SXSW Music Venues Meeting With City Tonight
Registration is fast approaching and SXSW venues must get their ducks in a row. Photo by KUT NewsBy Autumn Caviness, KUT News
Austin music venues interested in throwing SXSW parties this spring are meeting with city officials tonight.
The city of Austin has introduced a new application process this year. The city’s music program manager, Don Pitts, says the venues will be dealing with new deadlines for getting a sound permit.
“Now it’s like a 21-day deadline for a one-day permit and a 30-day deadline for a multiday permit,” Pitts said. “So if you’re planning something during the interactive portion of South-by, [the deadline] would be Feb. 8.”
Pitts says the city wants a more streamlined application process. Official SXSW parties have reached into new parts of the city like East Austin, and there are more unofficial SXSW parties than ever.
“I think a lot of people who aren’t completely experienced in events will find the application quite helpful because it does outline all the aspects that they need to have in place if they are having live music in an unusual location,” said Samantha Staples, president of Highbeam Events, the official party planners for SXSW. “It will help them be organized and figure out what they need to get in place.”
Tonight’s Q&A goes until 8 o’clock at the ACL studios on the UT campus.
