming at Big Loud Rock, Parallel Vision’s label partner, for a candid, tactical walkthrough of a modern artist-development model.
  • Ethical & Unethical AI in Music—Join Forbes’ Virginie Bergeras as she moderates a hard-hitting session with Kato On The Track and Michael MJ Jacob, CTO of BeatStars, to unpack real cases training data, rights and licensing to give creators the practical rules and tools they need to protect their work and profit from AI, not be erased by it.
  • Mexico Amplified: How Música Mexicana is Reshaping Global Music—As the Mexican music scene has gone from a local ecosystem to a global force, Lalo Rojas, Director of Caballeros, Macarena Gonzalez, live talent coordinator and promoter for Apodaca Music Group, and Noel Seoane, Festival Promoter for OCESA, will explore Mexico’s growing influence as a global reference point for music, culture, and live entertainment.
  • Spotify for Artists Masterclass—Join the Spotify music team, including Pop Editorial Lead Talia Kraines, Label Partnerships Lead Miller Guth and Sales Manager Chris Demas, to learn how to best leverage products like Countdown Pages, Clips, Music Videos, Marquee, Showcase and more to build hype for new music and connect with new fans across the release cycle.
  • State of the DIY Artist—Abe Batshon, Founder and CEO of BeatStars, and rapper Curtiss King map how creators are building careers on their own terms, from publishing and direct monetization to growing audiences and protecting IP. Expect actionable tactics, honest tradeoffs, and a live Q&A that gives producers and indie artists the step-by-step playbook to level up.

To see the full list of conference sessions and workshops announced, visit the SXSW schedule here.

Badges & Music Wristbands

Platinum and Music Badges are available now for priority access to all SXSW Music Festival Showcases and Conference programming. Music Wristbands are on sale now as well, providing access to official SXSW Music Festival Showcases. Note that Music Wristbands do not guarantee admission to every SXSW event. Badges and Wristbands can be purchased here. 

About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is known worldwide for conferences and festivals that celebrate the convergence of technology, film and television, music, education, comedy and culture. The annual event serves global professionals through sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and networking that consistently generates unexpected discoveries when diverse communities come together. SXSW 2026 runs March 12-18 in downtown Austin, preceded by SXSW EDU March 9-12. Learn more at sxsw.com.

SXSW continues to connect creative communities around the world through its flagship event in Austin and SXSW London, which launched in 2025—reflecting SXSW’s commitment to fostering meaningful exchange across culture, technology, and creativity.

SXSW 2026 Driven by Rivian.