Rolling Stone
Contact Rolling Stone by Email View all posts by Rolling Stone March 19, 2026
Noah Kahan, Fuerza Regida, and Swapmeet were among the best acts we saw at SXSW this year. Griffin Lotz for Rolling Stone; Samantha Tellez for Rolling Stone, 2 This year’s SXSW festival drew renewed attention to Austin, Texas, with the festival combining its music, film, and tech portions into one week for the first time. That meant lots of people in the crowds that came to see big stars touching down for special sets and new acts trying to make a memorable first impression from March 12-18. Over at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Rolling Stone brought back our annual Future of Music showcase for three amazing nights; elsewhere, there were tons of surprises to be found and discoveries to be made throughout the city all week long.
In its 40th year, SXSW is still a place where legends are made. Here are the best things we saw at SXSW 2026. (Note: Rolling Stone’s parent company, P-MRC, has held a 50 percent stake in SXSW since 2021.)
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Fuerza Regida’s Rock Star Spirit
Image Credit: Samantha Tellez for Rolling Stone Fuerza Regida had already made history as the first música mexicana band featured on the cover of Rolling Stone — but their Future of Music performance on Friday night was a chance to remind everyone of the bold, audacious appeal and formidable stage presence that have brought the San Bernadino, California, favorites to the top. Led by the relentlessly charismatic frontman JOP, Fuerza blasted through a packed setlist that included massive hits like “Marlboro Rojo,” imbuing tradition and classic música mexicana sounds with the brash, rebellious spirit of 21st-century rock stars. After opening sets from Street Mob acts Chino Pacas, Clave Especial, and Linea Personal, Fuerza stepped out in matching studded leather vests, striding onstage with all the swashbuckling bravado they’ve earned, and went straight for the hits. Toward the end of their set, JOP looked up cheerfully into the crowd and showed off the streak of rebelliousness that’s defined so much of his own persona: “They’re telling me to get off, you know, but I’ma hit you guys with one more,” he teased as the fans shouted for more. They launched into “Cuando No Era Cantante,” the massive reggaeton remix the guys hopped onto in 2024. With a swell of applause and a burst of smoke and explosions, Fuerza closed out the night — an apt ending for a band that isn’t afraid to break the rules a little bit. —Julyssa Lopez
