Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Pull Out Of SXSW Over Coronavirus
The Austin music, film, and technology festival SXSW is scheduled to take place this year from 3/13-3/22, though companies have started to drop out of the event due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus. Tech giants Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter have all pulled out of the festival, as Variety reports, and companies such as Intel, TikTok, and Mashable have cancelled planned events as well. (UPDATE: Variety reports that Apple has now pulled out as well.)
SXSW has continued to add Keynote and Featured Speakers over the last few days, including Hillary Clinton. The most recent statement from the festival about COVID-19 is from Monday (3/2), which says that they are proceeding with the festival after conferring with Austin Public Health officials.
SXSW 2020 is proceeding as planned. Please keep up with information around our response to COVID-19 at our COVID-19 Attendee Information page. https://t.co/U5pBiNn6hY pic.twitter.com/e98NwwDmnH
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 2, 2020
It’s unclear how this will impact the music side of the festival, which typically begins a little later in the month than the technology events. In a statement to Rolling Stone last week, a SXSW spokesperson said that they were experiencing a “handful” of cancellations because of the virus, though no more cancellations overall than usual.
Artists have started to cancel scheduled tour dates abroad. The National, Mac DeMarco, BTS, New Order, Green Day, and Avril Lavigne have all called off Japanese tours, and Wolf Parade recently announced that they were cancelling their European tour.
For the most up-to-date information about coronavirus, visit the CDC website.