City officials in Austin have advised South By Southwest bosses to scrap the March dates after Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Amazon and Apple pulled out over coronavirus concerns.
- March 7, 2020
AceShowbiz - The SXSW festival in Texas has been scrapped following a series of coronavirus-related cancellations.
As the pandemic hits new highs, with almost 100,000 people around the world infected and 4,000 dead, companies, movie studios, festival bosses and bands are rethinking events that will bring large audiences together.
And as cases of COVID-19 hike past 200 in the U.S., city officials in Austin have advised South By Southwest bosses to pull the plug on their festival next week (begin March 09).
The announcement comes after news that Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Amazon, Apple and TikTok chiefs had all pulled their presentations from the event.
"The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW... SXSW will faithfully follow the City's directions," a statement from festival organizers reads.
"We are devastated to share this news with you... This is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation."
"This situation evolved rapidly, and we honor and respect the City of Austin's decision. We are committed to do our part to help protect our staff, attendees, and fellow Austinites."
