British Music Embassy Host Stellar New Talent Showcase at First SXSW London

04.06.2025: The first ever SXSW London is taking place in East London from June 2-8, with the British Music Embassy hosting a stellar new talent showcase on the first two nights of the event.

East London's Devonshire Square hosted eight incredible acts across Monday June 2 and Tuesday June 3. The opening night saw Manchester songwriter Freak Slug, North London artis Joviale, award-winning musician Master Peace, and singer songwriter Beth McCarthy all deliver showstopping performances, while Leeds band L'Objectif, Blackburn vocalist Charlotte OC, Leeds solo artist Ellur, and Dublin alt rock outfit Gurriers brought the showcase to a close with blistering sets.

The British Music Embassy in London is a collaboration between UK record labels association the BPI, the British Council, the Department for Business & Trade (DBT), copyright collective societies PPL and PRS for Music, the UK's leading charitable funder of new music PRS Foundation, and collective voice of the industry UK Music.

Now in its 18th year, the British Music Embassy has become a mainstay at SXSW in Austin and one of the conference's most popular music destinations, having hosted shows for over 700 UK acts since 2008. The BME is credited with having helped launch the international careers of the likes of Little Simz, Sam Fender, IDLES and many more. The BME at SXSW in Austin in April 2025 featured 80 performances from over 50 artists over an eight-day period.

UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said: "The UK music industry generates £7.6 billion for our economy along with export revenues of £4.6 billion and supports 216,000 fantastic jobs. I'm confident that British Music Embassy at SXSW London will act as an important catalyst to help further grow our sector and showcase the huge range and diversity of British talent.

"Having seen the success of the original SXSW in Austin, I hope we can capture that same spirit of enterprise and ambition to make SWSW a fixture in the UK's musical calendar."