SXSW Dedicated Music Weekend is Going Away in 2026

For decades, SXSW has been the beating heart of Austin’s festival scene: a chaotic, wonderful mess of music, film, tech, and every brand activation under the sun. But next year, something major is changing, and it might have you wondering if SXSW is on the way out.

The short answer? No, the festival isn’t completely vanishing but a big part of it is.

SXSW 2026 will be shortened from nine days to just seven, running from March 12 to 18 instead of its usual stretch across two weekends. That means the second weekend, the prime time for music showcases and late-night chaos, is officially dead.

Music isn’t disappearing, but it’s getting shuffled into a new format, with performances spread throughout the entire festival week, instead of a dedicated weekend.

With SXSW’s longtime home base shutting down for years of construction, organizers are rethinking how the festival operates. Instead of a central hub, they’re shifting to industry-specific locations spread across the city, trying to keep that signature SXSW energy alive in a different way.

There is one upside: Badge prices are dropping, for now. If you’re planning to attend, you can grab early-bird presale badges at a discount until March 31, 2025.

According to the SXSW website in 2026, "We’re lowering presale badge prices (from 2025 rates) to help ensure that SXSW is for everyone."

So no, SXSW isn’t going away, but it’s definitely changing! If you’ve ever been to that final weekend of absolute music mayhem, you might feel like a part of the festival’s soul is going with it. Will it still have the same magic? We’ll find out in 2026.