South by Southwest® (SXSW®), taking place March 7-15, 2025, is gearing up for the 39th edition of its annual conference with a new addition of Keynotes and the fourth round of Featured Speakers. The SXSW Austin, Texas, festival and conference Keynotes announced today include actor, writer, producer, and director Issa Rae, President of Signal Meredith Whittaker, and founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences Ben Lamm with actor, producer, director, author, Emmy Award-winning voice actor, and reality competition host Joe Manganiello.
The cast and creators of HBO’s Emmy Award-winning series The Last of Us were announced as Featured Speakers. With the show’s second season debuting this April, panelists include co-showrunners, writers and directors Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, along with Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, and Young Mazino.
SXSW Featured Speakers also announced include game creator and founder of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS Hideo Kojima; CEO of Rivian RJ Scaringe; food critic and creator Keith Lee.
Additionally joining the SXSW 2025 featured speakers line-up include comedian and host of the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend Conan O’Brien; Golden Globe Award-winning actor Kevin Bacon; comedian and host of After Midnight Taylor Tomlinson. Rounding out the speakers lists are singer-songwriter and frontman of Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness Andrew McMahon.
The SXSW 2025 opening session will feature Kasley Killam, MPH—renowned social health expert and award-winning author of The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier.
Additional SXSW keynotes and 45+ featured speakers announced for the 39th edition of the SXSW Conference can be found here.
To learn more about SXSW 2025 please visit www.sxsw.com.
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Source: SXSW, Issa Rae, Joe Manganiello, Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Kevin Bacon, Conan O’Brien, South By Southwest
