It’s business as usual at the 2025 SXSW Conference & Festivals in Austin, but the 38th annual event, March 7-15, may mark the end of an era for the tentpole. As hundreds of thousands of global attendees explore sessions, artistic showcases, expos and, of course, larger-than-life brand experiences this year, the city is preparing to shut down its convention center on April 1 for a $1.6 billion renovation that won’t be complete until late 2028.
With an inevitable event strategy shakeup on the horizon, we’re zeroing in on how this year’s sponsors (and the unofficial brands who tap into the event’s hype) are activating in and out of the convention center in what is likely the final yeehaw for South-by as we know it. From burger museums to spaceship wrecks, here’s a snapshot of the experiential action.
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ALASKA AIRLINES X HAWAIIAN AIRLINES HOUSE
For one day only on March 9, festivalgoers could stop by the Alaska Airlines x Hawaiian Airlines House located at Inn Cahoots for panels, tech demos and exclusive sneak peeks of the brands’ latest airline innovations, like electronic bag tag and AI-powered baggage recognition technology. Attendees could personalize their journey by taking the “Vibe Quiz” to discover their ideal travel style and destination, enjoy mocktails and desserts, hear live dj sets, engage with flight attendants, snag custom-printed boarding passes and walk away with exclusive swag. We can’t explain it, but there also appears to have been a choreographed dance that flight attendants participated in… Only in Austin. (Agency: TDW+Co)
AVEENO’S OAT OASIS
The Aveeno Oat Oasis was exactly that. The pop-up space was brimming with soothing, earthy tones and greenery, and offered touchpoints to match. There were palm readings, complimentary oat lattes with foam art, a skincare bar where local dermatologists shared tips, a nature-themed photo booth that yielded physical photos, giveaways and a live LadyGang podcast recording.
FX NETWORKS’ WRECKAGE
FX’s immersive, over-the-top activations are a staple at SXSW, and this year, the brand and its “Alien: Earth” experience crash-landed in downtown Austin. From March 7-8, consumers could embark on an investigative mission through a ship wreckage installation, where they encountered a containment breach and alien specimens (“not all creatures survived the crash intact”), and along the way, discovered new details about the series, scored exclusive merch and participated in themed photo ops. Adding to the scene were actors clad in hazmat suits, and a/v effects that were particularly dazzling at night. Read the full case study here. (Agency: VTProDesign)
Photo credit: May Hayward/Getty Images; FX Networks
GORTON’S SEAFOOD SHACK
Gorton’s Seafood at SXSW? Yep, believe it. The company made its SXSW debut this year, popping up at Rainey Street’s Parlor Room from March 8-9 with a New England seafood-shack-style Shrimp and Cocktail activation. Consumers who stopped by could taste a variety of recipes whipped up by Austin’s own Peached Tortilla, and using Gorton’s shrimp, including po’ boys, street tacos and shrimp bites, all served with signature dips and sauces. To wash it down, there were themed craft beverages that paired with the dishes, like the Maritime Marg, as well as mocktail options.
Beyond the sampling, there were live cooking demos with foodie influencer and longtime Gorton’s partner Shay Spence, 16 live music performances, a merch wheel, interactive moments and photo ops, all geared toward creating a community-centric experience. Early results showed that 3,500 people stopped by during the two-day event. (Agencies: Collide; Connelly Partners)
Photos: Courtesy of Gorton’s Seafood
HULU’S TRAVELING DELI
To hype its new crime comedy “Deli Boys,” Hulu brought its Traveling Deli to SXSW, capturing the series’ underground world with a meticulous recreation of its main setting. Consumers could stop by the Congress Avenue pop-up from March 8-9 to check out the detailed space, which featured flickering neon lights, cracked tile floors and rows of corner-store items. Among highlights, attendees could take home exclusive merch, use series-themed scratch-off tickets to unlock free deli-themed drinks and snacks, and encounter a few “criminal” touchpoints along the way. (Agency: Allied Global Marketing)
Photos: Courtesy of Hulu
JBL’S SOUND BODEGA
From March 11-13, as the Official Audio Partner of SXSW 2025, JBL offered up a series of audio-centric experiences designed to showcase its technology. In addition to sponsoring Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcases, which shined a light on emerging artists, the brand activated the JBL Campus and JBL Sound Bodega.
The JBL Campus event, hosted at Victory Lap, a sports bar known as a hub for University of Texas at Austin students, was part concert, part hands-on product demo, and all crafted to entice the next generation.
