Industry insiders have labelled the decision to axe SXSW Sydney as “disappointing,” saying it came just as the event was hitting its stride.
SXSW Sydney announced on Wednesday that the conference will not return in 2026, citing a shift affecting major events worldwide.
“SXSW Sydney worked closely with the NSW Government and SXSW’s global owners, Penske Media Corporation, to explore potential pathways forward for the event; however, prevailing market conditions mean the Sydney edition will not be going ahead at this time,” the statement read.
Between 2023 and 2025, SXSW Sydney generated an estimated $276 million in total economic impact.
Clear Hayes principal Alex Hayes.
Commercial realities outweighed goodwill
Clear Hayes principal Alex Hayes said he’s “genuinely gutted” to see SXSW Sydney cancelled, but “sadly” not all that surprised.
“SXSW Sydney brought something completely different and fresh to the event scene in Australia,” he told Mediaweek.
“It wasn’t perfect, no event at this scale ever could be – but the surprisingly small core team did a great job of listening and evolving year on year. It definitely felt like it had built momentum with attendees and created its own centre of gravity.
“Unfortunately, the tough economic climate and short-term event market meant the commercial realities for owners TEG and Penske would always decide its future, not the goodwill of the punters.”
Hayes said curating Clear Hayes House over the past three years gave him a front-row seat to the evolution of SXSW Sydney and how people’s expectations and attitudes changed.
“I’m immensely proud of what our small but mighty team were able to put on at the venue – for the countless conversations sparked, laughs shared and beers and gyozas consumed,” he said.
“It definitely had a positive impact for us and many of our partners in terms of business growth, which is what it is all about. I think we proved that showing up and giving people a great experience still counts for an awful lot.
“RIP SXSW Sydney – you will be missed by many.”
Human Digital CEO Ben van Rooy
A critical gap opens up for the industry
Human Digital CEO Ben van Rooy agreed that the decision is “disappointing” but not entirely unexpected.
“Events of SXSW’s scale demand long-term commitment, funding and patience. That said, SXSW Sydney was clearly gaining momentum,” he said.
“I attended twice, most recently as a speaker, and the calibre of thinking, contributors and international relevance was improving year on year.
“From an industry perspective, it felt like an event still in its growth phase, not one in decline.”
Van Rooy believes SXSW Sydney filled a “critical gap” by offering a “genuinely global platform” for strategic thinking.
“SXSW Sydney will be missed… the void it leaves is significant,” he said.
“In 2026, I expect the industry will fragment further, with senior marketers travelling offshore to Austin for inspiration while the local event circuit shifts towards smaller, niche formats.
“This creates an opportunity for a new event to emerge, but what’s been lost in the meantime is a rare, shared moment for collective industry thinking.”
BrandScent co-founder Suji Sanjeevan
What SXSW Sydney’s exit says about doing business in Australia
BrandScent co-founder Suji Sanjeevan said the end of SXSW Sydney is a “genuine loss” for the marketing and creative industries.
“It is a sharp reminder of how difficult it is to do business in Australia. We love ambition and global polish, yet we are an island with a small population where scale is tough and sustainability tougher,” she said.
“Visibility alone does not cut it. Add a PR and events world that can feel glossy and cliquey, and progress means wrestling past gatekeepers to make headway.
“As a scent marketing brand that plays in the experiential space, SXSW mattered.”
Sanjeevan said the conference broke down barriers by bringing founders, creatives and decision-makers into the same rooms.
“Sitting, listening, absorbing ideas from world leaders, but also the ability to get to speak to the likes of L’Oréal to Mastercard without the gatekeeping,” she said.
“As a panellist, it was rare gold. One stage, hundreds listening, doors quietly opening.
“It is a true loss, but it signals something far deeper about doing business in Australia, where talent is abundant yet the platforms needed to sustain, scale and truly back that creativity remain frustratingly fragile.”
The Ideas Business founder, Wade Kingsley.
An opportunity for local creativity
The Ideas Business founder, Wade Kingsley, said it was a “real shock” that SXSW Sydney was scrapped three years into a five-year deal.
“I think to pull it halfway through does feel like a bit of surprise, although I’m not sure it’s going to be necessarily mourned,” he said.
“That’s not a reflection on the quality of the event, because the quality was really good, it just hadn’t had time to really bake into Australia’s subculture and become something we’d suddenly miss because it wasn’t on.
“It probably needed to create its own origins, its own culture, whether it used the SXSW name or not.”
Kingsley believes the greatest challenge was defining its “reason for being.”
“They did the best job they could, but they were probably hamstrung by the fact that everyone expected it to live up to the dizzying heights of Austin, and I’m not sure you can ever sub-license a city vibe,” he said.
“We do really miss out on a big media/tech/creative gathering in Australia. We have them quite siloed.
“Now, though, there’s an opportunity for Australian creativity to think about a successful way to bring our people, culture and ideas together in one place at one time.”