Idris Elba, Tems and Deepak Chopra to headline SXSW festival in London

Festival is bringing Texas to Shoreditch with a star-studded lineup of panellists and performers

SXWS headliners Idris Elba, Tems and Deepak Chopra (Getty Images)

Idris Elba, Tems, Katherine Ryan and Deepak Chopra are among the starry names confirmed for the European debut of South by Southwest festival in London this summer.

In an announcement shared on Tuesday (11 February), organisers said that the London instalment of the festival – known as SXSW – will see some of the world’s biggest talent from across music, film, tech and culture appear at its inaugural stint in Shoreditch, east London.

Conference headliners include DJ and actor Idris Elba, wellness guru Deepak Chopra, comedian Katherine Ryan, rapper and producer Wyclef Jean, electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre and celebrity fitness coach Joe Wicks.

Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW has begun expanding globally with organisers hoping the festival will represent a cultural touchpoint for the global creative community.

The festival first branched out from its Austin roots in 2023 with the launch of SXSW Sydney. For SXSW London, talent from the UK and Europe will take centre stage with a series of talks, music showcases and innovations in tech, gaming and screen. The London instalment marks the festival’s European debut.

The festival will explore the intersection between film, art and music, with presentations including feature films, shorts, music videos and a selection of immersive works.

The first UK film retrospective of the award-winning filmmaker Jenn Nkiru will be presented at the festival, as well as the London premiere of her latest work The Great North.

In terms of music, the SXSW London’s Music Festival has unveiled Nigerian Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Tems as its first headliner for a show on 5 June at London’s east London venue Troxy.

Idris Elba is one of the conference headliners for SXSW in London this summer (Getty Images for Paramount Pictu)

The festival will also include an immersive concept from Abbey Road Studios, involving live music performances and talks.

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The organisers said: “Reflecting their core themes of music creativity, innovation and learning, this unique collaboration will highlight the continuing cultural relevance and innovative spirit of Abbey Road for festival delegates.”

Singer Tems will headline SXSW’s music performance at Lonodn’s Troxy in June (2024 Invision)

Anna Bogutskaya, Head of Screen at SXSW London, told The Independent that the festival will celebrate and platform boundary-breaking storytellers in the industry.

“No one occupies the intersection of film, art and music better than Jenn Nkiru, whose vision I've admired for years. I’m excited she is trusting us to present a retrospective of her work so far,” said Bogutskaya.

Adem Holness, Head of Music at SXSW London, added: “One of the things I love most about London is that you can step out of any tube station and find yourself in a distinct community. So, that's exactly how I want our festival to feel – each of our venues will be space to experience underground music scenes from all over the world.”

“I feel so honoured to be collaborating with the most exciting international new music pioneers and presenting the future of music from their unique perspectives. I can't wait to share artists they're choosing to platform.”

SXSW London will run from 2 to 7 June 2025. Find out more information at sxswlondon.com.