- What Does SXSW Stand For?
- SXSW Is an Indie Festival at Its Core — And That's the Point
- The Four Parts of SXSW
- Is SXSW Free?
- How Much Does SXSW Cost?
- When and Where Is SXSW?
- Should You Go to SXSW?
- CareFreeBlackGirl built the room.
- The Artists I Saw
- An Ode to Black Women Taking Up Space
- What to Know Before You Go
- The Black Side of Austin — Where to Find Your People
- East Austin Interactive Checklist and Map
- Other Showcases by Black Indie Artists and Creatives
SXSW, or South by Southwest, is one of those events that’s hard to explain until you’re standing in the middle of it.
It runs every March in Austin, Texas. It’s a music festival, a film festival, a tech conference, and a comedy festival, all at the same time, all in the same city. Over 300,000 people show up.
What Does SXSW Stand For?
SXSW stands for South by Southwest. It started in 1987 as a music industry conference in Austin, Texas, and a way to connect independent artists with labels, promoters, and press. It’s grown significantly since then.
Today, SXSW is four festivals running simultaneously across seven days. The scale is hard to picture: 850+ conference sessions, 4,400 musicians across 300+ live showcases, 375+ film and TV screenings, four nights of comedy, and 450+ brand activations spread across the city.
SXSW Is an Indie Festival at Its Core — And That’s the Point
Before I get into what moved me most about this trip, let me set the scene for anyone who has never been.
SXSW has grown into one of the most influential cultural events in the world, bringing together music, film, tech, innovation, comedy, and education all in one city for one week. But underneath all the brand activations, celebrity keynotes, and badge-gated venues, the soul of SXSW is still indie.
It is still the place where an unknown artist performs to forty people who could change their career. Where a first-time filmmaker premieres a movie that goes on to sweep awards season. Where a creator walks into a panel and leaves with their next collaboration, their next investor, or their next idea.
That scrappiness is what makes SXSW what it is. And it is also exactly where Black indie artists have always lived.
The Four Parts of SXSW
South by Southwest
Since 1987
Music Festival
The original SXSW. Artists perform across venues throughout downtown Austin and East 6th Street — from first-timers playing outside their home city to established names doing surprise sets. Some showcases are free and open to anyone. Others require a Music badge or wristband.
Best for
Tech & Ideas
Innovation Conference
Panels and keynotes covering AI, media, entrepreneurship, health, and culture. Past speakers include Barack Obama, Serena Williams, and Brené Brown. Also where the largest brand activations cluster — many of which are free and open, even without a badge.
Best for
World Premieres
Film & TV Festival
Films and TV shows including world premieres, with director and cast Q&As after most screenings. SXSW has a track record of launching movies that go on to wider release. It’s also the least crowded of the four tracks — standby lines are shorter here than anywhere else at the festival.
Best for
Evening Programming
Comedy Festival
Stand-up, improv, and late-night style shows across Austin venues. Lineups mix well-known comedians with emerging talent. Runs primarily in the evenings, making it easy to combine with daytime programming from any other track — no all-day commitment required.
Best for
Is SXSW Free?
Parts of SXSW are free. This is one of the most searched questions about the festival — and the honest answer is: it depends on what you want to do.
What’s free: many Music Festival showcases are open to the public with no badge required. Brand activations — the pop-ups, houses, and events run by sponsors — are almost entirely free and open. Street performances, unofficial parties, and the general energy of Austin during festival week cost nothing to experience.
What costs money: official conference sessions (Innovation, Film & TV), reserved seating at ticketed showcases, and anything inside the SXSW Convention Center. These require a badge.
I was able to experience a great combination of both. Going into the sessions and sitting down to hear speakers and mentors offer tips and advice, but still being able to go on the streets and casually see random performances and pop-ups that you can walk through and experience for free.
How Much Does SXSW Cost?
