Austinites had a relatively quiet nine days at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2025.

It seems like everyone who went — and many who stayed home — is eager to discuss their analysis on what's changed over the years or what's coming next. For locals, these conversations can absolutely be the most memorable thing that happens, but there are always some events and projects that stick with attendees, sometimes for life, if they know where to look.

Crowds this year definitely thinned across the board, sometimes for the better (at brand activations designed primarily to distribute merch) and sometimes for the worse (at fantastic local shows like Pelvis Wrestley at the Swan Dive).

There were still some things we couldn't get into, like the panel where Meow Wolf announced it would be opening a permanent location in New York, and some we weaseled our way into for second or third showings, like the excellent local punk documentary Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt.

We even ordered a few books by panelists to extend our learning beyond the confines of the conference.

To catch up on all of CultureMap's coverage, check out our editorial series here. For recommendations on movies, live music, and expert thoughts on living a better life, here are our top 10 highlights from SXSW 2025.

Experience: The ScreamBox
Blumhouse Productions, an indie horror film and TV production studio, set up a soundproof booth called The ScreamBox outside the Austin Convention Center and asked passersby for their loudest screams. We've all heard advice to blow off steam by screaming into a pillow, but to quote McJagger, I can't get no satisfaction [from pillow screams]. Letting loose a 112 decibel scream — about halfway between a power saw from 3 feet away and a loud rock concert — my pulse quickened and I felt the adrenaline. The moral of the story: when screaming, go hard or go home. — Brianna Caleri, Austin editor

Film screening: Shuffle
This eye-opening documentary directed by Austin native Ben Flaherty exposed the rampant fraud happening within the addiction treatment industry, with rehab centers cycling through relapsed addicts for their insurance policy payouts rather than actually working to treat their addiction. Flaherty, who is also a recovering addict, takes viewers into the lives of three others who are stuck in this seemingly hopeless cycle of relapse and “treatment.” Shuffle premiered at SXSW on March 8, and Submarine Entertainment is handling sales of the film. — Amber Heckler, network writer

Conference panel: "#TrashQueens: The Women Reimagining Food from the Waste Up"
A passion for cooking doesn’t always mix well with a busy schedule — especially during Austin’s festival season — so finding ways to reduce food waste in my own household can be tricky at times. The March 8 #TrashQueens panel shared the stories of four women who are working to reduce waste at home and in large scale food production. Attendees learned a few handy tips and tricks to keep their fresh produce lasting longer, and became aware of the damaging effects climate change can have on our food supply. — AH

Conference panel: "Music Urbanism in Motion: Affordable Spaces to Preserve Austin's Cultural Pulse"
A panel discussing affordability for creatives living in big cities handled the hot button topic with tact, including the introduction of a new project in Austin to transform retired city buses into free practice and event spaces. Hearing from each panelist about their work was interesting, but my favorite part was some candid conversations at the bar regarding gentrification and how to avoid it while attempting to help. Get ready for guerilla urbanism to get those creative juices flowing. — BC

Musical performance: Anderson .Paak as DJ PeeWee
We're glad Anderson .Paak has taken the leeway he needs to have such a fresh and unexpected career, but this man was born to be a wedding DJ from time to time. At an invite-only set at the Quill Room upstairs at the Austin Proper Hotel, .Paak appeared in his silky bob wig and velvet jacket as DJ PeeWeeto play a few original songs interspersed with tons of nostalgic hits for millennials: everything from Soulja Boy to Queen to Natasha Bedingfield. Of course, .Paak always has to bring some funky surprise, and trumpeter Maurice "Mobetta" Brown handled it with impeccable style. — BC

Film screening: Uvalde Mom
Uvalde Mom revisits the events that took place on May 22, 2022, through the lens of Angeli Rose Gomez, a lifelong Uvalde resident and single mother of two children. It's a deeply personal retelling of how she saved her sons that day, and it also unveiled the retaliation she endured after speaking out about wanting accountability for the failures of local law enforcement. Uvalde Mompremiered March 10, and though distribution after SXSW is not completely nailed down, the documentary will be shown at different festivals in the hopes of securing a broadcast or streaming deal. — AH

Angeli Rose Gomez is an Uvalde native and mother of two children. Photo by Caleb Kuntz, courtesy of Sanarte Films

Film premiere: Are We Good?
Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron appears in Are We Good?, a documentary about grief and returning to comedy after unexpectedly losing his partner, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, to an undiagnosed blood disorder. Online discourse debates the ethics of centering the bereaved rather than the person lost, but in this case I'd argue it was the only way to do it. Are We Good? isn't a eulogy to Shelton, but an opportunity for viewers to relate to the messiness — even the impossibility — of trying to handle grief the right way. It is unambiguously about Maron, and that's what gives it such a compelling and truthful ring. Are We Good premiered on March 11 and is seeking distribution.— BC

Musical performance: Mon Rovîa
Afro-Appalachian folk musician Mon Rovîa sounds almost exactly the same live as he does in his studio recordings, which is a rare trait in a music industry that’s obsessed with perfecting and altering an artist’s true vocals. The combination of his calming voice and his ukulele (his only instrument) helped the Tennessee-based singer deliver an incredibly genuine performance during JBL’s takeover of 3TEN at Austin City Limits Live on March 12. — AH

Mon Rovîa is a Tennessee-based Afro-Appalachian folk musician from Liberia.Photo by Amber Heckler

Musical performance: The Rumble
I challenge anyone at SXSW to find a tighter band than the Rumble, visiting from New Orleans for a Louisiana-flavored 50th anniversary showcase at Antone's on March 14. With respect to all funk has become (go back and click on those Anderson .Paak links) it's refreshing to see an act that gets back to funk's 60s and 70s roots. Frontman Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. plays a mean tambourine and surely introduced some Texans (including me) to the Mardi Gras tradition of Black Masking Indians, a type of pageantry paying homage to the historic allyship between enslaved Africans and Indigenous Americans. — BC

Film screening: Selena y Los Dinos
I grew up listening to Selena's music, watched the 1997 biopic, and read Chris Perez's memoir; one could say I'm a lifelong fan. I missed out on the documentary's premiere on March 12, but I was super glad I was able to catch a later screening at AFS Cinema on March 15. Selena y Los Dinos felt like a vulnerable love letter from her family members, widower, and bandmates that gave a never-before-seen look into her private life. I was smiling and laughing throughout the home video shots that showed her bubbly personality and hilarious sense of humor, and I cried alongside her family members as they recounted the day she died. — AH