24 of the Most Iconic SXSW Moments Over The Years

13. First Hip-Hop Showcase (1990)

Just a few years after the small but soon-to-be mighty festival started, hip-hop was introduced to the lineup, ensuring a more diverse representation of musical talent.

Hip-hop was poking into mainstream culture, and adding Def IV and Ultramagnetic MCs to the 1990s showcase performances revolutionized the festival as we know it.

14. Knocked Up Film Debut (2007)

By debuting his comedy hit Knocked Up at the Paramount Theater in 2007, director Judd Apatow’s sophomore film received a massive push from the SXSW screening.

Nearly 1,200 spectators packed the festival’s largest venue located in downtown Austin, setting the launching stage for future, mostly rated R, comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Bridesmaids.

15. Prince Showcase (2013)

The closing of 2013’s SXSW by Prince might be one of the most incredible showcases ever to happen. Prince played a three-hour set that included several encores of all his greatest hits, announcing to the crowd beforehand, “Don’t make me hurt you. You know how many hits I got.”

Fans of the legend were even more amazed by the masterful musician as they witnessed a set that lasted until 3 AM.

16. The Grand Budapest Hotel: Q&A With Wes Anderson (2014)

In 2014, Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel had a limited release in NY and LA, but at SXSW that year, a special screening of the movie was shown to a captivated audience with a following Q&A with Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman, and music supervisor Randy Poster.

This quirky film was nominated for Academy Awards in the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay categories and won four Oscars (for Best Costume Design, Production Design, Original Score, and Makeup & Hairstyling).

17. Ava DuVernay Keynote (2015)

Ava DuVernay made history by being the first Black female director nominated for a Best Picture Oscar for her 2014 film Selma. However, she didn’t win, and the only award it did earn was for Best Original Song, leading to the Twitter/X hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.

In her 2015 SXSW keynote address, with tears in her eyes and a lump in her throat, DuVernay addressed this moment in her career and how an Oscar win or loss did not define her as a filmmaker.

18. Kanye West & Jay Z Showcase (2014)

Possibly two of the most prominent hip-hop personalities in the industry, Jay Z and Kanye West, teamed up and performed for over 3,000 fans in an epic 2014 SXSW showcase.

Performing atop 12 ft-tall video cubes, similar to the set-up built for their 2011-2012 Watch the Throne tour, the two rappers brought the house down and whipped the crowd into an unbelievable frenzy.

19. Los Lonely Boys Showcase (2005)

In the festival’s 19th year, the Los Lonely Boys drew the largest SXSW crowd to ever grace Auditorium Shores, with nearly 23,000 concertgoers. After launching onto the music scene in the early 2000s and their release of Heaven, this trio of Latino brothers Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza has been bringing their style of music they call “Texican Rock n’ Roll.”

It combines elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown-eyed soul, country, and Tejano.

20. MTV’s Festival Coverage (1994)

In 1994, for MTV’s Week in Rock, Kurt Loder arrived in Austin to interview the participating musicians performing at that year’s festival. Austin’s own Patrice Pike of Sister 7 recently told Wealth of Geeks that moment in SXSW history “helped propel SXSW and Austin into the hotbed that it has become.”

The coverage by the music video channel helped build up national rockstars and international sensations, bringing industry giants to the sleepy Texas town that resulted in some big major label deals.

21. Trail of Dead Showcase (2001)

A little-known Austin band named And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, or Trail of Dead for short, played a small showcase at Red Eye Fly. After performing only one song, the indie band trashed the stage and threw their gear into the creek behind the venue, causing their fans to go wild.

Their opening act was the electroclash musician and producer Peaches, who had previously toured with Marilyn Manson and Queens of the Stone Age.

22. Fiona Apple Showcase (2012)

In 2012, the mesmerizing Fiona Apple played Pitchfork’s showcase at Central Presbyterian Church. The captivated audience filled the pews and experienced a Goddess-like moment with every note sung and every key played.

With a staggering level of honest vulnerability, Apple’s face and voice transformed with the meaning of each line. Perhaps she was channeling an ethereal being, or maybe she is one herself, but that show was an iconic moment in SXSW’s history.

23. Foster the People (2011)

One of my favorite moments of SXSW was seeing Foster the People perform in 2011 at Butler Park near Auditorium Shores. The festival creators put on a free official showcase to a packed outdoor venue that year.

The trio gave a stellar performance that got the crowd dancing and singing to their popular hit Pumped Up Kicks. SXSW’s General Manager at the time told the Austin Chronicle, “These shows are really important to us because it’s something we do for the community,” stressed Minor.

24. All of the Unofficial SXSW Moments (1987- )

If you talk to anyone who has performed at or attended the festival, I guarantee you they will share some wild story of stumbling upon an unofficial SXSW performance or randomly meeting a huge star in the most unlikely of places.

From my own experience of witnessing Big Boi of OutKast perform an impromptu set in the middle of the day for less than 50 people to Tone Loc strolling into the Black Cat, the seediest rock-n-roll bar in Austin, and singing Funky Cold Medina with the patrons. Countless iconic moments like these have made everlasting impressions on all who have attended the festival.