If you’re buying a badge, here’s a rough breakdown of what to expect. Prices vary by year, and when you purchase, early bird rates are significantly lower than door prices.
| Badge Type | What It Covers | 2027 Price |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | All four festival tracks — Music, Film & TV, Innovation, and Comedy | $1,285 |
| Innovation | Conference sessions, panels, and keynotes | $750 |
| Film & TV | Screenings and film panels | $700 |
| EDU | Education-focused conference sessions | $495 |
| Music | Music Festival showcases and venues | $475 |
| Press / Creator | Section-specific access — earned through application, not purchased | Free if selected |
Prices are from SXSW 2027 badge sales and increase as the festival date approaches. Always verify current pricing at sxsw.com/badges.
Note: badge prices above are approximate ranges based on recent years. Check sxsw.com for current pricing. Press and creator credentials are not purchased, they’re applied for through SXSW’s media credentialing process.
When and Where Is SXSW?
SXSW runs every March in Austin, Texas, and the 2026 festival ran from March 12-18.
Everything happens in and around downtown Austin. The Convention Center anchors the Innovation Conference. Music venues are spread throughout East 6th Street, Red River Cultural District, and South Congress. Film screenings happen at theatres within walking distance of the Convention Center.
If you’re going, staying downtown is essential. The festival is within walking distance of a central location. Rideshare surge pricing during peak hours is real — a downtown apartment or hotel saves you money and time.
Should You Go to SXSW?
SXSW is worth going to if at least one of these is true: you’re serious about music and want to see artists before they blow up, you work in tech or media and the Innovation Conference is useful for your career, you want to experience one of the most energetic cities in America at full volume, or you’re a content creator and the week will generate material.
It’s not worth going to if you need a quiet, relaxed trip. Austin during SXSW is loud, crowded, and requires planning. The city handles it well, but it’s a different Austin than March in a non-festival year.
CareFreeBlackGirl built the room.
Here is what I did not fully expect when I walked into Austin as press: that the moment that would stay with me longest had nothing to do with a tech panel or a brand activation. It had everything to do with a stage full of Black women.
CareFreeBlackGirl — the lifestyle brand and podcast that has spent a decade creating platforms for Black women and femmes in art, tech, and entrepreneurship — is an official SXSW Showcase Presenter. That means they were not just attending the festival. They were invited to curate it.
For their 10-year celebration, they brought together thirteen artists for one night: DJ Gotta Strut, Ifeanyi Elswith, Killakmadeinbrooklyn, Niiasii, Kayanne Peppa, Mobeethicc, Amber Jaii, Dyna Edyne, Ms. Ca$H, Miss GIRL6, MikMula, QUANNA, and Jaxs.
Thirteen Black women and femmes. One stage. One night. At one of the biggest music festivals in the world.
That is not a small thing. That is ten years of work made visible.
The Artists I Saw
I did not catch every set. But the ones I did stayed with me.
Killakmadeinbrooklyn
Known as Killa K — came out of Brooklyn first and did not apologize for a single bar. Her music is rooted in real life, emotional truth, and the kind of street confidence that only comes from actually living it.
She is an independent artist and a mother of two who carved her lane without following industry formulas, and it shows. Every release sounds like someone who answers to nobody. The audience was jumping and vibing with her music, and the room was filled with excitement.
Niiasii
An alternative pop artist from Southeast Virginia whose project “The Art of Changing Form” crossed 100,000 streams before most people knew her name.
In her own words, performing is when she stops being herself and becomes Niiasii, and you feel that shift happen in real time. Her music sits at the intersection of pop, R&B, and alternative in a way that refuses to be categorized, and her stage presence is electric in the quietest, most intentional way.
I was there, and I felt it. Her vibe was electric and magnetic. You just could not keep your eyes off of her.
Kayanne Peppa
also known as Bunnii — is a genre unto herself. Born in Philadelphia, her sound blends hip-hop grit with punk rebellion and an unmistakable sense of play, drawing from Missy Elliott and Gwen Stefani in the same breath.
She gives bunny ears out to the crowd at every show in memory of her late rabbit Kirby, and somehow that detail tells you everything you need to know about who she is — fully committed, warm, and completely her own person.
She gives inspirational speeches in between her sessions and brings her best friends with her, including her guitarist. It felt like a musical family on stage, with a vibe that was both vulnerable and electric.
