‘London –  I think it’s the greatest city on Earth’.

Those are the words of SXSW London CEO Max Alexander as one of the world’s biggest festivals finally rolls into down today.

Famed for its eclectic mix of music acts, film showcases, A-list appearances, and industry networking, SXSW makes its way from Austin, Texas, to the Capital for a feast of innovative talks, live performances, and film premieres until Saturday.

SXSW has grown into one of the world’s most recognisable and vital creative industry festivals since launching in 1987.

This year, more than 25 venues across Shoreditch in east London will host events including talks from Idris Elba, Katherine Ryan, Cesc Fabregas, Ian Wright, and Sophie Turner, and live music from Erykah Badu, Mabel, Alice Glass, and Pa Salieu, among a diverse mix of emerging and established talent.

Fans can buy a variety of passes tailored around what they want to see across conference, music and film –  or an individual music wristband to catch some of the 500 live performances over the week.

Organisers hope the inaugural week will cement a legacy across London by supporting charity initiatives, shine a light on the city’s grassroots venues, and represent important issues among the community through the newly launched SXSW London Advisory Council.

Find out more about London’s grassroots venues here

One of SXSW’s annual standout events is UK House, which showcases British innovation, creativity and technology through talks and immersive experiences. It also features live performances from the UK’s best rising talent thanks to the British Music Embassy – a key partner of the Department for Business and Trade.

The showcase has become a staple of SXSW and helped launch international careers of Sam Fender, The 1975, Little Simz, and many more.

And this year it’s coming to London’s Devonshire Square.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: ‘Our creative industries are a powerhouse of global innovation and it’s a real vote of confidence in the UK’s attractiveness for investors that SXSW has chosen us as its first ever European location.

‘I am proud that our UK House at SXSW London will reflect our position as a truly global destination for business.

‘With creative industries being identified as a key growth sector in our upcoming modern Industrial Strategy, we’re not only helping to attract and secure investment, but delivering long-term growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the UK, backing our Plan for Change.’

Max Alexander, who was also CEO of Secret Cinema, told Metro: ‘SXSW’s ambition is to become part of the cultural fabric of London.

‘It’s a love letter to London, but being incredibly respectful for what London already is, which is just a profound nexus of culture, business, creativity, ideas, technology, finance, and philosophy.

‘We want to help amplify for London, for Britain, and indeed for Europe, technologies, business models, art forms, and music creatives, and give people a really explicit platform for presentation, discovery and investigation.

Mayor Sadiq Khan on SXSW London

I was lucky to be a part of SXSW in Austin in 2018, and I saw first-hand the electric atmosphere of innovation that the festival creates.

From helping to shape the future of tech and AI, to providing a platform for major new artists, SXSW London is a significant opportunity to generate new ideas, promote our capital and help inspire the next generation.

This week the creative eyes of the world will be on London as our capital becomes the first European city to ever host SXSW.

Leaders from the tech, media, gaming and creative industries are descending on Shoreditch in East London as the world-renowned Texas festival comes to our capital.

Across 34 venues there will be hundreds of talks, live music, and film and TV screenings, as some of the world’s most exciting talent come together.

It’s a great addition to our cultural calendar and another boost to our creative industries. These vital industries generate more than £63bn for the UK economy, having significantly surpassed pre-pandemic levels. They help define how London is perceived around the world, and provide young people with positive opportunities and access to training and jobs.

SXSW is also the start of the biggest ever month for business and investment in London, with the Concordia Europe Summit, London Tech Week and London Climate Action Week all taking place in June.

This series of major business events will attract thousands of dealmakers, investors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, innovators and creatives from all over the world, demonstrating that London is truly the best city for creativity, talent and business in the world.

Globally renowned photographer and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Misan Harriman will be premiering his new film Shoot the People at the festival on Tuesday (June 3) before taking part in a UK House panel named Storytelling as a Force for Change on Wednesday (June 4).

He told Metro: ‘Shoot the People is a feature-length documentary on what it means to be an artist that refuses to look away in the age of apathy, what it means to document protest movements and how important protest is in our age and I can’t wait to share that with the world.

‘We added two extra screenings as all the seats sold out within 24 hours so a lot of people are excited to see this film because they have also been on a journey of understanding that their voice matters.

‘We are the change that we are looking for – if there are things you are unhappy about maybe your whisper is actually a roar when you realise there is a community of thousands, if not millions, that are also whispering about something. And that’s what this film is about.’

This Morning’s Rochelle Humes, a former member of The Saturdays, will be hosting her Ladies Who Launch Lunch that celebrates the podcast at UK House on Tuesday (June 3).

‘I’m really excited that we’re going to have a presence there’, she told Metro.

‘I’m so passionate about connecting women in business, and that’s the very reason that the podcast exists.  

‘It’s quite quickly built a community organically. I know that’s such a buzz word now, but actually, that’s what I love. We hosted a walk the other day that saw lots of female founders to go on a walk together – it’s so nice to see women connecting in that way.

SXSW London takes place from today (June 2) until Saturday (June 7) at venues across London.  For more information and tickets, click here.

All 25 British intelligence personnel in the helicopter died when it crashed in fog.

The UK has ‘lost control of its borders’ over the past five years, the Defence Secretary has said, after a new high for Channel crossings was hit yesterday.

