SXSW London Sets 2027 Festival Theme

SXSW London 2027, which is set to run from 24–29 May, will do so under the theme of “The Power of Human Potential.”

Festival organizers have also confirmed the form of the 2027 conference programme. The 2027 edition will be organised into 14 thematic tracks. These include: AI & Experience, Frontier Technologies, Health & Longevity, and Society Rewired, as well as new tracks such as Future Earth and Sports.

“The 2027 theme, ‘The Power of Human Potential’, is as much a call to action as it is a programming theme,” Katy Arnander, Chief Programming Officer at SXSW London, said in a statement. “SXSW London is the global festival for the convergence of business, tech, creativity and culture. The conversations on our stages, at our parties and in our networking sessions shape what happens in the year ahead.”

SXSW London reported more than 20,000 festivalgoers in 2026. The festival hosted 863 speakers, including Michelle Obama, the Russo brothers, and Neon Founder Tom Quinn. Other previous speakers include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Demis Hassabis, Esther Perel, Idris Elba and the late Dr Jane Goodall.

The festival’s screen strand hosted 100 screenings in 2026. Those included the UK premiere of Sex and Death in Camp Miasma, and the world premieres of the animated series Get Jiro and the feature film Savage House. The music programme featured performances by Rachel Chinouriri, Tiwa Savage, Shame, Pete Tong and Gilles Peterson.

Arnander added: “In our third year, we look forward to once again welcoming artists, inventors, leaders, founders and policymakers to lead conversations, make connections, and bring curiosity and practical optimism to the future of their industries and our collective society.”