In Austin, No SXSW Means Layoffs, Lost Wages, Missed Opportunities Amid Coronavirus Fears
AUSTIN, Texas — One week after the city of Austin declared a local disaster and canceled South by Southwest for the first time in the festival’s 34-year history, a sense of unease and uncertainty about how this year’s non-event will play out feels palpable around town. When Mayor Steve Adler held that previously unthinkable press conference on March 6, he referenced city officials’ estimates that SXSW has a more than $350 million impact on the city annually -- a huge figure for a city with an annual budget of $4.2 billion. The cancellation prompted the organization of SXSW to lay off a third of its staff, or at least 50 people. Locals in the music industry, as