SXSW Sydney 2025 reveals music industry heavyweights for October conference and festival program.
The Asia-Pacific’s definitive destination for music discovery has unveiled its first wave of conference speakers, featuring some of the world’s most influential music industry figures. SXSW Sydney 2025 brings together global thought leaders, buyers and culture-makers to address critical topics including digital strategy, artificial intelligence challenges, and breaking into international markets.
Emmy Award-nominee music supervisor Jen Malone headlines the announcement, bringing her expertise from culture-defining projects including Euphoria, Wednesday, Mr & Mrs Smith, Atlanta and Overcompensating. Her track record of curating groundbreaking musical moments at the intersection of screen and sound makes her an essential voice for understanding contemporary music placement and cultural impact.
SXSW Sydney 2025
- 13-19 October 2025
- Chippendale and surrounding areas, Sydney
Music speaker lineup (announced thus far):
- Jen Malone (Music Supervisor, Black & White Music), USA
- Dr Marcus Collins (Culture Academic and #1 Selling Author), USA
- Alex Berenson (Senior Director of A&R, All Flowers), USA
- Andrew Batey (Founder & Co-CEO, Beatdapp), USA
- Brian Hobbs (VP of Music Festival, SXSW), USA
- Daphne Berry (Podcast Host, Airing Your Dirty Laundry), AUS
- Hallie Anderson (Co-Founder, Rareform), USA
- Jashima Wadehra (Founder, Ode), USA
- John Watson (President, John Watson Management / Eleven Music), AUS
- Jono Harrison (Music Industry Consultant), AUS
- Justin Sweeting (Co-Founder & Music Director, Clockenflap Festival), Hong Kong
- Kartini Ludwig (Founder, Koup Music), AUS
- Lucy Atkinson (Senior Agent, ATC), UK
- Macarena González (Live Talent Coordinator, Apodaca Group / Pal Norte Festival), Mexico
- Mardi Caught (Head, The Annex), AUS
- Meng Ru Kuok (Group CEO & Founder, Caldecott Music Group), Singapore
- Patrick Daniel (Project Manager, Reeperbahn), Germany
- Priya Dewan (Founder & CEO, GigLifePro), Singapore
- Roochay Shukla (Head of Creative Marketing India and South Asia, Believe), India
- Sally Dunstone (Partner and Agent, Primary Talent), UK
Artists already announced:
- Jasmine 4.t (UK)
- Freak Slug (UK)
- Jamaica Moana (AUS)
- JJ4K (AUS)
- Serebii (NZ)
- Slowwves (Thailand)
- Cardinals (Ireland)
- Tusekah (NZ)
- Suichu Spica 水中スピカ (JPN)
- RICEWINE (AUS)
- Sacred Hearts (AUS)
- Swapmeet (AUS)
- BADASSMUTHA (AUS)
- Ristband + Pivots (UK)
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Star-studded speaker lineup
Dr Marcus Collins joins as another marquee speaker, combining his background as a marketing professor, cultural translator and number one bestselling author with his experience as former director of digital strategy for Beyoncé. His insights into cultural movements and digital marketing strategies will provide valuable perspectives for artists and industry professionals navigating modern music promotion.
The international lineup spans multiple continents and expertise areas. From the USA, Senior Director of A&R at All Flowers Group Alex Berenson brings label perspective, while tech entrepreneur Andrew Batey and VP of Music Festival for SXSW in Austin Brian Hobbs offer festival and technology insights. Co-founder of Rareform marketing team Hallie Anderson, whose clients include TOKiMONSTA, Royel Otis, Tash Sultana and Obongjayar, represents cutting-edge artist development strategies.
Global industry expertise
Global representation includes Sally Dunstone from Primary Talent in the UK, Clockenflap Festival founder Justin Sweeting from Hong Kong, and Live Talent Coordinator Macarena González from Mexico’s Pal Norte Festival. Asian market expertise comes through Meng Ru Kuok, CEO of Caldecott Music Group in Singapore, and Priya Dewan from music networking platform GigLifePro.
The Australian contingent features podcast host Daphne Berry, John Watson from Eleven Music and John Watson Management representing Missy Higgins, Midnight Oil and Gotye, plus AI expert Kartini Ludwig from Koup Music. These local voices will provide essential context for navigating the Australian music landscape alongside international opportunities.
SXSW Sydney 2025 promises 1,600 events across conference, expo and festival components, with performances spanning 25 stages throughout Chippendale. The program captures emerging sounds from indie rock and experimental pop to immersive multimedia experiences combining music and technology, maintaining the festival’s reputation for discovering the next generation of musical talent.
For more information, head here.
