South by Southwest has been canceled, the arts festival announced Friday.
“The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the City’s directions,” according to a statement on the festival’s website.
The festival has been called off amid growing fears about a possible coronavirus pandemic, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
“We are devastated to share this news with you. ‘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. 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,” the fesival continued in their statement.
The festival was set to run March 13 to March 22 in Austin.