Mobeethicc
A Southside Chicago DJ who has spent six years building her reputation from neighborhood bars to major festival stages, and at SXSW, she made it look effortless. Her open-format style has a way of making a room forget what time it is, which is exactly what happened.
OKAN
OKAN is a Cuban-American duo that blends Latin jazz, Afrobeats, and Cuban rhythms — and weaves Yoruba into their lyrics alongside Spanish, which hits differently when Yoruba is a language you actually grew up speaking. The crowd kept asking for more after every song, and they kept delivering. Look them up before everyone else does.
An Ode to Black Women Taking Up Space
What CareFreeBlackGirl has done for ten years — and what they did on that stage — is not just representation. It is infrastructure. They built the invite. They curated the lineup, held the room, and made sure that the artists on that stage had an audience that showed up specifically for them.
SXSW has always been about discovery. What it means for a festival built on that idea to keep discovering Black talent — to keep making room for it, credentialing it, platforming it — is something worth saying out loud. Not as a thank you. But as a marker. This is what it looks like when the door stays open. When it opens wider every year.
Black women have always been making music that deserves a stage this big. The stage is finally catching up.
What to Know Before You Go
- Book accommodation 3-4 months out minimum. Downtown fills fast, and prices spike
- Many of the best SXSW experiences are free: brand activations, outdoor showcases, street energy
- The SXSW GO app is essential for navigating the schedule. Download it before you arrive
- Rideshare surge pricing during peak hours is significant. Stay somewhere walkable or take a pedicab or sponsored shuttle
- Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk more than you expect. I hit 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. And it’s much faster than waiting in traffic
- Press and creator credentials exist, and the application barrier is lower than most people think.
The Black Side of Austin — Where to Find Your People
SXSW gets a lot of credit for being a festival of discovery. But what the festival doesn’t always advertise is that East Austin has been a hub of Black history, culture, and community long before the badges and wristbands arrived every March. If you know where to look, the Black side of Austin is not hard to find. It is just a short Uber ride and a walk east.
Self-Guided Walking Tour · East Austin, TX
East Austin Black History Crawl
East Austin’s streets hold one of Texas’s richest concentrations of Black history — music venues on the Chitlin’ Circuit, churches built after Emancipation, Green Book hotels, and schools that educated generations under segregation.
African American Cultural & Heritage Facility
912 E. 11th St
City of Austin community center anchoring the East 11th corridor. Home to the ceramic and glass mosaic Reflections by Houston artist Reginald C. Adams, and the mural Portraits of Our History by Austin muralist Ryan Runcie — both celebrating African American figures from Austin.
Dedrick-Hamilton House
912 E. 11th St
In 1878, Thomas Dedrick — a formerly enslaved person — bought this property on Robertson’s Hill. Five generations of his family lived here, including writer-activist Darwin Hamilton. Artifacts uncovered during restoration are now displayed inside the Heritage Facility next door.
Ebenezer Church
1010 E. 10th St
Organized in 1875. Church members moved from a frame building into a brick structure at E. 10th and San Marcos in the mid-1880s. The bell ringing in the tower today is from that original brick church — the congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary this year.
Texas Music Museum
1009 E. 11th St
Housed in the Rev. Marvin C. Griffin Building — named for a former pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and AISD board member — this museum holds artifacts, documents, and reference materials telling the story of the people who shaped Austin’s music scene.
MW St. Joseph Lodge
1017 E. 11th St
The Most Worshipful St. Joseph Grand Lodge of Texas A.F. & A.M. Masonic Temple — an African American Masonic lodge and fraternal organization, completed and opened in 1950.
Dr. Charles E. Urdy Plaza
E. 11th St & Waller
Named for Dr. Charles E. Urdy — chemistry professor at Huston-Tillotson, Austin City Councilman, Mayor Pro-Tem, and first chairman of the Austin Revitalization Authority. The plaza features mosaic tile murals by local artists John Yancey and Regina Thomas.
