AUSTIN, Texas — It's that time of year again: South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024 is just around the corner, bringing with it traffic headaches for fest-goers and fest-haters alike.
SXSW is scheduled to kick off on Friday, March 8, and continue through Saturday, March 16. While it's underway, streets in Downtown Austin will be flooded with people, making them hard to navigate.
We're breaking down which streets will be closed, where you can park and how you can get around downtown – whether you're attending the fest or trying to avoid it.
Downtown Austin street closures
To help alleviate some of the congestion caused by the increased number of pedestrians, the city of Austin closes various streets downtown during the spring festival season, including during SXSW.
Here's a breakdown of some of the full road closures to be aware of:
- East Ninth from Red River to Interstate 35 – from 2 a.m. March 6 to 3 a.m. March 17
- Congress Avenue from East Seventh to East Eighth – from 3 a.m. March 8 to 3:30 a.m. March 17
- San Jacinto Boulevard and Brazos, Trinity, Nueces, Red River and Sabine streets from East Fifth to East Seventh – from 4:30 p.m. March 8 through 3:30 am. March 17
- East Sixth from Congress Avenue to I-35 – from 4:30 p.m. March 8 through 3:30 am. March 17
- East Third and East Second from San Jacinto Boulevard to Trinity Street – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily March 8-17
- East Third from Red River Street to I-35 – 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. daily March 8-17
- Rainey Street from Davis to River streets – from 4:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. daily March 8-17
- Red River from East Eight to East Tenth – from 4:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. daily March 11-17
- Onion Street from East Sixth to East Seventh – from 9 a.m. March 11 to 8 a.m. March 17
- West Riverside Drive from Lee Barton Drive to South First Street (near Auditorium Shores) – noon to 8 p.m. daily March 14-16
There will be several other partial closures during SXSW. See the city's SXSW Mobility Guide for more.
Parking during SXSW
Parking is difficult during SXSW and in many cases, it would probably be best to grab a rideshare. However, there are a number of paid parking options available downtown. The city has also published a parking guide for SXSW.
In addition, the Austin Convention Center – which serves as a hub for SXSW activity – has two parking garages, located at Second and Brazos streets and at Fifth and Red River streets. Parking availability will likely be limited in both.
How to get around during the festival
As mentioned, the convention center is a SXSW hub, housing registration, daily Conference sessions, exhibitions and more. The festival has published a walking map that shows distances and times from downtown venues to the closes convention center entrance.
In addition to walking, there are also a few other ways to get around downtown that don't involve driving.
SXSW Shuttles
For official registrants and attendees, SXSW operates a free circulating shuttle route that runs between the Austin Convention center and most festival venues. Attendees can catch the shuttle outside the convention center on Trinity Street.
The shuttle map and shuttle schedule are available online to help fest-goers plan their days.
CapMetro and MetroBike
CapMetro buses will still be traveling downtown on open streets, and MetroBike stations can be located throughout downtown.
Pedicabs and rideshares
Pedicabs operate through the city day and night, primarily in the Central Business District, Rainey Street and East Sixth Street areas. Interested travelers can look for pedicab staging areas downtown or just flag a pedicab driver down to get a ride.
Rideshares like Uber and Lyft are also a convenient option for those trying to get from another part of the city to Downtown Austin. However, fest-goers should remain mindful of the fact that congestion will be intense and several roads will be partially or completely closed.