The organizers of the SXSW reluctant to cancel the tech festival due to the COVID-19 virus. Now the Austin city government has pulled the plug.
It was supposed to kick off today in the Texas capital of Austin. Initially, 13,000 participants were expected to discuss innovations in education at SXSW Edu. The main program was supposed to begin on Friday: tens of thousands of founders, artists, musicians, media professionals, and creatives were all packed for Texas. Among them also Munich startups such as Sushi Bikes and InnospotNow the official news: For the first time in 34 years, SXSW will not take place.
In recent weeks, attendees have been worried about whether the technology festival could take place as planned. Organizers insisted, "The show must go on!" and assured that the safety of attendees would be guaranteed at all times, even despite the coronavirus.
Petition called for cancellation due to COVID-19
On Saturday night, the organizers announced the cancellation of SXSW 2020:
As recently as Wednesday, the Austin Health Department announced that canceling SXSW or other major events would not demonstrably contribute to public safety.
This recommendation has since been adjusted to reflect the changing situation. Austin Mayor Steve Adler followed the health department's recommendations and canceled the event. A representative from the department said that while there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Austin area, the cancellation was a "proactive step to prepare the community for this storm."
One reason for the administration’s rethink could be a petition of Austin residents. More than 55,000 people have called for SXSW to be canceled to protect the population from the virus.
