It's the festival where music, film and technology come together for explosive events that bring in big names and lure in large crowds.
The South by Southwest 2015 festival kicks off on Friday, and this year there is a lot to talk about.
Held annually in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest (SWSX) is a music, film and interactive festival that is one of the most anticipated events of the spring.
Here is everything you need to know about SXSW 2015.
Up up and away...! Are youuuu ready?!!#SXSW #SXcomin photo via @ablase
A photo posted by SXSW (@sxsw) on Mar 12, 2015 at 1:08pm PDT
SXSW Music
SXSW Music is the largest music festival with about 55,000 fans attending last year. The 2015 lineup features more than 100 artists, including Weekend Money from New York City, Phantoms from Los Angeles, and international acts like Jessie Ware from London and Agosto from Argentina.
Snoop Dogg will be the Music keynote, appearing at the Austin Convention Center's Ballroom A on Friday, March 20 at 11 a.m.
The most anticipated music conferences include "100 Years From Now: Preserving Pop Music History," and "Got My Mojo Workin': The Musical Legacy of Muddy Waters and the Chicago Blues."
SXSW Film
Russell Brand will open the film festival Friday with the debut of BRAND: A Second Coming, a documentary based on his life.
Judd Apatow's Trainwreck will be screened starring Amy Schumer and Bill Harder—along with celebrity cameos from LeBron James and John Cena.
You might have seen the Steve Job flick starting Ashton Kutcher, or even the Michael Fassbender one, but Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine will premiere at SXSW from Going Clear director Alex Gibney.
Rolling Papers will debut, a documentary funded by Kickstarter that tells the story of journalist Ricadro Baco who became the first "marijunana editor."
With over 5 million views for its trailer on YouTube, Unfriended will also be screened. It's a cyber-thriller about a killer seeking revenge for a humiliating video, which is pretty much the social media spin of I Know What You Didi Last Summer.
SXSW Interactive
SXSW Interactive will be all about the startups. There is double the space for startup content compared to last year.
Interestingly enough, there will also be a session on how artificial intelligence will one day be able bring back the dead in "HoloGramma: How Tech Can Bring Back Our Departed." Think of it as a digital twist on The Walking Dead. People will also be able to play with ground and aerial robots the first ever Robot Petting Zoo.
As always, social media will be a main topic as always as SXSW Interactive 2015 will dive into topics like cyberbullying.
If you crave more practicality from your tech, there will be the launch of SX Health and MedTech Expo specifically for innovation in these fields after the success of last year's keynote speech from Anne Wocicki.
Astro Teller from Google X will speak about self-driving cars and AeroMobil will discuss flying cars, making automotive tech a buzzed about topic this year.
It's also important to note that drones will be prohibited at the festival for safety and legal concerns, and barricades will be in place to block off traffic after last year's accident that killed four and injured almost two dozen after a music event.
Jimmy Kimmel will host Jimmy Kimmel Live! from SXSW for the second year in a row. Filming for the show will be at the Long Center for the Performing Arts from March 16-20, with guest Kevin Hart, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Matthew McConaughey, Tony Romo and Brad Paisley.
SXSW Film takes place from March 13-21, SXSW Interactive from March 13-21 and SXSW Music from March 17-22.
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