SXSW is to be frank, a shitshow. It’s a two-week marathon of going to panels, seeing movies, and moshing at shows at a breakneck pace. You’ll make inevitable “festival friends” who you’ll party with for two weeks and never speak to (even though you added each other on Facebook). You might even make out with some strangers! More than anything, it’s not an experience for those who depend on a lot of sleep or have a 10 p.m. bedtime (it me).
Real talk: You’ll be drinking heavily every night. Or you'll at least have the very easy option to.
Since drinking plays a huge part of this two-week bender, things are bound to get pricey. But wallet, fear not: you don’t need a SXSW pass to drink for free. There are a ton of ways to get your SXSW drink on without breaking the bank. And in a few, glorious cases, you won't even have to go to the bank.
To read more of Complex's coverage of SXSW 2016, click here.