South by Southwest clarified that its music-festival component will continue in 2026, despite SXSW's traditional music-only second weekend being nixed.

Brian Hobbs, SXSW’s director of music festival programming, has since said the changes will expand the musical offerings, not scale them back. But it’s hard not to see this as the latest setback for an event that began in 1987 as a raucous music talent show.

Spanish language music continues to flourish at SXSW. And this year it has the official venues to match. Mala Vida and Mala Fama each came alive in neon grandeur, hosting a bevy of Spanish language music as official venues. From pop star Sofia Reyes, to corrida rebel Adrian Santos, sets were purposeful, packed, and accessible to the people.