SXSW ‘Fully Respects’ Artists Boycotting Festival Due to U.S. Army Sponsorship: ‘We Are Witnessing Unspeakable Tragedies’ and ‘Repressive Regimes’
variety.comSelome Hailu Texas governor Greg Abbott is slamming the artists boycotting SXSW due to the festival’s U.S. Army sponsorship — but SXSW doesn’t want his support. “Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S.
Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back,” Abbott wrote on X on Tuesday. “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.” Abbott’s post refers to the many bands that have pulled out of SXSW’s music programming citing the U.S.
military’s relationship with Israel and its role in the ongoing violence in Gaza. Perhaps most prominent of the boycotting artists is Kneecap, the Irish band that stars in the comedic biopic of the same name, who on Monday wrote that cancelling their appearance would have a “significant financial impact” on them but that “it isn’t an iota of hardship when compared with the unimaginable suffering being inflicted every minute of every day on the people of Gaza.” About two hours after Abbott’s comments, the festival’s official Instagram account posted a statement in response. “SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott,” the statement reads. “We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints.
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