SXSW ends US Army partnership after backlash

South By Southwest (SXSW) has discontinued its partnership with the US Army and the defense contractor RTX Corporation, the festival announced on Wednesday (26 June).

The announcement comes after more than 80 artists pulled out of this year’s event in Austin, Texas, in protest of the military’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza.

Squirrel Flower, Kneecap, Lambrini Girls, Sprints, Proper, Eliza McLamb, Mamalarky, Scowl, Gel and Okay Shalom cancelled sets at the 8–16 March festival.

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.”

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.”

“After careful consideration of our offerings, we are revising our sponsorship model”

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. As a result, the US Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.”

The festival has also ceased its partnership with Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of weapons manufacturer RTX Corporation (formerly known as Raytheon). Next year’s edition of SXSW is set to take place on March 7-15 2025 in downtown Austin.

Barclays also recently suspended its sponsorship of Live Nation UK’s remaining 2024 festivals following a raft of artist withdrawals over the bank’s ties to Israel.

In other news, SXSW recently confirmed that a London festival edition will take place in 2025 and announced a raft of hires.

Katy Arnander has been appointed director of programming for SXSW London, having previously worked for organisations including Ambassadors Theatre Group (ATG), Sadler’s Wells, Southbank Centre and the Barbican.

Adem Holness has joins as head of music following a spell at the Southbank Centre, Elliot Willis joins as the European commercial director and Alex Poots will serve as creative advisor while continuing his work full-time at The Shed in New York.

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