The South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) is in search of a new home for their programming as the Austin Convention Center, which closed in April for renovation following SXSW 2025, lays in rubble. Downtown music venues and clubs may provide a mutually beneficial solution, offering a network of decentralized festival destinations, while simultaneously boosting revenue for businesses impacted by Austin’s rising operational costs. A decade ago, high bar sales in the month of March floated venues through the difficult summer months, but diminishing crowds at music events in recent years have affected the equation.

Convention Center construction is expected to continue through the latter half of 2028, displacing conference programming held in the building until the 2029 festival. The closu

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