The fear of the Coronavirus has hit SXSW, forcing them to cancel the 10-day conference in Austin, Texas.
Steve Adler, the Mayor of Austin, made the announcement yesterday during a press conference where he announced the Coronavirus crisis a ‘local disaster’ and issued an order that cancels South by Southwest this year.
“I’ve gone ahead and declared a local disaster in the city, and associated with that have issued an order that effectively cancels South by Southwest this year” Adler said.
He added, “It’s a really important event to our city in a lot of ways, tied to who we are in this city, and I really look forward to the next iteration of South By when it comes back again for us.”
In the festivals 34-year existence, they have never had to cancel. The festival organisers have released a statement showing their disappointment.
“We are devastated to share this news with you. ‘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 ramifications of this unprecedented situation” the statement read.
The also added, “This situation evolved rapidly, and we honour and respect the City of Austin’s decision. We are committed to do our part to help protect our staff, attendees, and fellow Austinites.”