🇬🇧 What SXSW London 2025 Told Us About the Future of Creativity, Technology, and Work

South by Southwest crossed the Atlantic and landed its first European edition: SXSW London. The event took over the streets, warehouses, and creative spaces of Shoreditch, in East London, an area known for its cultural vibrancy, startups, street art, and alternative spirit.

SXSW London had a more compact, urban, and contemporary approach, with immersive installations, street activations, and content tracks spread across industrial buildings turned into stages and community hubs. Even in the rain (as per British tradition), the event didn’t lose pace: packed panels, queues for experiences, and a diverse crowd with representatives from all over the world.

This new edition preserved the original DNA of the festival, blending technology, creativity, culture, and social impact. With a curation that reflected the spirit of the moment: a stronger focus on ethics, intergenerational dialogue, mental well-being, inclusion, and the responsibility of major companies in shaping the world we’re building.

A Festival That Spread Through the City

SXSW London also stood out for its local partnerships. Badge holders could move between venues for free using Santander-sponsored bicycles. Three locations of the Fora coworking space opened their doors to festival attendees, offering everything from relaxation areas to focused work zones for those needing a place to write or concentrate. The neighbourhood of Shoreditch was taken over by murals, activations, parallel events, and even King Charles III made an official visit, stopping by some of the festival’s exhibitions.

Exhibitions That Expand Perception and Identity

Three exhibitions stood out for using immersive art to spark reflection on our place in the world, our ancestry, and the future of life on the planet.

Grounding

“Grounding,” by British artist Damian Roach, was a multisensory installation inviting visitors to reconnect with nature. Created using generative AI and inspired by quantum physics, Grounding reimagined landscapes as they exist between perception and code. The work was considered Roach’s most ambitious to date, somewhere between a hallucination, a scientific lab, and a meditation app in meltdown.

Beautiful Collisions

“Beautiful Collisions” immersed the public in the complexities of the African diaspora, combining testimonies, paintings, digital art, music, and dance. The piece built a sensitive narrative around Black identity, displacement, ancestral memory, and how all of this shapes London’s cultural identity.

LDN LAB

The LDN LAB exhibition showcased a fusion of art and technology. One highlight was the work The Tree of Knowledge by digital artist Beeple: a generative, interactive sculpture exploring the relationship between nature and information. The space also featured immersive films by Andy Warhol and an installation by Marina Abramović.

Pop Music, Avatars, and Artificial Intelligence

One of the most anticipated moments was a talk by Björn Ulvaeus, from ABBA. In addition to being a musician, he is the founder of Pophouse, the company behind the ABBA Voyage show, and plays a role at CISAC, the global organization protecting creators’ rights. In a packed conversation, Björn stated that “pop music has always been about technology”, and that AI opens new creative doors.

He revealed he is working on an AI-assisted musical, currently 75% complete, and argued that these tools don’t replace human vision but help expand the range of ideas and collaborations.

Pop Science and De-Extinction

One of the most unexpected (and talked-about) sessions brought together Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, and actress Sophie Turner. The topic? What they have in common: dire wolves.

Sophie rose to fame as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, a series that popularized dire wolves in pop culture. Colossal became known for reviving this once-extinct species through genetic engineering. Their conversation blended science, entertainment, and ethics in a light yet provocative way.

Ben shared that the company is making progress on reviving the woolly mammoth but is now primarily focused on the dodo. According to him, major strides have already been made, and a big announcement about the species' return is expected soon.

The session captured the essence of SXSW: blending pop culture with cutting-edge science to imagine possible futures — and asking, responsibly, how far we should go.

AI Isn’t the Enemy, But It Must Be Understood

Artificial intelligence was a recurring theme across all content tracks. On stage, TIME CEO Jessica Sibley shared how the magazine is innovating without losing its authority: it was among the first to license content to OpenAI, Perplexity, and Alexa, and is now launching a tool to summarize, translate, and interact with TIME articles using AI.

Keily Blair, CEO of OnlyFans, offered an insightful perspective: she supports AI use by content creators, as long the individual is still recognisable, it is transparent and clearly labeled as machine-generated.

In Picsart’s presentation, the opening question stayed with many: “Which of these images wasn’t generated by AI?” The platform showed how the line between human and machine-made visuals is increasingly blurred, but argued that visual creativity remains at the heart of marketing, even when mediated by new tools.

AI at the Helm: Demis Hassabis on Reimagining Work

A standout main-stage moment came from Sir Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, fresh off his Nobel Prize, sharing a fireside chat with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua. He emphasised AI’s transformative power—not only in scientific breakthroughs like AlphaGo and AlphaFold—but also in our everyday lives. One bold proposition: use AI to do away with email. Hassabis revealed DeepMind is developing a system that reads, sorts, and responds to emails in your tone. “I would pay thousands of dollars per month to get rid of my email,” he admitted.

He sees AI’s potential not only for drug discovery or climate solutions, but also for mundane yet impactful tasks, and believes artificial general intelligence (AGI) may arrive within the next decade. For him, AI should amplify human intelligence, helping manage daily life while tackling its biggest challenges .

When Technology Meets Emotion

A powerful session came from Cindy Gallop, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn. She advocated for positive sex education as a way to transform relationships and combat gender-based violence, presenting a new vision for the adult content industry: real, inclusive, and educational. Her slogan? “If porn is Hollywood, we are the necessary documentary.”