John Healey blamed the previous Conservative government for failing to control the small boats crisis in an appearance on Sky News.

He described scenes of migrants piling on flimsy crafts for the dangerous crossing from France to England on Saturday as ‘pretty shocking’.

Government figures show 18 small boats arrived on British shores yesterday, carrying 1,194 people – up from the year’s previous high of 825 last month.

Pictures from the coastal French town of Gravelines showing police officers standing by as the crafts launch into the Channel have sparked fury.

In February, the government in Paris agreed to change the law so the boats could be intercepted in shallow waters.

However, the move has still not been formally implemented and just 184 of the 1,378 migrants who attempted the crossing yesterday were rescued.

Healey said: ‘They’re not doing it, but for the first time we’ve got the level of cooperation needed, we’ve got the agreement that they will change the way they work.

‘And our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation, so they can intercept these smugglers and stop these people in the boats, not just on the shore.

‘That’ll be part of, part of, I hope, dealing with this absolutely intolerable problem.’

He told Sky News: ‘Truth is, Britain’s lost control of its borders over the last five years, and the last government last year left an asylum system in chaos and record levels of immigration.’

Under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2023, the UK agreed to pay France £480 million over three years to help reduce the number of crossings.

Reform leader Nigel Farage claimed in a post on X yesterday that ‘well over 1,000’ of the migrants who crossed the Channel on Saturday were ‘young males’, adding: ‘Our country is in peril.’

It is unclear where he got a gender breakdown for the figures.

Yesterday, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the government’s ‘pledge to smash gangs lies in tatters’, adding that the decision to scrap the Rwanda plan was a ‘catastrophic mistake’.

He also criticised the behaviour of the French, saying the country was ‘endangering lives and breaching their international law obligations’.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump lauded a first-of-its-kind trade deal between the UK and US.

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‘No other form of saving comes close.’

A massive new trade deal between the UK and India could bring an end to irritating spam texts from Indian senders, the government has said.

Prices on items like clothes, shoes and frozen prawns could also drop for British shoppers as a result of the new agreement.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed it as a ‘landmark deal’ which will ‘grow the economy and deliver for British people and business’.

It represents the ‘biggest and most economically significant bilateral trade deal’ for the UK since Brexit, according to the Department of Business and Trade.

The department said the agreement included ‘new commitments’ to ‘help protect consumers from spam texts from India’, which could mean recipients are able to opt out or give prior consent.

India is the world’s most populous country, and among the world’s fastest-growing economies.

The country’s tariffs on whisky and gin from the UK will be slashed from 150% to 75% while the tariffs on cars will fall from more than 100% to 10%.

Cosmetics, aerospace, lamb, medical devices, salmon, electrical machinery, soft drinks, chocolate, and biscuits are among the other British products that will have their Indian tariffs cut.

The announcement comes after years of negotiations, which took on a new urgency when Donald Trump introduced broad tariffs on imports to the US from every country in the world in April.

The US President also brought in 25% tariffs on car imports, putting significant pressure on the UK’s automotive industry which deals heavily across the Atlantic.

While the lowering of vehicle tariffs in the India agreement may be welcomed by the sector, it is subject to a quota.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: ‘This government’s number one mission is growing the economy as part of our Plan for Change so we can put more money in people’s pockets.

‘By striking a new trade deal with the fastest-growing economy in the world, we are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year and unlocking growth in every corner of the country, from advanced manufacturing in the North East to whisky distilleries in Scotland.

‘In times of global uncertainty, a pragmatic approach to global trade that provides businesses and consumers with stability is more important than ever.’

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

A massive new trade deal between the UK and India could bring an end to irritating spam texts from Indian senders, the government has said.

Prices on items like clothes, shoes and frozen prawns could also drop for British shoppers as a result of the new agreement.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed it as a ‘landmark deal’ which will ‘grow the economy and deliver for British people and business’.

It represents the ‘biggest and most economically significant bilateral trade deal’ for the UK since Brexit, according to the Department of Business and Trade.

The department said the agreement included ‘new commitments’ to ‘help protect consumers from spam texts from India’, which could mean recipients are able to opt out or give prior consent.

India is the world’s most populous country, and among the world’s fastest-growing economies.

The country’s tariffs on whisky and gin from the UK will be slashed from 150% to 75% while the tariffs on cars will fall from more than 100% to 10%.

Cosmetics, aerospace, lamb, medical devices, salmon, electrical machinery, soft drinks, chocolate, and biscuits are among the other British products that will have their Indian tariffs cut.

The announcement comes after years of negotiations, which took on a new urgency when Donald Trump introduced broad tariffs on imports to the US from every country in the world in April.

The US President also brought in 25% tariffs on car imports, putting significant pressure on the UK’s automotive industry which deals heavily across the Atlantic.

While the lowering of vehicle tariffs in the India agreement may be welcomed by the sector, it is subject to a quota.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: ‘This government’s number one mission is growing the economy as part of our Plan for Change so we can put more money in people’s pockets.

‘By striking a new trade deal with the fastest-growing economy in the world, we are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year and unlocking growth in every corner of the country, from advanced manufacturing in the North East to whisky distilleries in Scotland.

‘In times of global uncertainty, a pragmatic approach to global trade that provides businesses and consumers with stability is more important than ever.’

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

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