AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Army will not be a sponsor of South by Southwest (SXSW) next year.
The conference said on its website that, "after careful consideration," it is revising its sponsorship model and, as a result, "the US Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025."
According to a report from Consequence, one of those other companies is Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of weapons manufacturer RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon.
SXSW's decision comes after some artists boycotted the festival earlier this year because of the conference's ties to the military.
Background on artist protests
In early March, a small number of artists pulled out of their official SXSW appearances, citing the conference's ties with the U.S. Department of Defense and Collins Aerospace.
As the festival went underway, the number of artists pushing back grew larger. As of March 12, the Austin for Palestine Coalition said more than 60 artists, musicians and panelists had joined its campaign, "War Mongers out of SXSW." A few days later, artists hosted a protest show and rally outside the Department of Defense/U.S. Military SXSW stage.
The group protesting was asking the community to email SXSW and ask the conference to disinvite Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems, to reevaluate the inclusion of agencies in the Department of Defense and to use its platform "to raise awareness about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and advocate for peace, justice and the protection of human rights."
As the movement continued to grow, Gov. Greg Abbott posted a message on social media saying, "Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back. Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command. San Antonio is Military City USA. We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here."
Soon after, SXSW reposted the governor's tweet, stating, "SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott." The conference then wrote the following in a thread:
"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 regards 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."
At the time, U.S. Army spokesperson Matt Ahearn issued the following statement regarding the boycott:
“We’re proud to be a sponsor of SXSW, and to have the opportunity to showcase America’s Army. SXSW presents a unique opportunity for the Army to meet technology innovators and leaders, explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships as we modernize for the future.”
Artist's reaction to the sponsorship drop
Ibrahim "Abe" Batshon is one of the artists who boycotted SXSW this year. He is the CEO of Beatstars, a global music licensing platform, and has been involved with the conference, speaking as a panelist and sponsoring music showcases, for about the last 20 years.
Batshon decided to boycott this year's festival because of the Army sponsorship. His family is from Palestine, and several of his first cousins and uncles have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces.
"Those divisive industries that are, you know, empirically waging wars around the world and causing so much strife and pain and suffering, that's – music doesn't stand by that," Batshon said. "I think those things really need to be separated."
He said he commends SXSW for making this decision but will be closely evaluating the conference's partnerships going forward.
"This is a space that should be pushing for, you know, connection, love, unity, respect, cultural admiration," Batshon said.
A representatives from Austin With Palestine, an organization within the Austin For Palestine Coalition, said they are also feeling cautiously optimistic about the festival's new decision.
"I believe that it [SXSW] has sold out to these big sponsors that have nothin to do with music and, in fact, have quite a negative role to play," Laila Dabbakeh, the representative from Austin With Palestine, said.
In addition to petitioning SXSW to get rid of weapons manufacturer sponsors, these organizations have been also fighting for fair pay for all artists. On social media, the Austin For Palestine Coalition said it is celebrating a partial win that SXSW increased pay slightly for artists, but it is still hoping for more.