Lola Young will make her highly anticipated return to the stage this March for Rolling Stone’s Future of Music, the three-night concert series at South by Southwest in Austin, TX.

The British pop singer and songwriter will headline opening night on Thursday, March 12, ending a months-long stint on the sidelines.

Young is coming off a global smash with “Messy,” which roared to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart and last year peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, her second top 40 appearance after guesting on Tyler, The Creator’s 2024 release “Like Him.”

That seemingly inexorable rise was briefly halted in September 2025, when Young collapsed onstage at New York the All Things Go Festival, and she canceled all her remaining gigs.

Her third studio album, I’m Only F**king Myself, dropped in the same month and went to No. 3 in the U.K., and No. 68 on the U.S. all-genres tally.

Young made her first public appearance after that fall just ahead of Christmas, when she stepped out Lily Allen’s Christmas event in London, posing for photos alongside the host and fellow artist Olivia Rodrigo.

“I just wanted to express gratitude to everyone who has given me time and space to gather myself and get my head in a better place,” Young wrote on Instagram in late December. “I’ve felt so much love and support from you all and it has helped more than you will ever know.”

With her spot on the SXSW 2026 lineup, Young is apparently now in a much better place.

Now entering its fourth year, Future of Music will feature a curated selection of artists spanning pop, hip-hop, country, música Mexicana, and more. The showcase will be presented through Saturday, March 14 at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, with history-making Mexican-American group Fuerza Regida headlining night two, and Texas native rapper BigXthaPlug leading the third and final evening’s entertainment.

Past headliners under the Future of Music have included Benson Boone, Peso Pluma, Rema, Young Miko, Megan Moroney, and Ivan Cornejo.

“Rolling Stone has shaped how generations discover and talk about music, and you can hear that influence in today’s biggest artists,” comments Julian Holguin, CEO of Rolling Stone. “Future of Music is our way of bringing that spirit to SXSW: a stage for the artists who are about to be everywhere. We’re excited to return to Austin in 2026 and bring fans three nights of incredible live music.”

Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase will be ticketed in 2026 for the first time. The general on-sale begins this Friday, Jan. 9 via AXS, while SXSW Platinum and SXSW Music badge holders, as well as fans with SXSW Music Festival wristbands, will have access on a first-come, first-served basis.

The RS program, adds Brian Hobbs, VP of music at SXSW, typically“hits that sweet spot. They’ve been on a roll bringing elite talent to Austin since 2023, and we’re excited to keep that streak going.”

Billboard will report live throughout the 40th edition of SXSW, from March 12–18, 2026. As previously reported, the milestone anniversary edition of SXSW will take the form of a condensed festival and conference due to the closure of the Austin Convention Center, which is undergoing extensive renovations. While the full event will be two days shorter than the 2025 show, with its interactive, film/TV and music programs running concurrently, the music program will run a day longer.

Billboard parent company Penske Media acquired a majority stake in SXSW in 2023 and helped expand its reach to three continents, now hosting flagship events in Austin, Sydney and London. For a more on SXSW 2026, head here.