SXSW organizers canceled the annual music and film festival due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. “We are devastated to share this news with you,” reads a statement posted to festival’s Twitter account on Friday (March 6).
“The show must go on is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramification of this unprecedented situation. As recently as Wednesday, Austin Public Health said on Wednesday that ‘there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer.”
The statements adds that the “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 an fellow Austinies.”
An Update on SXSW 2020. Please read our full statement here: https://t.co/P56nF8KFmE pic.twitter.com/ouJPKM9GNy
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 6, 2020
The news comes days after Apple, Netflix and more tech giants pulled out of the annual conference located in Austin, Tex. Organizers noted that the festival could possibly be rescheduled.
SXSW 2020 was expected to kick off on March 13-22.