SXSW 2025: Spring festival season kicks off in downtown Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - The spring festival season kicked off this week in Austin and SXSW starts on Friday, March 7.

The annual event brings in hundreds of thousands of travelers, resulting in lots of traffic and delays around town.

For a full CapMetro schedule, click here.

For a list of road closures, click here.

SXSW 2025 in Austin

What we know:

Preparation is underway for the start of SXSW, the bumper-to-bumper traffic, road closures, and the large crowds of festival-goers.

The city of Austin has plans for full and partial road closures, many in the area near East Cesar Chavez Street from East 2nd Street to East 9th Street.

CapMetro is offering a special rail service to help with traffic and parking by extending hours to 12:30 a.m. during the week and 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The rail will also run on Sunday, March 9.

During the festival, the transit company says to expect longer lines than normal.

"That's super beneficial, in my opinion, just because the walking is just pretty intense here. Didn't know how far everything was. So those would be very helpful and especially the drinking and driving part. Keep away from accidents and everything," says SXSW attendee Cidonia Ponce.

Austin Bergstrom International Airport says both the upper and lower levels are open for passenger pick-up and drop-off. Nearly 27,000 travelers are expected on Friday.

"We were there at the airport at four this morning. So, the flights were really intense. But I think just getting there early and making time for the extra travelers and everything will save you that trouble," says Ponce.

Local perspective:

"We're going to stay on the block. It's the best way to do it," says SXSW performer Guru Kozy.

"Yeah, the increase in traffic sucks, but most of all, it sucks for people in Austin who live and work and commute here," says SXSW performer Joshua Hernandez.

Festival-goers say they have a plan in place.

"Hopefully riding with the homies. Let's carpool it up. Let's get some Ubers. Spend the least money as possible. It's going to be a lot of traffic throughout the whole thing. So, staying on the street, staying within the area is the best strategy," says Kozy.

"We're going to be walking. We're going to be driving down during the day and then walking throughout the day with our groups. So, I’m really nervous for the crowds. But we come from a small town, so it'll be very different to see the city live. So, I’m very excited," says Ponce.