SXSW Responds to Artist Dropouts Following Tweet From Greg Abbott (2024)

After not responding to recent requests for comment from outlets like The Guardian and The Austin Chronicle, South by Southwest has addressed the past week of musical artists dropping out of festival participation in support of Palestine. It only took a tweet from the governor to get them there.

Many artists have cited the U.S. Army’s co-sponsorship of the festival and the presence of defense companies like Collins Aerospace for canceling their official shows. SXSW’s statement comes in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday to disparage those artists. “Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back,” he wrote, citing the state’s military connections. “If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”

Alongside a screenshot of Abbott’s remarks on Instagram, SXSW posted that the organization does not agree with the governor. “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,” the statement said.

Collins Aerospace is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon), the latter of which has supplied weapons to the Israeli government. The company has hosted several panels on technological innovation at SXSW 2024, including one featuring Army veteran and former Raytheon employee JD Johnson.

In response to the festival’s military ties, the musicians Squirrel Flower, Shalom, Eliza McLamb, and Mamalarky dropped out of their official SXSW showcases last week. Since then, over 60 acts have canceled their scheduled performances – including Scowl, Snõõper, Horse Jumper of Love, They Are Getting a Body of Water, and Austin-based artists TC Superstar, Buffalo Nichols, Lucía Beyond, and Madison Baker.

Addressing the defense industry panels, the festival’s statement said: “These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives.”

On Friday, the first day of the festival, the Party for Socialism and Liberation hosted a protest outside the Convention Center demanding that SXSW disinvite Department of Defense affiliates from the festival. On Monday, the Chronicle reported on the festival sending a cease-and-desist letter to the Austin for Palestine Coalition, stating the local activist organization had used SXSW trademark art without permission.

Read the festival’s full statement below.

”SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott.

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.

Across the globe, we are witnessing unspeakable tragedies, the rise of repressive regimes, and the increasing spread of violent conflict. It’s more crucial than ever that we come together to solve these greater humanitarian issues.

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.

We have and will continue to support human rights for all. The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.”

Editor’s note: SXSW co-founder and part-owner Nick Barbaro also co-founded and owns The Austin Chronicle.