SXSW Defectors Announce ‘Unofficial’ Shows Amid Greg Abbott Remarks

Several musicians who pulled out of a prestigious Texas festival over its ties to the U.S. Army and defense companies have announced they will play unofficial shows as Governor Greg Abbott sent a message criticizing the acts who pulled out.

As of Friday, more than 80 musicians and panelists refused to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin amid heightened tensions due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. SXSW is an internationally renowned festival that showcases music, movies as well as discussion panels and has served as a launching pad for a number of famous acts.

On Tuesday, Abbott told them “don’t come back” to Texas in a post on social media.

“Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back. 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 wrote.

Newsweek has contacted Abbott’s representatives and the Department of Defense by email for comment.

Israel has launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 240, of which an estimated 100 currently remain in captivity. Israel’s attack in Gaza has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians and displaced millions, according to the latest number from the Associated Press.

Musicians began dropping out of this year’s SXSW— which runs until March 16 and has already hosted the likes of Meghan Markle, Selena Gomez and Ryan Gosling— because the U.S. Army is a “Featured Partner” of SXSW, which also has links with defense companies RTX and its subsidiary Collins Aerospace.

The U.S. is the foremost supplier of weapons to Israel. The U.S. Army has also spearheaded the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. RTX and its subsidiary produce weapons and equipment that are used by the Israeli military.

Newsweek has contacted SXSW and RTX by email.

“The boycott of SXSW grows every day. No more war profiteers and warmongers in this city,” wrote local advocacy group, Austin 4 Palestine on Instagram.

The entire Irish contingent, funded by the national government to attend, pulled out of the festival, including hip hop trio, Kneecap, over the “unimaginable suffering being inflicted every minute, every day on the people of Gaza.”

“That the organizers of SXSW have taken the decision to mix the arts with the military and weapons companies is unforgivable, that they have done so as we witness a genocide facilitated by the U.S. military and its contractors is depraved,” the group wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Some of the bands who were supposed to take part in SXSW have announced they would play “unofficial” shows.

“We’ve decided to pull out from SXSW showcases due to the festival’s ties with the US Army—it’s the right thing to do, and we refuse to be associated with organisations that are complicit in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Will be playing the unofficial shows c ya,” Singaporean band Subsonic Eye announced on social media.

The Santa Cruz band, Scowl, also revealed new dates for its “unofficial” gigs, as did Detroit punk collective, The Armed.

“We are no longer an official SXSW artist but we are still playing three incredible, free unofficial showcases this weekend. We love you. Let’s get wild,” The Armed wrote on X.

SXSW responded to the dropouts saying it understood artists’ rights to free speech, but disagreed with Abbott and defended the U.S. Army and defense companies’ involvement in the festival.

“The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard to Collins Aerospace, they participated this year as a sponsor of two SXSW Pitch categories, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work,” SXSW said on Tuesday.

“Across the globe, we are witnessing unspeakable tragedies, the rise of repressive regimes, and the increasing spread of violent conflict. It’s more crucial than ever that we come together to solve these greater humanitarian issues,” SXSW said.