Keynotes

Daily keynote presentations present diverse, visionary speakers who deliver the most powerful new ideas in the ever-evolving worlds of technology, film, culture, and music.

Steve DeAngelo – SXSW 2019 – Photo by Aaron Rogosin

About Keynotes

At the center of the SXSW Conference, keynote presentations drive the shared daily dialogue that connects the many industry professionals in attendance from around the globe. These presentations run for one hour each, showcasing some of the world’s most inspired thinkers as they tackle the most timely topics of today and tomorrow.

Keynotes exemplify the creativity, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial drive that SXSW cultivates. Alumni speakers include Ave DuVerney, Willie Nelson, Barack Obama, Dave Grohl, Stacey Abrams, Elon Musk, Esther Perel, Michelle Obama, Bruce Springsteen, Bozoma St John, Lee Daniels, and Ta-Nehisi Coates – to name a few. Explore video highlights below.

Stay tuned for SXSW 2022 programming announcements throughout the season.

Ta-Nehisi Coates – 2018 Keynote

"Ask me about something I haven’t read on or reported on, I’m not gonna say much about it. When you go into a punch your feet have got to be set."

Olivia Wilde

2019 Film Keynote

“I realized if I wanted things to change, if I wanted to make my voice heard, I was going to have to shift the paradigm from within.”

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Olivia Wilde Film Keynote - Photo by Danny Matson

T Bone Burnett

2019 Music Keynote

“I will stay with the artists. Artists contain the accumulated knowledge of generations. Artists create conscience. The artists are our only hope.”

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Music Keynote T Bone Burnett - Photo by Adrianne Schroeder

Barack Obama

2016 Keynote

“It’s not enough to focus on the cool, next big thing. It’s harnessing the cool, next big thing to help people in this country.”

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2016 Keynote Barack Obama - Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for SXSW

Esther Perel

2018 Interactive Keynote

“It’s the quality of our relationships that determines the quality of our lives – but it’s equally so that the quality of relationships at work determines the actually quality of our work and our overall ability to succeed.”

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