SXSW President Says He Was Forced Out in Penske Media Shakeup: ‘Definitely Not My Decision’

Former South by Southwest President Hugh Forrest said he was forced out of his role last week as part of several changes made to the popular festival by its parent company, Penske Media Corp.

“Leaving SXSW was definitely not my decision,” Forrest said in a statement shared with The New York Times and a few other media outlets Wednesday. “I put my heart and soul into this event for more than 35 years — and I was looking forward to leading several more editions. To this end, I will be rooting big time for the Austin team going forward. The city, the country, the world needs the positive energy SXSW has traditionally provided, needs it now more than ever.”

His statement pushes back against what Penske said about his exit. The publishing and events powerhouse said its board had elected Jennifer Connelly to lead the Austin festival as its “director in charge” — and that the decision upset Forrest to the point he left the company.

“When Hugh was told he was not going to get the CEO role at SXSW, and would be reporting to her, Hugh made the decision to leave SXSW,” Penske said in a statement.

Forrest is among 11 people who have left or been fired by SXSW recently, including its veteran head of communications and its chief technology officer, the Times reported. He started as a SXSW employee in 1989, two years after the festival began, and was named its co-president in 2022, before taking on the role by himself last year. Their exits and the changes to SXSW were announced by Connelly on a video call with about 150 festival workers last Friday.

Penske — which owns Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets — took a 50% stake in SXSW in 2021; two years later, it increased its stake by 1% to take a controlling interest.

The New York Times reported SXSW did not meet the “ambitious” goals Penske had for it this year or in 2024. Penske downplayed that claim in a statement, saying this year “marked the highest ever sponsorship revenue in the history of the company.”

The next SXSW is set for March 12-18, 2026.

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