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South by Southwest Cuts Ties to Army After Gaza-Inspired Boycott
The festival said it would no longer be sponsored by the U.S. Army or weapons manufacturers, which had prompted artists to withdraw from this year’s gathering.
The South by Southwest festival, which dozens of artists withdrew from this year to protest its sponsorship by the U.S. Army and defense contractors in light of their ties to Israel, announced this week that it would no longer accept their support.
“After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model,” the festival, which is held each year in Austin, Texas, said in a brief statement on its website. “As a result, the U.S. Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.”
No further details were offered, and SXSW declined to elaborate on the statement.
A group called the Austin for Palestine Coalition said in a social media post in March, at the time of the festival, that more than 80 bands, artists and panelists had declined to attend “in solidarity with Palestine.”
The Army hopes to work with SXSW again some day.
“We look forward to a chance to work together in the future,” said Lt. Col. Jamie Dobson, the public affairs officer at the Army Futures Command in Austin, which works on technology and innovation. “A.F.C. loves being here in Austin. It’s a great community. And we were very proud of the partnership we had this past year.”
She added, “We had a really good experience, especially on the innovation side, connecting with industry partners, technology leaders, everyone that gets pulled in.”
Ibrahim Batshon, the chief executive of a digital music licensing platform called BeatStars, participated in the March boycott and said in an interview on Wednesday that he was pleased by the decision from SXSW, which he had attended for nearly 20 years.
“We’ve always been huge fans and supporters of this multicultural art and music and film festival that has been a staple in artists’ lives,” he said.
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, had dismissed the protesters in March, writing on social media, “Bye. Don’t come back,” and noting the state’s ties to the military. “We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas,” he wrote. “If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”
Numerous cultural institutions around the country and the world have faced protests related to Israel and its conduct during the war in Gaza.
Marc Tracy is a Times reporter covering arts and culture. He is based in New York. More about Marc Tracy
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