SXSW 2026: Berlin Takeover in Texas
Berlin, March 2026, 12 – Milestones are meant to be celebrated. From March 12–18, 2026, the global innovation community will gather once again in Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest (SXSW) 2026. Over the past four decades, SXSW has evolved into one of the world’s leading platforms at the intersection of technology, business, and the digital and creative industries. This year, the festival marks its 40th anniversary. Berlin will be there. A delegation of 19 Berlin-based companies will travel to Austin as part of a program coordinated by Berlin Partner for Business and Technology.
Participating organizations include the Daimler Center for Automotive IT Innovation (DCAITI), FACTUREE / cwmk GmbH, Alganize GmbH, medianet BerlinBrandenburg,HypnoBox GmbH, IFA Berlin and Delivery Hero, among others. Throughout the week, the delegation will engage in panels, pitch sessions, curated side visits and meetups. A key highlight is the “Berlin Takeover” on March 14, 2026, hosted at the German Haus – Germany’s official SXSW hub and a central platform for networking, panels, pitches, presentations and live showcases. During the Berlin Takeover, the German Haus will shine a spotlight on Berlin as one of Europe’s leading startup and tech hubs. The program features workshops, presentations, discussions and startup pitches, culminating in the Berlin Music Night. Berlin artists including Ain TheMachine, JOPLYN, Anja Schneider and Martin Eyerer will transform the venue into a taste of the city’s globally renowned rave culture – before SXSW returns to its international focus the following day.
In its anniversary year, SXSW will once again bring together its core components – the Conference, Film & TV Festival and Music Festival – concurrently over the full seven-day period. SXSW EDU, the dedicated conference and festival for education, learning and innovation, will take place March 9–12, 2026, overlapping with the main program for one day. Through sessions, film screenings, workshops and networking events, SXSW EDU is a standalone conference and festival dedicated to education, learning and innovation. Through sessions, film screenings, workshops and curated networking opportunities, the event creates a platform for sharing forward-looking ideas and practical solutions shaping the future of education. March 12 marks Crossover Day, when attendees can access programming from both SXSW EDU and the main festival. The 2026 program once again offers a diverse mix of conference sessions, mentoring and networking formats, live music showcases, film and television screenings, comedy performances and a wide range of side events across Austin. After welcoming more than 300,000 participants last year, attendance is expected to remain strong in this milestone year. Featured speakers include filmmaker Steven Spielberg, actor Steve Carell, television host and producer Andy Cohen and futurist Amy Webb.