The 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival is about screenings, panels, and, of course, events. The week-long festival in Austin, Texas, always brings marketing activations that double as immersive experiences for festivalgoers. This year, four stood out among the top spots as the best SXSW 2025 events. With food, drinks, and a love of media, each event pop-up brought fun and added to the festival’s unique immersive experience.
Let’s get into the best SXSW 2025 events.
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Paramount+ Lodge Returns To SXSW
At this point the Paramount+ Lounge is the spot to be during SXSW. Not only is this activation hosted by Paramount+ a must-attend for SXSW because of the great location on the iconic Rainey St.’s Clive Bar, but also because of how detailed each element of the three floors are. Each floor is sectioned into different special moments to celebrate the streamer’s television series and films.
This SXSW 2025 event focused on promoting the new Guy Ritchie Joint Mobland, Star Trek, Dexter: Original Sin, the latest seasons of Yellow Jackets, 1923, and School Spirits, CBS’s sports offerings, and the ongoing reality juggernaut Survivor, and more, I’m sure I’m missing. The space is transformed with mini-activations, and this year it was all centralized around memorable photo opportunities
The exciting bit about the Paramount+ Lodge is that it has come to have staple elements like Survivor, Star Trek, and the sports pub, but with old faithful, seeing the rotating programs that were set to debut offered some of the first interactions festival-goers got with certain properties. Additionally, the practice interaction with each station allowed those in attendance to immerse themselves in the properties and take home souvenirs too.
At this point, I want the Paramount+ Lodge at every film festival, you just might find your new favorite show.
Alien: Earth Stuns
Alien is coming to television with FX’s highly anticipated series Alien: Earth. At SXSW, the network set up a crash landing to launch festival goers into the world of Alien. To start, patrons were scanned to ensure they weren’t carrying alien parasite stowaways in their bodies before receiving their company pass that allowed us into the wreckage.
The team at FX put together an astounding crash site that looked great in the day as you played through the scenario, working your way through the wreckage and recovery tent, but at night, it came to life in a different way. Takiogn took about 10 minutes total to complete the Alien: Earth activation, which was one of the most memorable events of the entire festival. From looking at alien specimens to finding a launch code to escape, only for the floor to vibrate and jump scare you, it all worked, and I hope that FX will become a regular staple at SXSW.
Audible Returns Better than Ever
At SXSW 2025, Audible invited festival-goers to attend a live recording of the Audible Original podcast, The Unusual Suspects with Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell. Series co-hosts, award-winning writer, producer, and director Kenya Barris and The New York Times bestselling author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell, sat down with renowned author and researcher Brené Brown on the SXSW stage for a candid conversation, and they didn’t hold back.
Barris & Gladwell dove deep into Brown’s distinctive path to success, exploring the twists and turns that shaped her esteemed career. The experience will shed light on the creative process behind the audio series, revealing how Audible and Barris’ Khalabo Ink Society bring these compelling stories to life.
During the happy hour to celebrate the podcast, the duo spoke openly and honestly about the series, its impact, and their experiences in media. The honesty and vulnerability that the men had while recording the podcast were fascinating to hear. Most impactfully, Barris explains the awkwardness of receiving critiques for Blackish when many of the events being critiqued were mirrored from experiences in his own life.
The Unusual Suspects with Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell is an unscripted series featuring raw, in-depth conversations with extraordinary individuals. Bypassing pleasantries, Barris and Gladwell dive straight into candid discussions with influential figures.
Additionally, Audible brought back the pop-up Audible Listening Bar at The Fast Company Grill. There, festival attendees could grab a pair of headphones, unwind, relax away from the sun, and dive into excerpts from The Unusual Suspects.
SXSW 2025 took place from March 7th through 15th in Austin, TX.
