Every year, Paramount+ arrives in Austin, Texas, to celebrate South by Southwest, one of the largest media festivals in the world. But Paramount+ doesn't just set up a booth or hand out keychains. They completely take over the three-story Clive Bar on Rainey Street and turn it into “The Lodge”.
They take the entire space and transform it into various pop-ups, activations, photo-ops, and installations for visitors to explore. In previous years, they’ve showcased series like Halo, Yellowstone, Star Trek: Discovery, and Yellowjackets. This year, they leaned heavily into the Sheridanverse with shows like Landman and Y: Marshals, while also featuring some other popular favorites like Survivor.
Here’s a look inside the Paramount+ Lodge at SXSW 2026.
Landman was the standout series being featured this year
One of the coolest installations this year was the Landman photo-op. As you enter, you find yourself walking on sand, surrounded by rocks, cacti, and tons of oil rigs (that are actually moving!) A professional photographer is there to take your picture while you’re surrounded by the scenery. They even have props like cowboy hats that guests can wear for the photos, which are then immediately sent to your phone.
Behind the photo-op, there was also a Landman bar, the Patch Cafe, which all fans of the show will definitely recognize. Complimentary drinks were served to every visitor and included exclusive Landman cocktails like The Oil Slick (cold brew and whiskey) and The Patch (Dr. Pepper and Bacardi Gold). The theming was also incredible, complete with a stag's head on the wall, lanterns, and mini oil rig decorations.
This was actually just one of three bars. There was a Yellowstone bar and a ski lodge-themed bar (because of the iconic Paramount mountain). Drinks from the lodge bar even came with Paramount+ leather coasters. They were actually really good quality—so good that I currently have mine on my coffee table in my apartment—making them a really good (and useful) memento.
You could have your very own tribal council moment from Survivor
Upstairs, visitors get another photo-op, this time receiving a boomerang image of themselves inside the iconic Survivor tribal council. You can walk in, grab a torch, and light it at the fire. As you do, a photobooth takes a photo and video of the moment, and afterwards, you get a boomerang image sent to your phone of you lighting the torch.
This was my first time seeing Paramount+ host a Survivor activation at the SXSW Lodge, making it a really great photo-op for anyone who is a fan of the legendary reality series.
The Lodge let you watch a UFC game or throw some punches of your own
On the third floor, Paramount+ set up a UFC fighting area since it’s now the streaming home for matches. Fights played on jumbo TVs, memorable from past matches were showcased, and guests could even fight with a UFC dummy.
Half the fun was watching people let out their repressed aggression on the dummy, which took a few solid hits throughout the day. But since most people were carrying around drinks (and had already downed a few), a lot of the punches being thrown weren't exactly the best, but they sure were fun to watch.
The Paramount+ Lodge also treated visitors to lots of free goodies
On your way out, you passed an engraving station where Paramount+ was engraving wallets and bandanas with whatever you wanted. The wallets and bandanas were completely free for visitors, as was the engraving, making it a really cool and unique souvenir of your time at the Lodge.
I also saw some visitors walking around with pillows shaped like the Paramount mountain. I have no idea where they got them... and trust me, I searched hard because I wanted one! But alas, the Paramount plushies evaded me, giving me something to yearn for until next year when the Lodge will return again.