Interactive media festival, South by Southwest (SXSW), is the latest casualty of COVID-19 fears. Just a week before it was scheduled to take place, its organisers have now confirmed the show has been cancelled.
In a statement the organisers said that they were “devastated” and while only a few days ago, host city Austin’s public health team said “there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer”, the “situation evolved rapidly” and they were left with no choice but to “honour and respect the City of Austin’s decision”.
“We are devastated to share this news with you,” the statement said (thanks, Nintendo Life). “‘The show must go on’ is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation.
“We are exploring options to reschedule the event and are working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants, starting with SXSW EDU. For our registrants, clients, and participants we will be in touch as soon as possible and will publish an FAQ.”