SXSW has dropped the first wave of its 2026 music lineup, and there’s plenty to unpack. The festival’s 40th edition runs March 12–18 in Austin, with 100 showcasing artists and 50 showcase presenters announced so far.

Brighton’s masked lo-fi art-pop project Milo Korbenski and LA experimental electropop/live-coding artist DJ_Dave are among the early international picks, along with Mexico City post-punk project La Texana. On the U.S. side, Brooklyn alt-folk songwriter Hudson Freeman and Minneapolis singer-songwriter runo plum bring a quieter, songwriter-driven presence, while Austin’s own Bayonne (Roger Sellers’ electro-pop project) anchors the local scene. Other acts to watch include Indonesian indie trio Grrrl Gang, Irish post-punks Chalk, LA punk-pop band The Sophs, West Coast hip-hop/Bollywood hybrid KOAD, and Grammy-nominated Joyner Lucas. Several of these names are already getting noted in industry circles as SXSW “buzz acts” for 2026.

Returning showcase presenters include Billboard, NPR Music Stations, Rolling Stone, BBC Introducing, British Music Embassy, BMG, The Line of Best Fit, and the LA Times’ De Los. Newcomers like Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, R&B Block Party, and Dream Con are also curating, offering select artists a chance to get early industry exposure.

The festival officially kicks off March 12 at Stubb’s Amphitheater with The All-American Rejects headlining the Music Festival Opening Party, presented by Rivian. Additional performances at the party will continue to roll out as the fest nears.

For the first time, SXSW Music runs seven full days of showcases alongside Film & TV and Innovation programming. Badge holders get access to the Music Clubhouse at The Downright hotel, which centralizes panels, networking, and on-the-ground programming.