Annual innovation and entertainment festival SXSW is changing up its funding streams for next year’s events, with the organization announcing it would stop taking sponsorship money from military affiliates.
The organization’s brief official statement (found in its updated Music Showcase FAQ) reads:
After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model. As a result, the U.S. Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.
In March, several notable musicians and celebrities condemned the festival for its ties to the U.S. Army and its historic backing of Israeli militarization, with more than 80 acts and panelists dropping out of the 2024 event in total.
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Activists and attendees called out SXSW sponsors RTX (formerly Raytheon), Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems, all weapons manufacturers, in addition to the U.S. Army’s involvement (it was deemed a “Super Sponsor” of the festivities). “The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of …