SXSW 2026: Austin city leaders say they're prepared for festival
SXSW 2026: Austin city leaders prepared
As thousands have begun descending on Austin for SXSW, city leaders say they’re more than ready for what the festival brings along with its 40th anniversary.
AUSTIN, Texas - As thousands have begun descending on Austin for SXSW, city leaders say they’re more than ready for what the festival brings along with its 40th anniversary.
Featured
SXSW 2026: CapMetro extends services, makes it easier to get around Austin
CapMetro is extending its services and is providing convenient transportation for residents and visitors for SXSW 2026.
Austin city leaders speak on SXSW safety
What they're saying:
In recent days, downtown Austin has seen an uptick in activity, as crews have been putting last-minute touches on installations and venues which are a part of the event.
"It's part of what's special about our home. It's a part the rest of the world looks to Austin for," said Mayor Kirk Watson on Wednesday at the Spring Festival Season Conference.
He was surrounded by other city officials who reiterated that safety remains the top priority as Austin enters one of its busiest seasons.
With the Convention Center under construction, SXSW 2026 will be spread out across downtown, with three main hubs and venues scattered across the city. On Wednesday, road closures had already begun making their presence felt as parts of Congress, Red River, 6th Street, and other streets are set to shut down.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Spring festival season news conference
Local officials, including Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, talk about safety plans and more as the city gears up for SXSW and spring festival season.
"Street closures will begin daily at noon, and they'll continue into the early morning hours. Expect major traffic impacts in and around the city," said Austin Police Chief, Lisa Davis.
This year, SXSW will also have a command center, where if any emergency calls are made in the area, they will be directly routed, so the appropriate agency can respond.
"911 has been notified that if they get a call from someone in this area of SXSW, that is to go through immediately," said Chief Davis.
The increased focus on security comes less than two weeks after the deadly mass shooting on West 6th Street, which left three victims dead and several others injured. For many, the tragedy is still a fresh memory in the city’s heart.
"In light of the recent 6th Street incident, things do feel a little bit different this year. There's a little anxiety. There's a little bit of fragility," said Mayor Watson.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ABIA prepares for SXSW, spring festival season
A surge of folks are flocking to town for SXSW, which kicks off Thursday. Austin-Bergstrom is already seeing an influx of travelers amid a partial government shutdown. FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt spoke with travelers at ABIA.
But APD says they’re more than ready and want to assure both locals and visitors alike that Austin is safe for SXSW.
"What I want everyone to know in this city, and I want everybody to know what's coming into this city, is the APD is fully staffed for this event, and we are fully prepared," said Chief Davis. "APD will be highly visible downtown."
Paired alongside APD, Austin-Travis County EMS said they’ll have a broader footprint than in years past.
"We’ll be focusing our efforts around 6th Street, the warehouse district, Rainey Street and East Austin. We'll be deploying a number of specialized resources, including our CAST med team, our DTAC team, working alongside our colleagues, the Austin Police Department and the Austin Fire Department," said Robert Luckritz, Chief of Austin-Travis County EMS.
Dig deeper:
As a surge of people are expected to use rideshare apps, some city officials are shifting their focus towards Waymo.
During the West 6th Street shooting, video captured a Waymo blocking first responders near the scene.
Austin 6th Street shooting: Waymo invited to council meeting after self-driving car blocks road
Austin City Council members are demanding safety improvements from Waymo after a self-driving car blocked an ambulance responding to a deadly mass shooting downtown.
Zo Qadri and other Austin City Council Members have since sent a letter requesting the company to meet with the Austin City Council’s Public Safety Committee and Mobility Committee on April 29 to identify steps to ensure it never happens again.
The Source: Information from Austin city leaders