SXSW London Announces First Speakers for 2026, Including British Reality Star Jamie Laing
SXSW London is gearing up for its 2026 conference, set to take place from June 1 to 6, following a successful debut in 2025. The first wave of speakers has been announced, showcasing a diverse array of influential figures from the realms of business, technology, and culture. Among the highlighted speakers is Jamie Laing, an entrepreneur known for his transition from reality television fame on *Made In Chelsea* to founding the popular confectionary brand Candy Kittens and the podcast studio Jampot Productions. His journey exemplifies the innovative spirit that SXSW aims to celebrate, blending entertainment with entrepreneurial success.
The conference will also feature notable figures such as Ben Cohen, co-founder of the beloved ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, and Thomas Cwik from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who will likely share insights into the intersection of technology and space exploration. Additionally, Lotte Wubben-Moy, a prominent footballer for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League and the English national team, will discuss the cultural impact of sports. Hovhannes Avoyan, CEO of the photo-editing app Picsart, will delve into the dynamics of building a globally recognized platform in the competitive tech landscape. The inclusion of industry leaders from the evolving AI sector, such as Ioannis Antonoglou of Reflection AI and Joleen Liang of Squirrel AI, reflects the conference’s commitment to exploring cutting-edge topics relevant to today’s fast-paced world.
The selection of speakers for SXSW London has been driven by an innovative online submissions process, allowing potential candidates to pitch their discussion topics. This year, the community voting system, known as PanelPicker, enables the public to influence the programming, with public votes accounting for 30% of the final decision. The remaining selections are determined by SXSW staff and a board of industry experts, ensuring a balanced and engaging lineup. Following its inaugural edition in Shoreditch, which attracted over 20,500 international delegates and featured high-profile attendees like King Charles and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, SXSW London is poised to continue its tradition of fostering dialogue and creativity across various sectors. More updates on the conference lineup are expected in the coming months, promising an exciting mix of speakers and topics for attendees.
SXSW London has confirmed its first wave of speakers for its 2026 conference, featuring figures from the worlds of business, technology and culture.
The festival will be returning to the capital from June 1 to 6, following the debut of its U.K. iteration in 2025. Among the first names announced include entrepreneur Jamie Laing, who has pivoted from a successful reality television career (
Made In Chelsea
) to spearheading confectionary business Candy Kittens and podcast studio Jampot Productions in recent years.
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There will also be talks from Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, as well as Thomas Cwik of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Footballer Lotte Wubben-Moy – who plays for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League and the English national team – will be discussing the intersection of sports and culture, while Hovhannes Avoyan, founder and CEO of photo-editing app Picsart, has been enlisted to chat about the development of his globally successful platform.
Other additions to the conference line-up include names from different corners of the evolving AI landscape, such as Ioannis Antonoglou (co-founder and CTO, Reflection AI), Joleen Liang, (CEO, Squirrel AI North America), and Josh Payne (CEO, Nscale), among others. Further details can be found at the official
SXSW London website
.
The list of speakers has been partly derived from an online submissions process, which allows potential candidates to directly pitch discussion proposals. From there, a community voting system,
known as PanelPicker
, opened up to the public, so that fans could help select a portion of SXSW’s conference programming.
According to the SXSW London website, public votes account for 30% of the decision-making process. The remaining percentage is determined by SXSW London staff (30%) and a board of industry experts (40%), to ensure a balanced programme. Further conference line-up announcements are expected to arrive in the coming months.
SXSW arrived in London for the first time this summer, following the continued success of its Austin and Sydney counterparts. The inaugural edition took place in Shoreditch, saw appearances from King Charles and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and welcomed over 20,500 international delegates.
The event also played host to Billboard presents THE STAGE at SXSW London, which featured a performance by global superstar Tems at east London’s iconic Troxy venue. It followed the publication of Billboard’s annual
Global Power Players list
and its first
U.K. Power Players list
, whose honorees were recognized at an exclusive gathering.
