All the events at Soho House Austin during SXSW® 2025
As tastemakers and industry pros flooded the city, we hosted parties, panels and performances by Big Freedia and Tobe Nwigwe
Tuesday 18 March 2025 By Chloe Lawrance
March marked the return of Austin’s biggest film, music and culture festival, SXSW®. And as the city filled with industry leaders and tastemakers – including many Soho House members – we hosted nine days of events not to be missed.
A House highlight was the special art installation ‘Puzzle Grass’ (dadaLab, 2025) created by Austin-based immersive art studio dadaLab, and powered by Porsche. The work featured vertical illuminated columns augmenting the existing architecture of the House to form an electrified forest grid, exploring the themes of electrification, and the relationship between humans and technology.
Read on to discover some of the highlights from our packed calendar of parties and Member Mixers, Q&As and panels, as well as musical performances from upcoming and established talent.
Thursday 6 March
We kicked off proCeedings with our opening party, in partnership with Porsche. Members and guests gathered at Soho House Austin to enjoy Patrón Silver Picantes and Johnnie Walker Black Label Buck cocktails, take in the art installation, and dance to a night of live music and DJ sets. The night began with a genre-defying set by Brooklynite DJ John Lutchman, followed by a performance from rapper, singer and actor Tobe Nwigwe, who was accompanied by a live band. Finally, DJ Jane took to the decks for a floor-filling set to see the evening out.
The day started with a fireside chat with author and entrepreneur Dave Asprey, who’s sometimes referred to as the ‘father of biohacking’. He shared his health secrets, answered members’ questions, and broke down some of the myths behind his quest for longevity. In the evening, we joined forces with Patrón for a night of music. Beginning with a special SXSW® edition of Club Sounds, our series that focuses on all things dance music, we welcomed Miss Milan hot off winning a Grammy for her work with Doechii. This was followed by a Secret Soho Sounds performance from none other than comedian-turned-DJ Zack Fox, whose surprise performance had members dancing all night long.
We marked International Women’s Day with a morning of mixing and mingling for our female members. Over brunch, leading voices in media, entertainment, film and music came together to discuss the importance of recognising and supporting women within their industries. As part of the morning, we hosted a panel with models and entrepreneurs Iskra Lawrence, Taylor Long and Beth Hitchcock, who discussed the changing face of the beauty industry, and how to create more inclusive spaces and brands. In the evening Sir Woman, the solo project of Wild Child’s Kelsey Wilson, performed in the club, followed by a DJ set from Dallas legend Aniya Henry.
Sunday was all about rest and relaxation in the House, as members gathered around the pool or relaxed in the cabanas. For those looking to commemorate another brilliant festival in the city, we offered complimentary tattoos by local artist Sam Animal. As night fell, we hosted the afterparty in honour of the world premiere of Newbies, written and directed by Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence and Megan ‘Megz’ Trufant Tillman, and starring Josiah Cross, Mia Isaac and Danny Glover. The evening featured DJ sets and pop-up performances by Magna Carda, Just Jim, Blindspot, and Amarji King.
Music filled the club on Monday. The evening commenced with a stripped down acoustic set by lead singer and songwriter Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses, followed by a performance from musician and composer JaRon Marshall. The Grammy-nominated artist is known for his work with Black Pumas and as a leader in the Austin jazz scene. Finally, Brian Henry – who counts Barack Obama, Beyoncé and Cardi B as fans – took to the decks for a high-octane Club Sounds night.
SXSW® is all about the brightest talent coming together to share their craft – and we were lucky enough to be joined by creator and host of the Modern Wisdom podcast, Chris Williamson, for a fireside chat on all that he’s learned over the course of more than 900 episodes, during which he’s interviewed some of the world’s greatest thought leaders. This was followed by a night of Latin music that included a DJ set by Suxxy Puxxy, and live performances by Nsqk and Foudeqush.
Comedian and podcast host Marc Maron showed off his immense music knowledge in the Music Room, where he walked members through five vinyl records handpicked from Austin’s legendary Waterloo Records. Afterwards, we hosted a Member Mixer with non-alcoholic beers provided by BERO. The musical line-up for the night was also very special with a House showcase that spanned genres. Kelcey Ayer of Local Natives performed tracks from his stripped-down solo project, followed by sets from Deveon and Austin’s own Sexpop. Big Freedia took to the stage with her signature brand of high-energy bounce music (complete with a cast of backing dancers), and the night ended with a DJ set from Sofie Royer.
As members sipped bespoke cocktails by Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky, they enjoyed a performance from the band Sunflower Bean. And to see out another year of SXSW® with a bang, we were joined by Pee .Wee – the alter-ego of artist and performer Anderson .Paak – for a night of dancing.
Producer DJ Prince Paul (De La Soul) and hip-hop legend Ishmael Butler (Digable Planets and Shabazz Palaces) were in conversation on Friday evening, exploring the ongoing evolution of hip-hop and the importance of preserving its roots. Next, grill maker and jeweller Prince popped by the club to offer members grill consultations and moulds, before the evening’s Club Sounds event. Guests enjoyed a DJ set from Large Professor, a founding member of the underground hip-hop group Main Source and frequent collaborator of Nas.
We began the final day of our celebrations with a panel discussion around the role of technology and AI in the art world – how is it transforming the industry, and should we worry or embrace the changes? Panellists included Michaela A Ternasky-Holland, a Peabody-nominated and Emmy-winning immersive creator; Casey Lesser, director of content at Artsy; and Curry J Hackett, award-winning artist and educator. Throughout the day and into the evening, members enjoyed plenty of live music, too. Texas native Rich O’Toole took to the stage for a special performance, followed by The Point and Midnight Navy, some of Austin’s biggest upcoming names. To see us out, we welcomed DJ Trackstar – the tour DJ for Killer Mike and Run the Jewels – for a night of wall-to-wall dancing.
See the events page to find out what’s on at our Houses around the world
