South by Southwest Conference & Festivals has a variety of free events available for the public to experience. These are all events that do not require any type of badge; however, some might require an RSVP, so check the SXSW site before heading out.

March 11-12

Art lovers can see “Jamel Shabazz & Peace to the Queen,” works of photographer Jamel Shabazz at the Carver.

March 11-12

Head over to the Christian Green Gallery at The University of Texas for “Not Only Will I Stare,” a program curated by UT’s Simone Browne.


The program is described as by artists whose “works grapple with the surveillance of Black life, from policing and the carceral state to the FBI and oppressive glances.”

March 11-19

The Line Hotel plays host to “Offer Them Comfort. Offer Them Rest” by Desiree Vaniecia and “Repose” by JD Moore.

March 12


Bring the kids out to the Long Center Terrace for a variety of Disney+ screenings March 12. The lineup includes “Jungle Cruise,” “Cruella,” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

March 12

At the Carver Museum you can take in “What Once Was” by Six Square and E4 Youth, a “mixed reality project that digitally visualizes significant sites within Black and [Hispanic] neighborhoods in Austin as they were before gentrification,” according to the SXSW site.

March 13


A hot ticket for sports fans will be the eMLS Cup presented by Coca-Cola at 2 p.m., March 13 at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. Professional FIFA players will compete to be crowned best FIFA player in North America and a share of a $35,000 prize. Food, beverages, music, on-site activations, free merchandise and FIFA open play will be available for attendees.

March 12-13

Health nuts can take part in a variety of free wellness classes and seminars at this year’s Wellness Expo, which takes place March 12-13 at the Palmer Events Center at 900 Barton Springs Road.

March 18


One of the biggest events the public cannot attend in person but can catch via livestream is “Welcome to the Dollyverse.” Here, Dolly Parton and best-selling author James Patterson will be dropping limited edition NFTs of Parton’s new album, “Run, Rose, Run,” and streaming a live performance by Parton on March 18. Sign up at https://welcometodollyverse.com/dolly to stream the show.

March 18-19

Music lovers can catch shows by headlining acts such as Sammy Hagar and The Circle and Mt. Joy at the SXSW Outdoor Stage at Lady Bird Lake. Other acts playing that weekend are Jane N' the Jungle, The Dumes, The Warning and Houndmouth.

March 17-19


Also, check out the works of the world's top gig poster artists March 17-20 at Flatstock 77 at the Austin Convention Center Exhibit Halls 4 and 5.

Other events to check out include Food Film Watch Party at Huston-Tillotson University and the Montreal Mish-Mash, a live-music showcase of bands from Montreal at 8 p.m. on March 16 at Swan Dive.

For a complete schedule, visit SXSW’s listing of daily free events open to the public.