Recapping Bonafide @ South by Southwest 2026

Bonafide brought menopause into the cultural spotlight at South by Southwest (SXSW) this year with an immersive, conversation-driven activation designed to educate, engage, and—most importantly—create empathy around the myriads of symptoms millions of women experience daily during perimenopause and menopause.

Meeting Women Where They Are: Why SXSW, Why Now

SXSW has become much more than just a festival celebrating tech and entertainment—it’s a convergence point for innovation, culture, and conversations that can help to shape the future of various industries, including those focused on women’s health and wellness. For Bonafide, it was the perfect place to elevate the conversation around menopause and perimenopause, topics that are still widely underserved despite impacting millions of women.

To amplify our reach, we partnered with SHEMedia, a digital media company dedicated to creating content and experiences for women within our demographic. Their audience of highly engaged, information-seeking women aligns closely with those navigating perimenopause and menopause, making them an ideal partner to help us bring this conversation to a broader, more engaged audience – and create meaningful connections that can help to encourage real change in women’s health.

The Bonafide Experience: Education Through Immersion

Bonafide’s footprint within SHEMedia’s SXSW space was designed to be inviting, impactful and educational. The space featured prominent product sampling and education, detailed brand collateral, and thoughtfully curated swag—but the real draw was our interactive experiences.

In partnership with Over The Bloody Moon, Bonafide brought two experiences to the SXSW floor to drive more awareness around our mission. The MenoVest, exclusively designed for men, provided participants a tangible sense of what menopause symptoms, specifically disruptive hot flashes and night sweats can feel like for the women in their lives. By simulating common experiences like unpredictable heat surges and discomfort, the vest worked to help foster empathy and understanding—particularly among those who have never experienced these symptoms firsthand. Notably, 38 men volunteered to experience the MenoVest, enabling them to gain a new perspective on what their partners, colleagues, friends and loved ones may be going through.

An immersive perimenopause VR experience offered a different kind of perspective for attendees. This virtual reality experience walked participants through three minutes of the often-overlooked early stage of the menopause transition, highlighting symptoms, emotional shifts, and the unpredictability that defines perimenopause. 51 attendees tried the VR experience, many of whom shared that it helped to provide clarity to what they’d been feeling, or it created more empathy for their friends or family who may be going through it.

Real Conversations, Real Insights

Over the course of the two-day event, Bonafide spoke with hundreds of women, hearing firsthand their questions, frustrations, and unmet needs. One consistent theme came through clearly, however; while menopause awareness is growing, there is a significant knowledge gap—especially among women aged 35–45 who are just beginning to experience perimenopause or have genuine curiosity about it.

Many attendees said that they didn’t know what was happening to their bodies or they were confused about where to turn for trustworthy information. This reinforced what Bonafide has seen in our annual State of Menopause survey results and provided more fuel toward our mission: providing credible education and early support is critical, and the demand for both is only increasing.

A Launchpad for What’s Next

SXSW wasn’t just about Bonafide showing up, it was about listening and learning. Our activation provided valuable insights into symptom awareness, consumer needs, and how women want to engage with menopause-related content. Just as importantly, it generated a wealth of authentic, relatable,  real-world information that will inform how we continue to show up for our community and support you through this transitional time – through product innovation and education.

Looking Ahead

Bonafide left South by Southwest feeling energized and inspired for what’s ahead. The response and engagement we received confirmed that women are not only ready for more open conversations about menopause—they’re proactively seeking them out.

Resources

Because when women are informed, supported, and heard, everything changes. Stay tuned for more content from our SXSW appearance and be sure to follow us on social media at @hellobonafide.