Metropolitan AME Church
1101 E. 10th St
First members began meeting in a private home in the early 1870s. Driven by their passion for the education of young people, this congregation established Paul Quinn College in 1872 in Waco — now operating in Dallas.
Street-Jones & Snell Buildings
1050 E. 11th St
Named for business leader Oliver B. Street, civic and church leader Deacon Walter Jones, and former Austin City Council member and Travis County Commissioner Jimmy Snell. Formerly housed — and currently house — several Black-owned businesses.
Victory Grill
1104 E. 11th St
Opened in 1945 as Austin’s first home of the blues. A Chitlin’ Circuit venue that brought Billie Holiday, James Brown, Ike and Tina Turner, Etta James, and Chuck Berry to Austin during segregation. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Kenny Dorham’s Backyard
1106 E. 11th St
Named for the legendary East Austin jazz trumpeter and Motown composer. An outdoor music venue in the heart of the historic East End cultural district, near the last home of the man himself.
Charlie’s Playhouse
1206 E. 11th St
Owner Charlie Earnest Gilden made this one of the most popular jazz and blues clubs in East Austin. Ike and Tina Turner performed here. The club thrived under segregation — and ironically, desegregation spelled its end.
Hillside Farmacy
1209 E. 11th St
In the 1920s, Dr. Ulysses “Doc” Young became one of the first African Americans to operate a pharmacy in Austin. Restored in 2019 and designated a Texas Historical Landmark — it’s now an open restaurant. One of the most tangible living markers on this crawl.
Deluxe Hotel
1101 Navasota St
Operated by James and Gladys Reed, this hotel was listed in the Green Book — the essential guide helping Black Americans identify safe businesses to patronize in the segregated South. B.B. King, Etta James, and Tina Turner stayed here while performing nearby.
Fire Station #5
1005 Lydia St
In 1952, Willie Ray Davis, Nathaniel H. Kindred, and Roy Green became the first three Black professional firefighters hired in Texas with the Austin Fire Department. Davis retired as a captain — a quiet but significant marker of integration in city services.
Southern Dinette
1010 E. 11th St
Opened around 1947, the Southern Dinette built a reputation as the best soul food on the Eastside. A community anchor in the heart of the historic business corridor.
White Swan Lounge
1906 E. 12th St
A historic lounge offering live blues and jazz. One of the longer-surviving anchors of the East 12th Street music scene.
Harlem Theater
E. 12th St & Salina St
Founded in 1935 to serve Black moviegoers in ways other Austin theaters would not. Famously served 15-cent chili burgers — so popular that non-moviegoers would come just to buy them at the window.
Sam’s Barbecue
2000 E. 12th St
Family-owned since Sam Campbell opened it in 1957. The current owners, the Mays family, have said they are determined not to lose the restaurant to gentrification. A living piece of East Austin’s Black business community — still open.
Shorty’s Bar & Grill
1010 E. 11th St
Named for owner Eugene “Shorty” Bonner, a popular gathering spot from 1960 to 1987. In 1985, Shorty had the Haehnel Building designated as a historic site by the National Register of Historic Places.
Wesley Church
1164 San Bernard St
After emancipation, formerly enslaved congregation members separated from the First United Methodist Church, formed Wesley Chapel Methodist Church, and built their own sanctuary. The bell in the current belfry came from that original church.
Olivet Baptist Church
1179 San Bernard St
One of several notable buildings in Six Square, Austin’s Black Cultural Heritage District. Designed by John S. Chase — the first African American architect licensed in Texas — in his signature steep, brick-clad angular style.
George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center
1165 Angelina St
Opened in 1980 inside what was once Austin’s first library — later its first branch library. Collects, preserves, and interprets the African American experience in Austin. Consider starting your crawl here for context before hitting the street.
George Washington Carver Branch Library
1161 Angelina St
The former “Colored Branch” — Austin’s segregated public library — later renamed the George Washington Carver Branch Library. A 1979 expansion was built adjacent to the original 1926 building.
Kealing Junior High / Anderson High School
1607 Pennsylvania Ave
Built in 1884 as one of Austin’s first schools for African American children. Moved and renamed multiple times, becoming E.H. Anderson High School — Austin’s only public high school for Black students during segregation. Closed in 1971 as part of a court-ordered desegregation plan.
