SXSW have announced that they have dropped the US Army and defense contractor RTX Corporation as sponsors for the 2025 edition of the festival.
READ MORE: The view from SXSW 2024: a festival mired in confusion and controversy
This year’s SXSW was overshadowed by decisions related to the festival’s sponsorship. Many artists refused to play at the Festival in Austin, Texas in March because of the event’s connections to the US Army and weapons companies amid the Israel-Gaza conflict. These included Gruff Rhys, Kneecap, Sprints, Lambrini Girls, Gel, Rachel Chinouriri, Cardinals and NewDad.
SXSW responded to the cancellations in a statement: “We are an organisation that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.”
SXSW. Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Explaining its sponsorship with the US Army, SXSW wrote: “The defence industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives.”
Texas governor Greg Abbott took to X/Twitter to write: “Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army Sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back. Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command. San Antonio is Military City USA. We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”
Now, the festival has shared a statement announcing that they have cut ties with the US Army and defense contractor RTX Corporation. “After careful consideration of our offerings, we are revising our sponsorship model,” read the statement shared on the SXSW support page. “As a result, the US Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.”
General atmosphere and logos for the 30th anniversary SXSW festival on March 11, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Amy E. Price/FilmMagic)
They have also ceased their partnership with Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of weapons manufacturer RTX Corporation (formerly known as Raytheon). Next year’s edition of the fest is set to take place on March 7-15 2025 in downtown Austin.
In other news, SXSW recently confirmed that a London festival edition will take place in 2025.
Self-described as “the world’s leading festival celebrating the convergence of creativity, culture and technology”, the UK version of the event is set to take place in a week across June.
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