SXSW Music Festival does not have a radius clause like other festivals but we do have an Exclusivity Window for all Official SXSW Artists:
7pm - 2am during SXSW Music Festival dates (March 12-18, 2026).
What does this mean?
Per your Performance Agreement, the Exclusivity Policy states that Official SXSW Artists will not play unofficial events between 7pm and 2am each day.
Why does SXSW have an Exclusivity Window?
Most major festivals have a radius clause of up to 300 miles from their location and a date clause that ranges from 30-90 days before and after the festival. By comparison, SXSW has a very modest restriction of 7 hours on each day of the event.
SXSW implements this restriction in order to protect Official SXSW artists, presenters and venues from dilution of their audiences. This also helps to preserve the integrity of the event, as well as the value of the SXSW experience, for all of our registrants, presenters and artists. For example, it would be unfair to our independent venues and to our international artists (who are not permitted to play unofficial shows while here on the ESTA visa) to compete against additional unofficial performances taking place at the same time by other Official Artists. We want everyone to have a fair opportunity.
Which unofficial shows can we play?
Your Official SXSW showcase performance should always be your first priority. But domestic artists (and international artists traveling on “work” visas) may participate in non-SXSW daytime shows during the 17 hours outside of 7pm-2am Central Time. You can also do in-store performances at record stores or any closed session (no audience) radio and TV performances under 10 minutes in length.
We want to play a ton of shows! Should we accept every “unofficial” offer that we get?
It probably isn’t ideal, for a number of reasons. For example, SXSW maintains a level of production and quality control at its’ official showcases that isn’t always the standard at unofficial events, which can leave you with an unflattering show. It can also compromise your performance and draw at your “Official” showcase (which could leave important industry attendees underwhelmed). The last thing we want is for a singer to blow out their voice playing too many unofficial shows or for a band to turn up late for their Official show because they got stuck in traffic driving back from an unofficial show that wasn’t running on time.
Can international bands traveling on the ESTA waiver play unofficial shows?
Sorry, but the short answer is no. For one thing, it could cause you to be denied entry into the country. For more guidance on this, please visit the Tamizdat FAQ for international artists traveling to the US: https://tamizdat.org/tamizdats-2026-sxsw-us-travel-advisory/
Can international bands play official daytime events?
Yes. A handful of presenters (such as British Music Embassy and Planetary) program music as part of Official daytime events. The rule of thumb is: Can you find it on the sxsw.com schedule SXSW Go app? Then it’s official. If SXSW doesn’t list it, then it is not Official.
What if we decide to play unofficial shows in violation of the SXSW Exclusivity Policy?
You’ll probably have your official shows canceled, your credentials voided, removal from our schedule, all that dumb stuff. Honestly, we’d rather have you here instead.