Here and around the globe, the cancellation of the 2020 South by Southwest Festival and Conference was a startlement, and one of the first chilling signs that COVID-19 was going to seriously disrupt our lives and livelihoods. A year later, we've still not returned to "normal" – and maybe we never will. But we have, collectively, gotten better at this thing – at being safer, and at being more innovative.
Same goes for the world's largest commingling of cutting-edge technology and culture. SXSW 2021 is a 100% virtual affair, to be experienced like just about everything else these days: from the safety of your own home, the comfort of your own couch. That doesn't mean this year's Fest is unambitious. SXSW IRL is almost too big to comprehend. SXSW Online is just as daunting to wrap your arms around but in different ways.