Meanwhile, the JBL Sound Bodega experience hosted at 3TEN at Austin City Limits Live, functioned as an Austin-inspired corner store experience featuring live music performances by musicians like DJ Pee.Wee, artist interviews, festival swag and a first look at the new Flip 7 and Charge 6 speakers.
KENDRA SCOTT’S LEMONADE STAND
Austin-based Kendra Scott is making a splash at SXSW with its Lemonade Stand experience, open March 7-9 and March 14-15. Consumers are stopping by the brand’s flagship store on Congress Avenue, currently brimming with bright yellow hues and whimsical décor for the activation, to sip on seasonal lemonade drinks, customize tote bags, get styled at on-site nail and hair pop-ups, participate in puppy yoga, listen to live tunes and, of course, shop.
Plus, on March 7, a Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott x Wrangler VIP Celebration offered an exclusive first look at the new apparel collection, along with live music, a Yellow Rose denim horse art installation and exclusive giveaways.
And for International Women’s Day on March 8, Scott herself participated in a panel discussion at the store with other female founders, moderated by “Shark Tank’s” Daymond John, on the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute. Also on tap at the event: interactive elements, like custom embroidery and live fashion sketches.
Photo credit: Keelyn Costello
LUSH COSMETICS’ CLASSROOM
From March 9-10, Lush Cosmetics and nonprofit partner Change the Ref set up shop in Austin to raise awareness of school shootings and educate consumers on the Lawsuit for Survival, a bill aimed at implementing stronger U.S. gun policies to prevent mass shootings. The resulting “Bloom A New Day” activation dropped attendees in a mock classroom, where stark facts about gun violence in America were balanced with a sense of hope for the future. Read the full case study here.
Photo: Courtesy of Lush Cosmetics
NASA’S CREATESPACE
NASA turned the multifloor Austin Central Library into a science-themed “CreateSpace” for SXSW 2025, and it was chock-full of self-guided music, art and technology experiences, all designed for attendees to explore outer space through their own lens. Touchpoints spanned a mix of hands-on creation, interactive science exhibits, Q&As and sensory moments, like a chance to experience “Exoscents” to find out what different aromas on potentially inhabitable planets might smell like.
PARAMOUNT’S LODGE
Paramount+’s larger-than-life traveling fan activation, The Lodge, has been enticing entertainment fans for more than two years. This year, the mountain retreat returned to SXSW for a third time, taking over the iconic Clive Bar from March 7-10 once more with movie- and series-inspired experiences and curated vignettes that dropped fans right into the action.
For 2025, a few new titles were added to the experience, including “Happy Face,” in addition to the return of fan favorites. Among countless engagements, there was a “1923”-themed, train station-inspired saloon; a rooftop CBS Sports activation offering games and chances to relive iconic moments in sports history; a creepy “Yellowjackets” campsite and photo moment; photo ops that turned attendees into victors from “Gladiator II” and serial killers from “Dexter: Original Sin”; and a “Survivor” Tribal Council experience. (Agency: 15|40)
PRIME VIDEO’S ESCAPE
It’s hard to know where to begin describing Prime Video’s colossal takeover of Hotel San José from March 7-8 with its Escape With Prime event. The brand’s multifaceted activation celebrated the women-led content featured on its streaming service, and offered attendees a personalized journey through the experience based on their genre preferences.
Participants first checked in and answered a few simple questions about their favorite type of content, then received a curated “getaway guide” filled with activities they’d likely enjoy. Then they picked up a branded tote bag and received their first Prime patch. From there, as attendees moved through the space, they could collect additional badges and hot-press them onto their bag on-site.
A whole host of engagements were on tap. To name a few: A “swim up” Genre Bar (actually, a ball pit) where ambassadors offered personalized cocktails and show recommendations; The Prime Bookstore Café, a coffee-shop-style lounge where attendees could read paperback versions of classic books that have been adapted into Amazon Originals; a Cousins Beach County Club Snack Bar from “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” that offered friendship bracelet-making; getting stage-ready in “The Dressing Room” from “Étoile”; and a whimsical “Holland”-inspired scene featuring a tulip wall. (Agency: 15|40)
Photo credit: Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Prime Video
RIVIAN’S ELECTRIC ROADHOUSE
SXSW 2025 headlining sponsor Rivian has a widespread presence across Austin, but its Electric Roadhouse on South Congress Avenue is serving as home base. Throughout the duration of the festival, consumers can stop in to check out electric vehicles like the R2, R3X and limited-edition California Dune Tri-Motor, attend panels and events like cooking demos, and enjoy live music, including a surprise nighttime performance taking place March 14.
