SXSW Cuts Ties With Weapons Manufacturers and the U.S. Army for 2025 Festival

After facing widespread backlash and artist-led boycotts, South by Southwest (SXSW) has announced it will no longer accept sponsorship from weapons manufacturers and the U.S. Army for its 2025 festival. In a brief statement, the festival organizers said:

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.

This decision comes in response to protests and boycotts from attendees and over 80 artists and speakers, including Squirrel Flower (Ella Williams), Shalom, Mamalarky, TC Superstar, and Eliza McLamb. These individuals took a stand against SXSW's ties to the defense industry and its sponsorship by the U.S. Army and defense contractors such as Raytheon, now known as RTX Corp.

In an Instagram post, Ella Williams explained her decision to boycott:

I have decided to pull out of my official SXSW showcases in protest of SXSW’s ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people. There are many ways SXSW is harmful to working musicians, but I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the US Army, a main sponsor of the festival.

Eliza McLamb also voiced her reasoning on Twitter:

I will never put my name on or perform my labor for an event in service of the US war machine, and especially not now as they continue to fuel the ongoing violence against Palestinians. Blood money has no place in music.

Boycotts Headlined SXSW 2024

The artist-led boycotts dominated headlines during SXSW 2024, with musicians using their platform to speak out against the festival's controversial sponsors. The protests shed light on the harmful nature of accepting funding from entities that contribute to violence and conflict, particularly against marginalized communities such as the Palestinians.