Huston-Tillotson University
900 Chicon St
Austin’s first institution of higher learning, opened in 1875. Two historically Black colleges — Tillotson College and Samuel Huston College — merged here in 1952. Officially became Huston-Tillotson University in 2005. Still active today.
Rosewood Courts
2001 Rosewood Ave
The oldest African American public housing project in the United States, opened in 1939. Currently being redesigned to include 164 units for rent and ownership alongside open green space.
Rosewood Park & Henry Green Madison Cabin
2300 Rosewood Ave
A homestead from the 1870s turned community park in 1930 — historically a Juneteenth celebration site. The reconstructed log cabin belonged to Henry Green Madison, the first African American appointed to Austin City Council, recently refurbished by architect Donna Carter.
Doris Miller Auditorium
2300 Rosewood Ave
Named for Waco native Doris “Dorie” Miller, who — during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941 — moved his wounded captain to safety, then manned an anti-aircraft gun and shot down four enemy aircraft. He became the first African American to receive the Navy Cross, on May 7, 1942.
Yellow Jacket Stadium
Rosewood Ave & Hargrave St
Also known as Anderson Stadium — the main football and track facility for Anderson High School, Austin’s only public high school for Black students during segregation. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
Source: East Austin Black History Crawl pamphlet, produced by the East Austin Coalition for Quality Education, the African American Cultural & Heritage Facility, and OLCAAA, Inc. Pick up a copy at the George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center, 1165 Angelina St, Austin, TX.
East Austin Interactive Checklist and Map
Self-Guided Tour · East Austin, TX
East Austin Black History Crawl
Select a location tab to navigate the map, then tap a zone to see what’s there and check off stops as you go.
A The Music Block
Victory Grill, Charlie’s Playhouse, the Deluxe Hotel — the Chitlin’ Circuit corridor where legends performed and stayed
-
✓1
Victory Grill
1104 E. 11th St
Austin’s first home of the blues, opened 1945. Billie Holiday, James Brown, and Etta James all performed here. NRHP listed.
-
✓2
Kenny Dorham’s Backyard
1106 E. 11th St
Named for the legendary East Austin jazz trumpeter. Outdoor music venue near his last Austin home — still active.
-
✓3
Charlie’s Playhouse
1206 E. 11th St
East Austin’s most popular jazz and blues club. Ike and Tina Turner performed here. Desegregation ironically ended it.
-
✓4
Texas Music Museum
1009 E. 11th St
Artifacts and documents preserving the story of the people who shaped Austin’s music scene. Free to visit.
-
✓5
Deluxe Hotel
1101 Navasota St
Green Book listed. B.B. King, Etta James, and Tina Turner stayed here while performing on the Chitlin’ Circuit.
-
✓6
Fire Station #5
1005 Lydia St
In 1952, Davis, Kindred, and Green became the first three Black professional firefighters hired in Texas.
B Civic & Faith Row
Churches, lodges, and community institutions that held East Austin together through segregation and beyond
-
✓1
African American Cultural & Heritage Facility
912 E. 11th St
City community center with mosaic art celebrating African American figures from Austin. Start here.
-
✓2
Dedrick-Hamilton House
912 E. 11th St
Bought in 1878 by formerly enslaved Thomas Dedrick. Five generations lived here.
-
✓3
Ebenezer Church
1010 E. 10th St
Organized 1875. The bell in the tower today is from the original mid-1880s brick church — 150 years old.
-
✓4
Metropolitan AME Church
1101 E. 10th St
Congregation founded Paul Quinn College in 1872. First met in a private home in the 1870s.
-
✓5
MW St. Joseph Lodge
1017 E. 11th St
African American Masonic lodge and fraternal organization. Completed 1950.
-
✓6
Dr. Charles E. Urdy Plaza
E. 11th St & Waller
Named for Austin’s first Black City Councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem. Features tile murals by John Yancey and Regina Thomas.
