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.