Organizers of the annual SXSW festival have announced that this year’s festivities are cancelled. This news comes amid growing fears of a COVID-19 or coronavirus outbreak at large social events.
“The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the City’s directions,” SXSW stated.
“As recently as Wednesday, Austin Public Health stated that ‘there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer.’ However, this situation evolved rapidly, and we honor and respect the City of Austin’s decision. We are committed to do our part to help protect our staff, attendees, and fellow Austinites,” SXSW continued.
An Update on SXSW 2020. Please read our full statement here: https://t.co/P56nF8KFmE pic.twitter.com/ouJPKM9GNy
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 6, 2020
SXSW was slated to take over the city of Austin, Texas on March 13-22, 2020. Other festivals on the west coast could meet a similar fate if concerns continue to grow regarding healthy and safety.
Yesterday, health officials reported six new cases of the virus in the greater Houston area. In the future, this virus could be the cause of cancelled sporting events, music festivals and other large events. Stay tuned for more developments as this story continues to grow.
