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We're recapping everything that was announced and discussed this year at SXSW 2025! Read on for all the details.
SXSW is Austin’s annual festival celebrating music, film, education, and interactive media, where creativity, innovation, and culture merge. What began in 1987 as a small, local music festival has blossomed into one of the nation’s most influential gatherings-of-the-mind. Each year, the lineup features the who’s who of the creative industry.
This year, Meow Wolf was at the center of the action. Five Meow Wolfers, co-founders Benji Geary, Emily Montoya, and Corvas Brinkerhoff, VP of Legal Breanna Contreras, and VP of PR and Communications Kati Murphy, graced the stages of SXSW to share their perspectives on the evolving landscape of immersive art, healing, creativity, transformation, and, one of our favorite topics, the absurd. Then, the big announcement came: Meow Wolf’s first East Coast location!
Missed Meow Wolf at SXSW 2025? We’ve got a lot to catch you up on.
This year, Meow Wolf made a big impact on SXSW 2025. Our experts appeared on several panels where they participated in insightful discussions about art, technology, and more. Each discussion featured one of the core values that make up Meow Wolf.
Absurdity has always been at the heart of Meow Wolf, and we brought that along with us to SXSW. VP of PR and Communications Kati Murphy hosted a panel about the power of absurdity in marketing, where she spoke with Meow Wolf co-founder Benji Geary, Liquid Death’s Dan Murphy, and creator Aaren Tichenor of Boyabaddie.
It’s no surprise the discussion made some of the biggest SXSW 2025 news. Together, the four out-there thinkers discussed how absurdist marketing builds authentic connections and sparks delight. The discussion explored how unexpected storytelling helps brands create genuine, joyful engagement.
True to Meow Wolf fashion, the panel didn’t just talk about absurdity - they embodied it. During the discussion, panelists used the Experience Tube, a creation designed to spark playful human connection through a shared fabric tunnel that blocks out all periphery distractions. It was a live demonstration of absurdity in action and reminded everyone that creativity isn’t just something you discuss, it’s something you experience together.
Immersive experiences push all kinds of boundaries, including traditional thinking surrounding the ownership of art. At Meow Wolf, we’re ever-familiar with this concept. Creating forward-thinking art means we’re always one step ahead.
Breanna Contreras, VP of Legal at Meow Wolf, spoke at SXSW 2025 about the ways copyright laws are keeping up with our rapidly evolving immersive art experiences. Who owns a shared experience? How do copyright laws apply to co-created artworks? Breanna tackled these questions and more.
Another exciting piece of SXSW 2025 news came from Meow Wolf co-founder Corvas Brinkerhoff. Corvas appeared on a panel to discuss Submersive, his new, 25,000 square foot therapeutic spa in Austin that aims to elevate consciousness through immersive art. Sound, sights, and sensations combine to evoke feelings of elation and awe. It’s just one of the many ways that our work at Meow Wolf has influenced art within the wellness space.
Meow Wolf Co-Founder Emily Montoya was joined by biologist and filmmaker Nate Dappen to explore the future. The duo discussed the ways creativity and science shape the world and how we, as humans, are impacting evolution. It was a funny, hopeful, thought-provoking, and perspective-shifting conversation.
SXSW 2025 included a huge announcement for Meow Wolf: Meow Wolf’s first East Coast location in NYC!
In typical Meow Wolf fashion, we went all-out for the reveal. Connor Gray, dressed as Plotzo the R@ King, stormed the stage mid-presentation. He headed straight for Benji, impaled his eyes, and revealed the Meow Wolf news with his “I Plotzo NY” shirt. The crowd went wild as Meow Wolf confirmed what fans have long hoped for: a permanent exhibition in NYC.
Meow Wolf and New York City are like two sides of the same coin. Both push boundaries, celebrate the bizarre, and live on the cutting edge. Meow Wolf NYC will open at the Seaport, a former-fishing-port-turned-bustling-neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. The choice of location is no accident; its locale is perfectly “Meow Wolf.” Storied history and transformative reinvention collide on the Seaport’s streets.
What can visitors expect from Meow Wolf NYC? We’re partnering with local NYC artists to create something truly unique. While only time will tell the specifics, prepare for an immersive exhibition that features kaleidoscopic art, mesmerizing soundscapes, and something new to discover around every corner.
More details about Meow Wolf’s NYC immersive art exhibit, including the theme and opening date, are yet to come. Stay up-to-date on Meow Wolf NYC and more by signing up for our email list.
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