MUST-SEES | SXSW London 2025
- SHOWGRAPHERS
- May 31
- 2 min read
When SXSW announced its long-anticipated expansion to London, the buzz was instant. Slated to take over the capital from June 2nd to 7th, SXSW London 2025 promises to bring the transatlantic spirit of discovery, disruption, and sonic cross-pollination to British shores for the very first time. It’s a sprawling celebration of music, tech, film, and culture—but let’s be honest: we’re here for the music.
That said, the official lineup leans heavily on sleek R&B textures, introspective soul, hazy electronic experiments, and jazz-inflected grooves. All well and good—but if you prefer sweat to sheen, noise to nuance, and a DIY ethos to studio polish, you're going to have to dig a little deeper. Lucky for you, we already did.
So here’s our Must-See List—a handpicked crop of acts that cut through the softness and bring the grit, the guts, and the glorious mess of real live music.
OUR MUST-SEES
Dublin’s Gurriers are a no-brainer. Part post-punk, part hardcore chaos, they whip industrial noise and angst into cathartic anthems. Expect a pit, expect yelling, expect transcendence.
Leeds is quietly becoming the UK’s most exciting guitar music hub, and L’objectif are helping lead the charge. Sleek yet raw, hooky yet hard—this band can write a chorus and tear it down in the same breath.
An artist who sounds like he’s scoring the breakdown of modern Britain with jagged guitars and stifled fury. Sam Akpro is intense, unpredictable, and utterly riveting live.
Don’t be fooled by the name—this is no folk fest. Balter bring jagged riffs, infectious energy, and unfiltered indie-punk joy. One to stumble across, then never forget.
Florence Road are a four-piece from Bray blending raw emotion with punchy indie hooks. Fronted by Lily Aron, they’ve gone viral for their gritty energy and just dropped their debut single Heavy—a cathartic, riff-heavy anthem that hits hard live.
Irish funk-punks Scustin who take the piss, then take over the venue. Equal parts theatrical and thrilling, their live show is a sweaty party of surreal grooves and twisted storytelling.
Dreamy indie-pop with a glitch in the matrix. cosmorat make music that sounds like heartbreak through a Super 8 filter—strange, sincere, and slightly unstable.
Darkwave goth-punk with military precision and poetic intent. Heartworms brings performance art energy and sonic menace—don’t sleep on this one.
Master Peace sits at the chaotic crossroads of indie, grime, and hyperpop. Whether he's bouncing off the walls or crooning like a lost Britpop icon, you won’t be bored.
Twitchy, angular, and delightfully anxious. SUDS make art-rock for those with short attention spans and big feelings.
Lo-fi bedroom indie for broken souls and hopeful romantics. There’s something magnetic about beattie’s minimalist approach and honest delivery.
Korda Korder dance on the edge of ambient and avant-pop, but with enough strange textures to keep the art-rock heads intrigued. Experimental but not alienating.
SXSW London 2025 may be leaning smooth and soulful on paper, but there’s a real lineup buried in the noise. These are the artists that’ll leave the biggest dents in your memory—and possibly your hearing. Seek them out, support them, and scream along. Just don't forget your earplugs. Or your Converse.