As SXSW made its much-anticipated debut in London, UK House emerged as a vibrant hub celebrating the best of British creativity, innovation, and cultural insight.
Spearheaded by Bray Leino Events, the experience transformed Devonshire Square into a dynamic showcase of immersive tech, inspiring storytelling, and live music performances that captured the spirit of both SXSW and the UK’s creative industries.
In this Q&A, we speak with the team behind UK House to uncover how they approached designing this landmark event, the challenges and opportunities of bringing SXSW to London, and how live experiences continue to shape meaningful audience engagement.
Can you talk us through some of the key elements or highlights of the UK House experience at SXSW London?
UK House at SXSW London brought together the best of UK creativity in one space. Set in Devonshire Square, just a short walk from Shoreditch, it delivered three days of thought-provoking panels, immersive tech, cultural insights and standout music, all designed to spark conversation and connection.
Creativity in the age of AI was a major theme, with sessions like “The Superpowered Creator” exploring how tech is transforming the creative process. Storytelling also played a big role, especially around climate engagement with speakers calling for more emotive, hopeful narratives to drive real-world change.
There were some brilliant behind-closed-doors moments too. Rochelle Humes hosted a private lunch celebrating “Ladies Who Launch”, offering an honest, grounded look at entrepreneurship and brand-building and in the XR space, sessions celebrated global success stories like ABBA Voyage, while also acknowledging the need for more sustainable, inclusive growth across the immersive sector.
The activations brought ideas to life from interactive installations to the HYPERVSN Digital Avatar, a 3D holographic AI you could speak to in real time. These were experiences built to get people thinking, doing, and talking, not just watching and then there was the music. The British Music Embassy delivered two brilliant evenings of live performance, spotlighting rising UK artists like Beth McCarthy and Freak Slug. It wasn’t just a gig, it was a platform for UK talent to be heard, and the crowd really felt that.
All in all, UK House captured the spirit of SXSW London. Cross-sector, collaborative, and full of creative momentum.
This is the first time SXSW has come to London. What does it mean for Bray Leino Events to be part of such a landmark moment?
It feels like a natural fit. SXSW London landing in London marks a cultural shift as the iconic SXSW festival expanded its brand into Europe, creating a fresh meeting point of tech innovation, artist creativity, and industry-shaping conversations and for Bray Leino Events to be part of that? It’s exactly where we want to be.
We’ve spent decades creating standout experiences that connect people in meaningful ways, and SXSW London is the kind of platform where those connections matter most. Being part of this landmark moment meant bringing our experience from delivering UK House at SXSW over the years, our creative energy, and our signature calm-in-the-storm approach to a dedicated space for the UK’s talent, debuting on home soil for the first time.
What were some of the unique challenges or opportunities in designing UK House for a London-based SXSW event?
Designing UK House for SXSW London came with both high expectations and a rare opportunity. Following Austin’s legacy was always going to be a challenge, SXSW has decades of cultural clout behind it, so the pressure was on to create something that felt equally compelling but rooted in the UK’s own creative identity.
There was also the added weight of being the host city. Working closely with the UK Government, there was a clear brief: UK House needed to be a magnet, a hub that showcased the very best of British innovation, talent, and ideas. The programme had to cut through, and the space had to feel like the place to be. The venue layout in London was more spread out than Austin, which meant we couldn’t rely on footfall, we had to earn it. That’s why branding played such a critical role.
We went bold with branding across Devonshire Square to create real presence and ensure UK House stood out as a destination at the same time, it was a big opportunity to position UK innovation on a global stage, not just in terms of tech, but also the cultural, creative and entrepreneurial stories that make up our broader ecosystem. It was also a chance to shine a light on work being done across sectors, particularly in spaces like UK-India and UK-Africa collaboration.
From an agency perspective, being part of SXSW London in its very first year was a strategic decision. There was some hesitation across the industry about how successful the event would be, but we saw real value in being there from the beginning. The insights, connections, and lessons we’ve taken from this year will be invaluable as the festival grows in years to come.
What role does live music, tech, or immersive experiences play in your strategy for audience engagement?
Live music, tech, and immersive experiences aren’t just features of what we do, they’re integral to how we make live moments matter. At Bray Leino Events, we build experiences that start with audience insight and end with impact. And nowhere is that approach more at home than at SXSW London.
SXSW London is where culture, innovation, and emotion converge which mirrors how we think about engagement. It’s not about delivering content in silos; it’s about crafting layered experiences that speak to people across multiple dimensions. Our approach to all our work gives us the framework to do exactly that by blending behavioural insight, hard data, and human-first design to ensure every moment earns its place.
Take live music. At SXSW London, it’s not just a set list, it’s a heartbeat. Artists like Beth McCarthy or Freak Slug don’t just entertain; they move people. That energy becomes a powerful tool for connection – emotional, immediate, and memorable. We harness that same principle across sectors and all our work, using live elements to ground ideas in feeling.
Tech and immersion? That’s how you invite someone into the story. SXSW London proved that audiences don’t want to just listen, they want to explore, interact, and influence. That’s our territory.
So, when we get to work on a project like SXSW London, we’re not setting up stands or covering logistics, we’re orchestrating experiences that shift perspective, create clarity, and spark action. Because if events are where your brand shows what it truly values, then strategy and storytelling must go hand in hand. That’s what we bring to the table and why events like SXSW London will always be part of the story we help shape.
Looking ahead, how do you see the role of events like SXSW evolving in the UK, and will Bray Leino Events be a part of that story?
SXSW hitting London is a big deal. It’s more than a festival; it’s a cultural catalyst. And in the UK, it’s arriving at just the right moment. For it to succeed and grow it must evolve beyond a badge and become something uniquely British. More than a copy of Austin – SXSW London should be different from its US kin… have its own attitude, rooted in UK creative energy, diversity, and boldness. Sex Pistols meets Tim Berners-Lee (in a cool way)?
Bray Leino Events champions creativity to build meaningful brand experiences. SXSW London is an incredibly exciting vehicle for telling Brand stories and pushing creative culture and technology. It’s all very exciting!
