SXSW Music Festival 2024: How to Prepare for the Week-Long Festival

Get ready. In a little under two months, the South by Southwest Music Festival will be taking over the streets of Austin, Texas and we couldn’t be more excited. From March 11th to 16th, 2024, live music will be heard from almost every music venue in the downtown Austin area. It will be a great few days of seeing all your favorites, as well as discovering new ones. With all the jam-packed shows, an extremely fun time can turn busy super fast. Here is how you can prepare for the 2024 Music Festival at SXSW.

Be Familiar with How the Music Festival Works

When attending the SXSW music festival, shows are separated by showcases. These showcases happen at many of Austin’s beloved venues across downtown and host numerous artists at a time. From early morning to late at night, there is a showcase for everyone everywhere. For this reason, many of the roads are closed to make it easier to get from place to place. With most venues being within close distance of each other, the best way to get around is by walking or electric scooter.

Want to learn more about how SXSW works? Look here for our ultimate guide!

Know Who’s Playing

It seems as if there is almost an endless list of amazing artists that play the festival each year. This is why it is great to know who will be at the festival. Get ahead and take note of who you would like to see! It will make things way easier when festival time actually comes.

See Coog Radio’s list of artists to look out for here.

See Coog Radio’s list of Texas-based artists to see here.

Explore the full list of official SXSW artists here.

Be On the Lookout for Last Minute Shows

One of the things that I love most about SXSW is that they know how to keep you on your toes. While they do list majority of artists attending the festival, they leave a few unannounced until a few days before or even the day of. A great example of this was a surprise SXSW performance from indie supergroup, boygenius, at an Austin airport. Don’t be the one to miss out on a surprise performance this year!

Download SXSW GO

SXSW GO is the official app of the festival. This is a great way to check the times of the artists you want to see as well as the locations of the showcases, conferences and other events. You can also see the capacity of a venue, letting you know if there is still space to enter a showcase or not. Download the app here.

Under 21?

If you are attending the festival under 21 years old, note that you may not be able to attend every showcase. While this sounds like a slight problem, it is really no big deal. There are still numerous other showcases that are all ages! Speaking from personal experience, it is always important to look at the age limits before attending a showcase. This can be found through showcase posters and through the SXSW App. You don’t want to be stopped at the door because you are too young!

Lastly, Have Fun!

Even if you don’t listen to any of these tips, SXSW will still be a fun experience. It is a great way to explore Austin and hear music you have never heard before. With an amazing SXSW Music Festival last year, this year will be no different. Don’t miss out, get passes here!