SXSW Austin: Steady Crowds Despite Changes

0:00It's April 7. This is El Paso News today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. South by Southwest wrapped up in Austin, an organizer say attendance should match last years 309,300 people. They haven't crunched the final numbers yet, but early signs point to steady crowds, despite some big changes. The festival ran a couple days shorter this year, and they couldn't use their usual spot at the Austin Convention Center because of a major. Redevelopment project. Still, the vibe stayed strong, pulling in fans from music, film, and textings. Hotels around town saw demand jump 12% over last year's first seven days, but with the shorter run, they sold 20% fewer rooms overall, according to data from Visit Austin. Axeel's dug into the numbers and got word straight from SXSW folks, who told Spectrum News right after the event that totals look solid. No major dips reported so far. We'll get the full economic breakdown later this year, when they drop their official

1:02report. Keep an eye out for how it all shakes out for Austin's scene.