Hey, all the music and film lovers. This is your moment. Austin is beckoning you!
The popular South By Southwest music festival, also called SXSW, is
again all set to take the city by storm and ready to enthrall all those
heading to the city for the wonderful March 13-21 event. So, this is
just not the time to waste any more. Book your flight tickets to Austin
right away and have a gala time.
Do you know what all awaits you in Austin? The nearly 10-day-long event
will be attracting some of the renowned musicians from world over. Get
ready to regale with several unknown up-and-coming musical performances
in blues, country, electronic, hip-hop, rap, pop and rock as well. The
year 2014 was simply fabulous. There was an impressive lineup of more
than 2,300 bands, which thrilled thousands of fans with their amazing
performances on over 100 stages. Last year was also special as it
attracted many big names in the film and music industry, including Lady
Gaga, St. Vincent, Lucinda Williams, Soundgarden, Willie Nelson,
Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Kanye West and Jay Z.
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival will be
celebrating its 22nd year. An impressive lineup for this year’s has
already been announced. The craftsmanship by master filmmakers,
auteur-driven comedies and emerging directors will be prominently
showcasing their independent discoveries. This year 145 feature films
are to be shown. This includes 11 U.S. Premieres, 13 North American
Premieres and 100 World Premieres. At least 60 films to be featured will
be those from the first-time filmmakers.
Whether you are a regular at SXSW or visiting it for the first time,
attending multitude of events can be stimulating as well as stressful.
Several performances, presentations, business meetings and networking
events will keep you heavily engaged and stressed out. Here are some of
the important tips that you need to take note of in order to make the
most out of your Austin trip.
Packing up for your trip
You must know that SXSW is essentially a work event. With about
10-day-long stay, you need to stock up clothes that would go for both
pleasure and business. Check for the weather forecast before you reach
Austin as the climate conditions can be rather unpredictable. It may
sometimes rain, so carrying an umbrella would be okay.
An insight into music events
A lot of things will be taking place within a short duration. More than
2,200 musical performances will be staged at over 100 places across the
city. The Music Gear Expo will be among many activities to be hosted at
the convention center. There will be many sessions for you to attend
such as Digital Music Streaming, Data Technology, Convergence and
A&R. You may choose any of these themes. You can even take part in
few networking events as well and meet with artists and music industry
professionals.
Where to find accommodation
If you have already made your hotel reservations in advance, it’s good.
However, if you arrive in the city at the last minute, finding suitable
accommodations might not be difficult if you know what to opt for that
suit your budget. You can choose to book hotel rooms, stay in hostel
dorms or share home rentals. If you want to lower accommodation costs
significantly then prefer home rentals.
How to get around
With many events taking place throughout the city, getting around might
just prove to be difficult. The first thing you must do is to download Austin city map on your smartphone. Additionally, you may also download a
SXSW GO app to view events schedule, navigate the tradeshow and city,
engage and post on social media, and connect with your friends. The
Austin Convention Center will be the main venue for most of the events.
You will be having easy access to nightclubs, restaurants and local bars
situated nearby. If you want to attend events in other parts of the
city, then choose the budget-friendly public transportation option. You
can also get rail and bus tickets from Capital Metro and also make
extensive use of the SXSW Festival shuttles.
Now that you have got an overview of this premier music and film event
in Austin, you will thoroughly enjoy and have a memorable visit.