About SXSW And How To Do It For Free In 2024

Are you attending SXSW 2024?

In this guide, you’re going to learn about SXSW, how to do it for free, what to know before you arrive to Austin, how to get free food and drinks, and more.

You’re also going to learn how you can avoid some of the common mistakes most festival goers make when attending SXSW for the first time.

What Is SXSW?

SXSW started back in March of 1987 in Austin, Texas.

Every year since, hundreds of thousands of people flock to the city of Austin, Texas to attend the city-wide South by Southwest festival (otherwise referred to as SXSW or South By).

SXSW 2024 is 9 days long and has three main sections (not counting food).

1. Film festival (SXSW Film)

2. The tech or "Interactive” festival (SXSWi)

3. Music festival (SXSW Music)

When Is South by Southwest 2024?

South by Southwest 2024 starts March 8th, 2024 and ends March 16th, 2024.

What makes SXSW so different from other festivals is that not only is it multiple different festivals all in one, the unofficial and official SXSW events take place all over the entire city of Austin, Texas.

SXSW 2024 dates:

• SXSW Music Festival is from March 8-16

• SXSW Interactive is from March 8-16

• SXSW Film Festival is from March 6-16

• SXSW Comedy Festival is from March 8-12

When was South by Southwest 2023?

SXSW 2023 dates:

• SXSW Music Festival was from March 13-18

• SXSW Interactive was from March 10-19

• SXSW Film Festival was from March 10-18

• SXSW Comedy Festival was from March 10-18

When was South by Southwest 2022?

SXSW 2022 dates:

• The entire festival took place from March 11th - 20th

• SXSW Music Festival was from March 11-16

• SXSW Interactive was from March 11-20

• SXSW Film Festival was from March 11-20

• and the SXSW 2022 Music Festival was from March 14-20

• SXSWEdu 2022 took place March 7th through March 10th.

Important note:

SXSW is typically 9-10 days long and takes place during the first or 2nd weekend of March in Austin, Texas.

What Is The Official Way Of Attending SXSW?

If you’re wanting to officially be an attendee at SXSW 2024, you have to go register at SXSW.com and purchase one of the 5 available official SXSW badge types (see below).

Here's a video explaining the different types of SXSW badges that are available.

Official SXSW badges are priced higher than normal festivals,.. but also remember that SXSW 2024 lasts 9 days.

The majority of official SXSW events require an 'official badge or wristband in order to attend (go to SXSW.com in order to learn more about purchasing).

The three main advantages of having an official SXSW badge are:

1.You get to skip the lines for official SXSW events.

2. There are events that only allow people who have official SXSW badges can attend.

3. You get priority over others in line.

If you have an official badge and there is a long line of people without official SXSW badges, you get to go in front of them.

Think of the official SXSW badge as the ultimate “Disney fast-pass”.

The bottom line:

If you have an official South by Southwest badge, you’re going to be able to attend a significant number of shows and events (vs those who are attending the festival badge-less).

If you get a chance to get to experience the magic of an official SXSW badge, you absolutely should take it… it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced at a festival before.

How to do SXSW 2024 for free

If you're attending SXSW and are willing to wait in lines, you don't necessarily need an official badge. 

There are hundreds of “unofficial” showcases that go on all across the city during the 9 days of SXSW 2024.

Here’s what you need to know:

Many people argue that unofficial SXSW showcases are some of the best events that go on every year.

For example, these are all unofficial showcases:

How do you do SXSW without a badge?

There are plenty of unofficial events and showcases that go on throughout the week that you don't need an official badge to attend.

Important note:

The only downside to attending unofficial events during the festival… is that they are hard to find (and are sometimes announced last minute).

Luckily, we have you covered.

Here’s what you need to do if you decide to attend without a badge:

1. Be sure to RSVP to all of the unofficial showcases that are announced throughout the month of February and right before the festival.

You want to RSVP as soon as you can because a lot of these showcases only take a certain number of RSVPs until they close the event to the public.

Head on over to our free unofficial 2024 RSVP Showcases and Parties List to start RSVPing to unofficial showcases.

We update our master list of unofficial 2024 RSVPs daily so be sure to bookmark the page for later.

Important note:

Even if you have an official badge, you still need to RSVP to unofficial showcases most of the time.

Unfortunately, it’s highly advised you RSVP to everything just to be safe.

Important note:

If you’re not looking to spend hours signing up to events and showcases, we offer an automatic RSVP service where we sign you up to all of the top unofficial showcases for you.

You simply sign up and we do the RSVP work for you.

2. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@RSVPATX) throughout the festival.

We’ll keep you up to date on the latest events that have been released, how to RSVP to them, and important breaking SXSW news that you need to know (without clogging up your timeline with spammy posts you don’t care about).

Why you need to be on Twitter during SXSW:

Every year, there are surprise pop-up shows and events throughout the 10 day festival.

Twitter is the platform where almost all of the news about free drinks, food, surprise shows, and more happens.

If you're not on Twitter before and during SXSW, you will almost certainly miss out.

• @RSVPATX

• @SXUnofficial365

• @SXRumors

• @ATXUpdates

• @SXSW (official account, not associated with @RSVPATX)

3. If you have a band or artist that you really want to see, you need to get to the event early.

What makes SXSW so incredible is that huge artists perform throughout the festival and you don't always need a badge to get in and see them.

However, the venues fill up.

If a big artist is performing at a venue, you need to be sure to get there hours beforehand.