SXSW will drop its US army sponsorship for 2025

In the lead up to the 2024 festival, multiple musicians have pulled out of SXSW events and showcases in protest of its connections to the US Army and defence contractors. KNEECAP, Scowl, bar italia, Cumgirl8, VLURE, Squirrel Flower, Rachel Chinouriri, GEL, Mamalarky, and Lambrini Girls were among many artists who have decide to pull their showcases at SXSW. Some decided to play unofficial showcases in Austin, Texas, whilst others decided to boycott the event completely.

At the time, SXSW said that they "fully respect the decision these artists made", and clearing up their ties with the US Army. "We are an organization 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," their statement began." Now, they've revealed that they will not be using the same sponsors for next year's event.

Boycotts work!

Happy to see that SXSW won't be accepting the US Army and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing as sponsors next year https://t.co/n0z6xG3GnT

— Veni Kunche I Founder of Diversify Tech (@venikunche) June 26, 2024

“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," read a statement on their website.

This comes just after Barclaycard withdraw from Download, Latitude, Bestival and Isle of Wight festivals after mass artist boycotts which began with over a third of the lineup for The Great Escape pulling out of the festival – there were 161 artist walkouts in solidarity after voicing concern over Barclays’ involvement in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

A spokesperson for Art Against the Arms Trade, who are calling on all UK festivals to sever ties with Barclays, said: “This is a massive victory for our movement and shows the incredible power we have if we stand together against the profiteers of war. This sends a strong message to other festival organisers around the world: if they don’t stand on the side of humanity and cut ties with the war machine, we will continue to organise in solidarity with the Palestinian people — and we will win.”