All-American Rejects to Open SXSW 2026, First 100 Showcasing Artists Announced

All-American Rejects are set to kick off SXSW 2026 at the Music Festival Opening Party hosted at Stubb’s Amphitheater on March 12 in Austin, Texas. The festival and conference has also announced the first slate of artists set to play the iconic event’s 40th anniversary that will take place March 12-18 throughout the city.

The initial list of 100 showcasing artists will include masked lo-fi art-pop musician Milo Korbenski from Brighton, England; experimental electropop and live coding pioneer DJ_Dave out of LA; Mexico City-based and regionally influenced post-punk project La Texana; Brooklyn-based alt-folk songwriter Hudson Freeman; Austin-based Bayonne, the introspective and ethereal electro-pop project of artist Roger Sellers; Indonesian indie trio Grrrl Gang; Irish post-punks Chalk; LA punk-pop buzz band The Sophs; West Coast hip-hop and Bollywood influenced rapper, producer, and songwriter KOAD; Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter runo plum; and Grammy-nominated rapper and Tully founder Joyner Lucas.

“SXSW has been the premiere destination for music discovery for 40 years, helping push pioneering acts like Kendrick Lamar, The White Stripes, Wet Leg, PinkPantheress, Tyler, The Creator, and Billie Eilish, to the next level,” SXSW vp of music Brian Hobbs said in a release. “By bringing the global music industry to Austin, from labels and A&R to publicists to influential journalists and critics, SXSW is a unique opportunity for showcasing artists to build their careers, enter new markets, and learn from fellow artists and industry voices. With an extra night of showcases this year, 2026 is shaping up to be better than ever for artists, industry and audiences.”

For a full list of Showcasing Artists, head here.

SXSW will celebrate its 40th year in 2026 as a condensed festival and conference due to the closure of the Austin Convention Center that is undergoing extensive renovations. The event will be two days shorter than the 2025 edition, with its interactive, film/TV and music programs running concurrently.

The festival has also announced its initial list of Music Showcase Presenters that include returning brands Billboard, NPR Music Stations, Rolling Stone, British Music Embassy, Los Angeles Times’ De Los, BMG, BBC Introducing, and The Line of Best Fit, as well as first time presenters including Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, R&B Block Party and Dream Con. The full list of the first 50 Music Showcase Presenters can be found here.

As Billboard reported last month, for the first time, SXSW will feature a fully integrated seven-day schedule across its trio of core programs, with downtown Austin transforming into a creative village anchored by three “clubhouses” — Innovation at Brazos Hall, Film & TV at 800 Congress, and Music at The Downright — designed to simplify navigation and foster collaboration throughout the all-in-one event.

Billboard parent company Penske Media acquired a majority stake in SXSW in 2023 and helped expand its reach to three continents, now hosting flagship events in Austin, Sydney and London.