Three weeks before the start of South by Southwest (SXSW) the conference has announced perhaps its most notable keynote speaker yet on the 2026 lineup: legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. The keynote will take place March 13 from 1-2 pm at the Hilton Austin Downtown.

Spielberg's appearance will captured in a live episode of the podcast The Big Picture with host Sean Fennessey. (Fennessey's usual co-host, Amanda Dobbins, does not appear in the announcement.) The keynote will discuss the director's body of work, the future of movies in general, and his latest work Disclosure Day, due in theaters in June.

Spielberg has had one of the most illustrious film careers of all time, covering both serious dramas and family-friendly crowd pleasers. His most famous works include Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan. He has won three Academy Awards and founded Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks, a release from SXSW points out.

"Childhood dreams do come true!" said VP of Film & TV Claudette Godfrey in the release. "Steven Spielberg is a true pioneer and legend whose seminal work has inspired generations of filmmakers and audiences alike. He's given us some of cinema's most formative, unforgettable, and magical experiences, always pushing the boundaries of what's possible on screen."

SXSW will be held March 12-18. Platinum and Festival Badges ($1,995 or $820-1,395, respectively) are on sale now at sxsw.com. These badges give attendees priority access to certain events.