-
✓7
Street-Jones & Snell Buildings
1050 E. 11th St
Named for Black civic leaders. Formerly housed and currently houses several Black-owned businesses.
-
✓8
Hillside Farmacy
1209 E. 11th St
Austin’s first Black-owned pharmacy, 1920s. Texas Historical Landmark 2019. Now an open restaurant.
C East 12th Street
Soul food, cinema, nightlife, and sacred spaces — the strip that fed and entertained the community
-
✓1
Southern Dinette
1010 E. 11th St
Opened ~1947. Known as the best soul food on the Eastside.
-
✓2
Harlem Theater
E. 12th St & Salina St
Founded 1935 for Black moviegoers. Famous for 15-cent chili burgers non-moviegoers came just to buy.
-
✓3
White Swan Lounge
1906 E. 12th St
Historic lounge offering live blues and jazz. One of the longer-surviving East 12th Street music anchors.
-
✓4
Sam’s Barbecue
2000 E. 12th St
Family-owned since 1957. Still open. Current owners determined not to lose it to gentrification.
-
✓5
Shorty’s Bar & Grill
1010 E. 11th St
Popular gathering spot 1960–1987. Owner Shorty Bonner placed the Haehnel Building on the National Register.
-
✓6
Wesley Church
1164 San Bernard St
Post-emancipation congregation built their own sanctuary. The original church’s bell still hangs in the belfry.
-
✓7
Olivet Baptist Church
1179 San Bernard St
Designed by John S. Chase — the first African American architect licensed in Texas. Part of Six Square Heritage District.
D The Carver Corridor
Libraries, schools, and a university — the institutions built to educate and preserve Black Austin’s history
-
✓1
George Washington Carver Museum
1165 Angelina St
Opened 1980 in Austin’s first library building. Collects and interprets the African American experience in Austin. Start here.
-
✓2
GW Carver Branch Library
1161 Angelina St
The former “Colored Branch” public library — renamed for the African American inventor and scientist.
-
✓3
Kealing / Anderson High School
1607 Pennsylvania Ave
Built 1884. Austin’s only public high school for Black students during segregation. Closed 1971 by court order.
-
✓4
Huston-Tillotson University
900 Chicon St
Austin’s first institution of higher learning, opened 1875. HBCU — still active today.
E Rosewood
Parks, housing, and stadiums — community spaces built by and for Black Austin through the 20th century
-
✓1
Rosewood Courts
2001 Rosewood Ave
Oldest African American public housing project in the United States. Opened 1939. Being redesigned and preserved.
-
✓2
Rosewood Park & Madison Cabin
2300 Rosewood Ave
Juneteenth celebration site since 1930. The cabin belonged to Henry Green Madison — first Black Austin City Council member.
-
✓3
Doris Miller Auditorium
2300 Rosewood Ave
Named for the first African American to receive the Navy Cross — for heroism at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
-
✓4
Yellow Jacket Stadium
Rosewood Ave & Hargrave St
Main sports facility for Anderson High School during segregation. Added to National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
-
✓5
Henry Green Madison Cabin
2300 Rosewood Ave
Built ~1863. Henry Green Madison was the first African American appointed to Austin City Council. Recently refurbished by architect Donna Carter.
Other Showcases by Black Indie Artists and Creatives
Auntie’s House — Where Y’all At Though
For the first time ever, Auntie’s House was an official SXSW event — and if you have ever been to a cousin kickback where the music is right, the food is good, and everyone in the room feels like family, you already know what this felt like.
Where Y’all At Though brought their full vision to Pershing Hall: DJs, the Skinfolk Marketplace, live performances, and the specific energy of Black people creating a space inside a festival that was not originally built with them in mind. It was one of the best things I did all week.
Kinky Curly Coily Fest
If Auntie’s House was the kickback, Kinky Curly Coily Fest is the celebration. An official SXSW showcase dedicated to Black artistry, natural hair culture, and Black businesses — hair exhibits, fashion, eco-friendly vendors, live music, and a community of creatives who showed up specifically for this.
Happening on the last night of SXSW week, it felt like the right way to close out. Black Austin is saving the best for last.
