SXSW Update

Garth Brooks surprises Austin with appearance at SXSW 2017

The one-and-only Garth Brooks is coming to town.

Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

Calling all country fans: Garth Brooks has just been added to the stacked lineup of speakers for SXSW Music 2017.

The legendary country music star will join Steve Boom, vice president of Amazon Music, in a discussion of music in the digital world. According to SXSW, Boom "spearheaded Amazon's exclusive deal with Garth Brooks to bring the country superstar's music catalog to streaming for the first time ever."

Brooks comes to Austin at the tail-end of a massive tour supporting his 2014 album, Man Against Machine, his first new material in 13 years. What's unconfirmed is whether his keynote will be accompanied by a performance. Brooks has time between March stops in Albany, New York, and Lubbock.

Brooks' keynote conversation is scheduled for Friday, March 17, at the Austin Convention Center, and a new badge structure allows for more SXSW festivalgoers to attend. Primary access will be given to Platinum and Music badgeholders; if there is space left, Interactive and Film guests will be able to attend.

"I'm so excited that the new badge system will empower more of our attendees to discover even more of this great content," says Hugh Forrest, chief programming officer, in a release.

Brooks joins Nile Rodgers and Zane Lowe on the list of SXSW Music keynotes. Recently announced featured speakers include Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, A$AP Ferg, T.I., Mike Bruno, Angela Yee, Charles Attal, Residente, Mike Posner, Warren G, Andre Cymonee, Dez Dickerson, Lou Adler, Paul Tollett, and Scott Goldman.

SXSW 2017 takes place March 10-19 around Austin.

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Austin neighbor's chart-topping boom leads the week's most-read headlines

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Editor's note: The word of the week in Austin is growth. Whether it's fast-growing cities, the city's highly anticipated inclusion in the Michelin Guide, or an updated H-E-B ready to re-anchor the neighborhood, things are always reshaping and Austinites are keeping up online. Here are our most-read stories over the past week. Looking for things to do this weekend? Our top picks are here.

1. Austin neighbor saw 4th biggest population boom in U.S. for 2023.The Austin-area suburb of Georgetown has proven it's not just a laid back destination for tourists, but one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation.

2. Michelin Guide plates up first Texas picks, with 7 stars in Austin.The first Michelin Guide in Texas has finally made its picks known. At a black-tie event in Houston on November 11, the guide announced that 47 Austin restaurants have won recognition.

3. New South Congress H-E-B is finally opening at the end of 2024. After roughly two years of construction, H-E-B announced its 145,000-square-foot building on South Congress Avenue and East Oltorf Street will open to shoppers starting December 4.

4. Bubbly Austin brunch spot Irene's closing after 8 years. Despite the ever-increasing number of Austin brunches, the scene is losing a classic. Irene's on West 6th Street announced November 12 that it will be closing at the end of its lease this month.

Irene's Austin cocktail One of Austin's most popular brunch spots is throwing in the towel when its lease ends.Irene's/Instagram

5. $15.2 million Austin sanctuary is in the middle of a nature conservancy. The Sanctuary on Barton Creek is a 24-acre estate completely surrounded by a 4,100-acre nature conservancy to provide a peaceful and private escape from city life.