The British Council is thrilled to announce the return of its iconic British Music Embassy (BME) to SXSW Sydney in 2025, in partnership with UK trade bodies and organisations: The BPI, The Department of Business and Trade, British Underground, and PRS Foundation. A cornerstone of SXSW’s annual music programming, BME has featured iconic British artists at both SXSW Austin and SXSW Sydney since its inception.
BME will take up residency at the Lansdowne Hotel in Sydney from Wednesday 15 – Friday 17 October with a mix of the UK’s most exciting up and coming exports, as well as some Australian acts with links to the UK.
“Australia is the third largest market in the world for UK arts and culture. As the UK government's new Industrial Strategy identifies Australia as a key creative industries market, bringing British Music Embassy back to SXSW Sydney feels vital. We're excited to showcase the incredible range of British music talent alongside Australian artists with UK connections – it really captures and celebrates how music brings our countries together," said Helen Salmon, Director, British Council in Australia.
The official BME lineup will platform a diverse range of new voices from a range of genres, including British indie rock singer Jasmine 4.t, West-London born rapper Bawo, upcoming Coachella artist Freak Slug, , hypnotising English jazz artist Amy Gadiaga, London-based jazz composer DoomCannon, East-London solo artist Humane The Moon, emerging pop-rock band The Valla from London, British / Australian artist Charlie Pittman who rose to global fame during the pandemic, experimental UK-Born and Australian-based artist Black Dahlia, acclaimed Irish band Picture This, Ethiopian R&B artist from Melbourne Soli, indie-pop-rock musician Stella Bridie, Australian rock band Body Type, New Zealand electronic artist Serebii, and Australian pop artist Yorke.
BME and SXSW Sydney will also present a talk with London music promoter and record label Jazz re:freshed, who have been responsible for the unprecedented growth of the UK jazz scene internationally. The discussion will feature musicians and key members of the Jazz re:freshed team to share their perspective on where it came from and how it happened. Exploring the rise of the UK Jazz Scene with Jazz re:freshed will be held at The Lansdowne Hotel on 17 October at 2:00PM.
BRITISH MUSIC EMBASSY AT SXSW SYDNEY – FULL PROGRAMME
Wednesday
7-7:30PM: Black Dahlia
8-8:30PM: Yorke
9-9:30PM: Body Type
10-10:30PM: Stella Bridie
11-11:30PM: Picture This
Thursday
7-7:30PM: Humane the Moon
8-8:30PM: Soli
9-9:30PM: Bawo
10-10:30PM: Serebii
11-11:30PM: Freak Slug
Friday
7-7:30PM: Charlie Pittman
8-8:30PM: The Valla
9-9:30PM: DoomCannon
10-10:30PM: Amy Gadiaga
11-11:30PM: Jasmine.4.t
SXSW Sydney is an annual gathering of visionaries, thought leaders and emerging talents from the Asia-Pacific region. The week-long program is stacked with 1,600 events and networking sessions across the conference, expo and the tech and innovation, games, music and screen festivals. The event seamlessly integrates art and entrepreneurship with cutting-edge advancements, fostering a collaborative ecosystem where ideas are exchanged and partnerships are forged. SXSW Sydney 2025 will take place on 13–19 October, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.