SXSW will no longer partner with the US military or weapons manufacturers, the event announced on Wednesday (June 26).
“After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model,” read a statement posted on the SXSW website. “As a result, the US military and arms manufacturing companies will not be sponsoring SXSW 2025.”
The development comes after more than 80 artists and attendees pulled out of the annual music and technology event in Austin, Texas, last March because of sponsorships from the US Army and North Carolina-based weapons manufacturer Collins Aerospace.
Boycotting artists included Irish band Kneecap, who wrote to X that pulling out of the event “was done in solidarity with the people of Palestine and to highlight the deeply unacceptable ties the festival has to arms companies and the US military that they are currently allowing genocide and starvation against a trapped population.”
Today's news is a face for SXSW, which initially defended the sponsorships, releasing a statement during the March event that said organizers “fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to freedom of reason. 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 is best to understand how their approach will affect our lives. Sponsoring the Army is part of our commitment to advance ideas that shape our world. As for Collins Aerospace, they are sponsoring two SXSW Pitch categories this year, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.”
Advertising signPMC's parent company is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.
