AUSTIN, TX – On Friday, Mayor Steve Adler announced the cancellation of South by Southwest Conference & Festivals, an event that normally brings in over 400,000 attendees.
Commonly known as SXSW, the 10-day event includes a film, comedy, and music festival, as well as a conference which addresses topics like climate actions, politics, space, sports, and more.
The cancellation was announced on the groups Twitter account.
Mayor Adler said the cancellation was due to “a public health disaster,” referring to the coronavirus outbreak. As of March 5, there are no confirmed cases in Austin or Travis County. The cancelation of SXSW is out of precaution, weighing impact of potential spread.
An Update on SXSW 2020. Please read our full statement here: https://t.co/P56nF8KFmE pic.twitter.com/ouJPKM9GNy
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 6, 2020
The full statement from SXSW can be read here.