In another rare and emotional moment, Dame Jane Goodall took the stage to deliver an urgent message: “There is still hope, if each of us does our part.” The renowned primatologist and activist reminded the audience that caring for nature is caring for humanity’s future and warned about the growing disconnect between urban generations and the natural world. Her talk was among the most moving of the festival and got a standing ovation.

Putting Corporate Social Responsibility at the Center

Actor and entrepreneur Idris Elba closed one of the conference days with a talk on creativity and social impact in Africa. He spoke about Akuna, his company that supports young African creators and develops tools like digital wallets so artists can receive payments securely, all blockchain-based, but with a focus on impact, not hype. Idris is also the co-founder of Talking Scripts, a platform helping actors with ADHD and dyslexia prepare for their roles.

The Future of Work Is Intergenerational, Inclusive, and Emotionally Intelligent

In the People & Workplace track, one of the most powerful sessions explored the impact of reverse mentoring, when senior leaders are mentored by younger or underrepresented individuals. Executives from British Airways, Dentsu, and organizational culture specialists shared real lessons on how this practice boosts active listening, fosters intergenerational intelligence, and builds more diverse and innovative work environments.

Sean Doyle of British Airways said the program started with 20 leaders and now reaches 80 people. Angela Tangas of Dentsu highlighted the creation of the Chief Future Officer role, inspired by insights from younger generations.

More Balanced Narratives: Journalism in Divided Times

The panel “Bias and Balance Reporting in a Dividing Age” brought together executives from NPR, The Guardian, Bloomberg, and The News Movement to discuss the media’s role in polarized times. The takeaway was clear: impartiality doesn’t mean neutrality. It’s essential to ensure a plurality of voices and perspectives, especially with the rise of AI, which is deeply reshaping news production and consumption.

Katherine Maher of NPR noted: “ChatGPT is the first real rival to Google. It’s changing how people find things, how they get answers, and even how they formulate questions.” If the media once feared Apple News and podcasts, now the call is different: be part of the change.

Sports as a Tool for Transformation

One of the festival’s most popular sessions featured James Vowles, Team Principal of F1’s Williams Racing, who discussed how the Netflix series Drive to Survive revitalised interest in motorsport, especially in the U.S., where Americans now make up one-third of the global F1 audience.

Vowles also emphasized the team’s efforts to promote gender and diversity inclusion, driven by the creation of the F1 Academy and leadership from Susie Wolff. For the first time, girls are being integrated into grassroots karting teams with real opportunities to reach Formula 1. “It’s still a long road, but we’re changing the foundation of the sport,” he said.

Brazilian Várzea Football Meets London

One of the most vibrant SXSW London activations was Varzenal, a campaign created by OMO in partnership with Persil UK and Arsenal FC. Inspired by várzea football, grassroots, community-based Brazilian soccer, the installation brought the authentic aesthetics of Brazil’s outskirts to Shoreditch: red chairs, graffiti, funk music, and an atmosphere blending art, sport, and technology.

The interactive experience invited visitors to complete football challenges. The twist? The more tricks performed on a digital screen, the more a Boston Dynamics robot stained a white T-shirt, which was then handed to the participant, along with a detergent bottle. The message was clear: “Getting dirty is good”, and understanding the culture behind that idea is just as important.

The campaign also supported young Brazilian talent by promoting amateur teams’ participation in a tournament at Arsenal’s stadium. It was a mix of social purpose, cultural engagement, and innovative brand storytelling, all with a Brazilian accent.

Rethinking What It Means to Be Well

The festival also created space for in-depth conversations on behavior, well-being, and conscious consumption. In The Mental Health Crisis panel, the Child Mind Foundation shared striking data: 81% of teenagers with anxiety improved significantly after 12 weeks of cognitive-behavioral therapy. The organization, which also operates in Brazil, promotes an integrated approach, emotional support plus community programs like sports and culture.

They also launched Mirror Journal, an app that encourages self-reflection through texts, audio, and selfies, offering users personalized insights on emotions and behavioral patterns.

Meanwhile, the session Ozempic & Friends raised concerns over using weight-loss medication to mask deeper emotional issues. Experts warned that without psychological support, these chemical solutions risk shifting, not resolving, underlying stress. “Without emotional work, stress doesn’t go away, it just changes shape,” one speaker summed up.

Between data, provocations, and practical ideas, the festival showed that mental health and culture lie at the heart of today’s most urgent transformations.

Cinema, Music, and Reinvention

SXSW London also hosted premieres and performances that expanded the festival experience. Orlando Bloom and Bryce Dallas Howard presented Deep Cover, a noir-style crime thriller, while Idris Elba launched Victory, a 30-minute visual album co-created with legendary rapper Slick Rick. Featuring names like Nas, Giggs, and Estelle, the film pays tribute to hip-hop heritage through a contemporary lens.

Idris Elba took over the DJ booth for one of the liveliest parties of the event. British rapper Tinie Tempah electrified the crowd with a set mixing grime, hip-hop, and local hits. Throughout the week, hundreds of shows lit up Shoreditch, in warehouses, clubs, and open-air venues, in a true celebration of live music at its most vibrant.

A Powerful Debut

More than just a festival, SXSW London 2025 functioned as a mirror of our times. A portrait of the tensions, questions, and possibilities shaping this decade. By exploring themes like artificial intelligence, copyright, ancestral culture, generational diversity, and mental health, the event showed that imagining the future is no longer a luxury, it’s a collective necessity.

And London proved it knows how to do that with style, substance, and a sharp eye for what really matters.