A huge shadow hung over this year’s SXSW. Shortly before the festival began, Squirrel Flower cancelled their SXSW shows, citing festival sponsorship from the US Army, as well as defense contractors like Collins Aerospace. In a statement, Squirrel Flower wrote, “A music festival should not include war profiteers. I refuse to be complicit in this and withdraw my art and labor in protest.” Soon afterwards, dozens of other artists — including Scowl, Gel, and Glare — also dropped off the SXSW lineup in protest.

In the wake of those cancellations, Texas governor Greg Abbott tweeted, “Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back.” SXSW’s representatives tried to say that they don’t agree with Abbott and that the festival welcomes diverse viewpoints, but their statement didn’t exactly satisfy anyone:

The defense 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.

The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard to Collins Aerospace, they participated this year as a sponsor of two SXSW Pitch categories, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.

Ultimately, SPIN and the Army co-sponsored an activation featuring bands made up of active military members. Apparently, that won’t happen again. On its website, SXSW now says, “After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model. As a result, the US Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.”

Something similar recently happened with Barclays, the bank that’s involved in funding the genocide in Gaza. After bands like Pest Control, Scowl, Speed, and Zulu dropped out of of the Download festival in protest of Barclays’ sponsorship, the bank suspended its sponsorship of all Live Nation UK festivals.