Germany is bringing the best of its innovation, music, and art to Austin, Texas this year for SXSW 2025. The GERMAN HAUS, the official German hub at the festival and conference, will open its doors from Saturday, March 8 to Wednesday, March 12 at Speakeasy in Austin—hosting a variety of panels, networking events, and showcases featuring German tech companies and startups as well as music from 16 stand-out artists and bands.
Organized by the GERMAN MUSIC EXPORT of Initiative Musik and supported by over 20 partners across music, startups, technology, and film the GERMAN HAUS enriches the SXSW program with a variety of curated networking events, roundtables, presentations, and concerts that create a unique environment for professional exchange, international networking, and the discovery of new cross-Atlantic partnerships.
“The GERMAN HAUS at SXSW offers a stage for creative talents from Germany and connects them with artists, startups, and experts on the international scene,” says Katja Lucker, Managing Director of Initiative Musik. “This year, Initiative Musik is once again organizing our country’s presentation–an opportunity to bring the German creative landscape closer to a global audience.”
The first three days of programming (March 8-10) will spotlight tech and startups, with a special Berlin-focused showcase on Sunday and the highly anticipated German Startup Night hosted by the Digital Hub Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Discussions will dive into AI policy and regulation, AI’s impact on the music industry, and innovative storytelling. On March 11-12, the focus shifts to music—featuring industry panels, B2B matchmaking, and networking events to connect German representatives with their US and international counterparts. Conversations will cover building resilient nightlife communities and mobility and visa issues for global artists.
“SXSW is one of the most important international events for the cultural and creative industries and therefore a good reason to sustainably promote the joint German appearance with the Initiative Musik and Germany Trade and Investment (GTAI),” says Michael Kellner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. “The rapidly growing creative tech industry and the music industry - as part of the cultural and creative industries in Germany - will continue to gain in importance in the coming years and are therefore an important part of our export promotion. For the creative startups and for the musicians who can demonstrate their global competitiveness and increase their innovative power here, SXSW is an important stage!”
Evening showcases will light up the GERMAN HAUS stage from March 10-12, culminating in the GERMAN MUSIC EXPORT showcase on March 12. There, attendees can experience electrifying performances from Germany’s rising stars, including DJ and producer Niklas Dee and Laura Lee & The Jettes.
"It's just such a great privilege to be able to make music that can be heard all over the world,” says Cloudy June, who recently made it to the Eurovision Song Contest preliminary round. “I already have a few fans in the States, so I'm really excited, as a Berliner, to be able to perform at the GERMAN HAUS in Texas."
The German presentation at South by Southwest in the GERMAN HAUS is sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). Other musicians are supported through the export and tour funding programs of the GERMAN MUSIC EXPORT of the Initiative Musik with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).
Showcase lineups and programming details are available at www.german-haus.com.