Beyond the Roadhouse, car enthusiasts can take an “Electric Joyride” in the Gen 2 R1S and R1T Tri-Motor on Rivian’s rugged off-road obstacle course at Congress Avenue; check out a vehicle display on Trinity Street; and catch nail brand Olive & June as it rolls around Austin in a custom Rivian commercial van offering games, giveaways and a DIY mani bar with nail gems and other accessories.
Rivian additionally teamed up with Dolby on a series of events and experiences. Among them: Dolby’s Airstream trailer, parked at the Electric Roadhouse and outfitted with Dolby Atmos and Rivian Premium Audio technology, as well as a Dolby Sunset Session where consumers could relax with drinks as they watched a performance by indie band, autumnal. After the set, attendees had a chance to be among the first to hear the band’s new single, “breathing,” from the comfort of a Rivian R1T and the Dolby Airstream.
SAVVY’S FUNERAL PROCESSION
There was nothing subtle about vacation rental platform Savvy’s two-day extravaganza in Austin. During select times from March 8-9, the brand conducted a funeral procession, complete with a hearse and police escorts, through South Congress Avenue, putting to rest “T.H.E. (Thomas Henry Edward) Middleman,” who was billed as the “notorious architect of vacation rental complexity and service fees.”
The idea, of course, was to promote that its platform has no middleman and no service fees, and Savvy orchestrated quite the spectacle to showcase T.H.E Middleman’s demise. Following multiple street processions down South Congress, the grand finale took place on Neches Street, where a casket was unloaded from the hearse as a jazz marching band led a parade. There were also “pallbearers” wearing branded shirts who carried T.H.E. Middleman, as informational pamphlets were handed out to bystanders. (Agency: In-house)
Photos: Courtesy of Savvy
WHATABURGER’S MUSEUM OF ART
There was already buzz around the Whataburger Museum of Art (WMOA) before SXSW 2025 officially kicked off, and once it was underway, the chatter continued. One of the most talked-about activations this year, the experience hosted at Wanderlust Wine Co. from March 8-9 was the physical manifestation of the brand’s social media gallery of the same name.
To bring it to life IRL, Whataburger built a multimedia showcase of more than 200 pieces, including specially commissioned works of fan-created brand art, spanning digital, mural, abstract and pop-culture styles, and all crafted with a branded twist.
Beyond the art, WMOA attendees could engage in gallery elements, like the Whataburger Day Dot Room, a blank, white restaurant interior that encouraged people to cover it in colorful “Day Dot” stickers, and a Table Tent Mugshot Wall that served as a playful nod to the tradition of stealing table tents from Whataburger restaurants. Naturally, the Whataburger Food Truck was also parked on-site and dishing out hot samples of the limited-time menu item, the Monterey Melt. (Agency: McGarrah Jessee)
Photos: Courtesy of Whataburger
INSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER
While the majority of experiential activity at SXSW takes place outside the walls of the convention center, a few brands found ways to craft smaller-scale experiences that still made an impact.
IBM
For a second year, badgeholders could stop by the IBM AI Sports Club at the Hilton Downtown Austin to get up close and personal with the brand’s AI-powered sports data offerings. Hands-on watsonx demos, daily happy hours, networking ops with IBM executives and the chance to play AI-enabled games like foosball and ping-pong, were in the mix. (Agency: George P. Johnson)
VOX MEDIA
Vox Media partnered with SXSW to host an official podcast stage for a second year, taking over a space in the convention center from March 8-10 with live podcast recordings. The brand also recruited two stage sponsors, which created mini experiences just outside the stage.
As the premier sponsor for the Vox Media Podcast Stage, Smartsheet opened the Smartsheet Café, offering attendees free espresso beverages, masala chai and hot chocolate to stay fueled up. Meanwhile, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey hosted The Bulleit Bar, a branded cash bar that was open daily outside of the ballroom between podcast recordings. Whiskey Sours, Bulleit Rye Mules and non-alcoholic Seedlip Spice Spritz drinks were all on tap.
Photo credit: Rick Kern/Getty Images for Vox Media
