Usually, the accepted deal with Austin’s South by Southwest conference is: Go for the music and food (that is, if you aren’t already going for the networking), and maybe drop in on a few talks if you have time. This year, however, the jam-packed roster of oddball speakers may be the most enticing part of the festivities.
Less than two weeks after announcing that election-sabotaging FBI director James Comey would be joining a SXSW panel about online privacy and national security, the conference has unveiled a parchment scroll’s worth of new talks to look forward to, and it’s a weird bunch. The most notable new inclusions: Kesha (billed as a Social Impact speaker), John Cena, New Jersey senator Cory Booker, Mick Fleetwood, Muppets/Star Wars puppeteer and actor Frank Oz, moonwalking astronaut legend Buzz Aldrin, Seth Rogen, Krist Novoselic, Bob Odenkirk, the cast of Veep, Gawker Media Group founder Nick Denton, and, for some fucking reason, Sammy Hagar.
There’s also an endless list of CEOs and entrepreneurs you can go listen to if you care about that sort of thing. Check out the full list of guests via the SXSW website.
