Hugh Forrest, the longtime leader of South by Southwest (SXSW), has been terminated as president of the organization amid what appears to be a significant restructuring.
“Leaving South by Southwest was definitely not my decision,” said Forrest, whose tenure at SXSW spanned 35 years, in a statement first reported in the Austin Chronicle. His departure comes just weeks after SXSW’s 2025 event and is part of a broader staff reduction that reportedly includes at least 10 other senior staff members, including leadership in Music and Comedy divisions.
James Minor, vice president and head of music, will depart in September, though his exit is part of a previously planned succession strategy unrelated to the current restructuring.
The shakeup arrives at a critical juncture for SXSW. The organization recently announced a more consolidated seven-day format for 2026. This year’s edition that concluded just over six week ago took place over nine days.
The changes also coincide with the closure of its primary venue, the Austin Convention Center, which has begun a four-year renovation project lasting until 2029. This massive disruption to SXSW’s traditional operating model will force the festival to disperse its programming across various hotels and venues throughout Austin for at least the next editions.
In 2024, SXSW faced protests over having the U.S. Army as a super sponsor. The protests, related to the Israel-Hamas war, ultimately led to the withdrawal of more than 80 artists and sponsors. In response, SXSW did not allow for the U.S. Army or any companies linked to the manufacture of weapons to sponsor its 2025 edition.
This is not the first time SXSW has laid off employees. At the start of the Covid pandemic, it laid off around 50 employees, a third of its staff at the time. The company said it did so to survive after the late cancellation of the event in March 2020.
Less than a year ago, in June 2024, SXSW laid off 23 employees. At the time, Forrest highlighted new plans for positioning SXSW as a “three-stop tour for global professionals,” alluding to the Sydney and London events. He also said the company was “preparing new efforts to position the business as a year-round destination.”
Despite this further round of layoff, now impacting Forrest himself, the company shows no sign of curtailing its global expansion. SXSW Sydney is on track to have its third edition in October. The new SXSW London is scheduled to launch in June.
Penske Media Corporation, the company that holds a 50% stake in SXSW, did not respond to a request for comment.
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