The Gravity of Us
Here’s to the crazy ones. The ones who looked at the news of SXSW Sydney’s exit in 2026 and didn’t see a failure, but a blank canvas.
We tried to import a feeling. But here is the hard truth: You can't import a soul. You have to grow it.
I speak from experience. I’ve had the privilege of gathering over 100,000 people globally, each year, year on year, across 10 different cities and cultures. I know what happens when human beings collide with ideas. I’ve walked the streets of Austin for SXSW many times. It is, quite simply, mind-blowing. And I’ve walked the streets of Sydney.
When we are together, the feeling is undeniable. It is magic.
In Austin, tech leads the charge. The first week is dedicated to innovation and deep connection, driving real investment outcomes for the businesses attending. It’s a place where movie and music stars are secondary; you’re just as likely to run into them on the street enjoying tech week as you are at a premiere. (Over the years, the in-jokes about spotting Nicholas Cage and Jeff Goldblum have become a festival staple).
Crucially, Austin maintains a "human scale." The festival village feels special, cozy, and fun—a hub for pass holders to connect serendipitously. In contrast, the Sydney event often felt spread thin. Many have noted that The Rocks—with its historic laneways and intimate venues—would have provided that "village" vibe far better than the sprawling Darling Harbour precinct.
Austin Vibe👇
The Raw Materials Are Staggering
Let’s be clear about one thing: The failure of an event is not a failure of our location. Sydney and NSW are amazing.
Sydney is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the Southern Hemisphere. We are home to over 3,000 tech startups capitalising on this state’s formidable research and talent. In 2024 alone, NSW startups attracted 65% of Australia's total startup funding.
Sydney is a Top 25 Most Innovative City in the World. We are the global launchpad for giants like Atlassian, Canva, Immutable, and Deputy. We have deep, world-class strengths in AI, Fintech, Cybersecurity, Creative & Gaming, and Quantum Technologies.
The ingredients for a world-changing gathering were always here. We didn’t need to import "cool." We are cool.
The Missing "Tech" in the Tech Festival
So, where was the disconnect?
In Austin, Tech leads. It puts the innovators at the top of the pyramid. Music and Film are the beautiful environment that the tech ecosystem lives within.
In Sydney, despite sitting on a goldmine of tech talent, we flipped the script. We focused too heavily on the red carpets and the music gigs. But innovators don't need a music festival; they need a marketplace of ideas. Leading with tech was critical, and we missed it.
By its third year, ecosystem partnerships were still relatively unexplored. The festival often felt like a spaceship that landed on top of the Australian startup scene, rather than a tree that grew out of it. With 65% of the nation's funding right here in our backyard, failing to deeply weave those founders and investors into the fabric of the event was a missed opportunity to unlock the deep, gritty value of our local ecosystem.
Stop Dancing on the Grave
Now, having said that, David Burt said it best recently, and I want to amplify this louder than any keynote speaker: Stop dancing on SXSW Sydney’s grave.
Celebrating the cancellation is not progress.
Because here is the amazing thing: The people still showed up.
As David pointed out, for a few brief days, Sydney felt like a place where creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship were possible. The demand was real! The venues were full. The hunger for connection is massive.
We don't need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We just need to change the water.
The Magic of Collisions
What is truly lost when an event like this vanishes? It isn’t the parties. It’s access.
It’s the "low-friction collisions." It’s the moment an early-stage founder bumps into an investor while waiting for coffee. It’s the moment a volunteer realizes they are part of something bigger.
Take the story of one attendee in 2023. They volunteered just to see a Pakistani TV star, Sajal Aly. That was the hook. But curiosity is a powerful thing. That one decision led them to connect across industries, practice leadership, and eventually host their own network events.
"SXSW Sydney opened a doorway to think bigger and gave many of us the confidence to act."
That is the product we are selling. Not tickets. Confidence.
Building Our Own Gravity
So, where do we go from here? We look to the NSW Innovation Blueprint 2035.
NSW has a clear, forward-looking agenda. We have a mission-based approach to solve critical challenges: housing, net zero, energy transition, and manufacturing. The Blueprint has given us the action areas: Strategy, Funding, Places, People, and Engagement.
Now, we need events that match that ambition.
Jessy Wu noted that this departure might give "light and oxygen" back to local events. She is right. We have the Hunter Innovation Festival, now in its 24th year. We have Spark Festival. We have Sunrise. These aren't imports; they are the bedrock.
The goal now is to build enough gravitas in our own events that the world comes to us. We need to build platforms so magnetic that they attract overseas visitors and serious investors not because of a brand name, but because they want to see how NSW is solving the world's biggest problems.
Action TRUMPS Everything
This is where you come in.
We need to help these existing organisations thrive. We need to pour our energy into the vessels we already have.
Volunteer your time. The best way to network is to work.
Sponsor an event. Put your money where your ecosystem is.
Speak up. Share your knowledge. Mentor the next generation.
But most importantly: Connect, learn, and share as much as you can.
Australia is ready. The talent is here. The policy is here. The money is here.
It feels amazing when we are together. Let’s not wait for permission to do it again. Let's make our own gravity.
In the words of my innovation hero, Yazzle Dazzle, “Action Trumps Everything”.
By Zara Crichton
