As the South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival began to come to an end, I made my way to Austin, Texas on Friday, Mar. 20 to cram as much “South By” I possibly could into one weekend. SXSW lasted a little over a week: from Friday, Mar. 19 until Sunday, Mar. 23 the city was completely taken over by the film and music lovers of the world.

After adding 30 extra minutes to my trip due to the awful Austin traffic, I was finally able to meet up with friends and head towards 6th Street to become a part of the SXSW chaos.

The famous street seemed to be infinitely more crowded than usual, with aspiring musicians shoving CDs and flyers in my hands every two seconds, adding to the experience.

Once I made it through the maze of people, I went to the outdoor venue, Stubbs Austin, where I joined the crowd waiting in the pouring rain to watch my favorite artists perform. The rolling set list included bands such as Clean Bandit, Bleachers, and Marina and The Diamonds. Personally, my favorite act of the night were Bleachers. With a sound that feels like its music belongs in a famous 80’s movie, the band showcased the perfect mix of pop and rock to get the crowd jamming along.

Clean Bandit and Marina and The Diamonds were also great performers, despite the rain bringing technical difficulties and forcing the concerts back. Finally, around 1:30 A.M., the shows all came to an end and I made my way back to 6th Street with an empty stomach.

Finding a place to eat was remarkably easy–during SXSW there’s no time for sleep, so even at 2 o’clock in the morning the city was still buzzing with people. The food at SXSW was another aspect that made the trip special. Food trucks were parked in almost every lot and made ordering even an ordinary burrito exciting.

Walking down 6th Street was another memorable part of my SXSW experience because it allowed me to be in the middle of all the action. Apart from the busy crowd and constant chaos, the live music being performed on every street corner gave the perfect Austin vibe.

The annual South By Southwest music, film, and interactive festival is a great way to experience the creativeness and diversity the city of Austin brings.