SXSW says it will not partner with the US military – or weapons manufacturers – in 2025

SXSW will no longer partner with the military or weapons manufacturers, under a quietly announced new policy.

This year, SXSW Music artists boycotted the festival en masse after learning that the U.S. military and defense contractor RTX, formerly Raytheon, were sponsors. Nearly 120 artists canceled their concerts, arguing that the festival should not be associated specifically with RTX because it has supplied weapons to Israel in the Gaza war.

The festival unveiled a new policy on its website this week, saying it would not partner with the U.S. military or defense contractors.

“After careful consideration, we are reviewing our sponsorship model,” the statement said. “As a result, the U.S. military and companies that manufacture weapons will not sponsor SXSW 2025.”

The decision was praised by Zainab Haider of the Austin Coalition for Palestine, a group that helped organize the local effort. Haider said she was surprised that this initiative “exploded organically” when it gained national, and even international, attention in March. She said she was also surprised by the change in festival policy this week.

“We thought this victory was going to be a harder road. We thought it would take longer. We were actually preparing a campaign for Sud par Sud-Ouest 2025,” she said. “But I want to say that we welcome this move by Sud par Sud-Ouest, and we are aware that it could mean financial losses for them.”

Austin for Palestine, which partnered with another artist-supported nonprofit and had previously protested the festival over its pay structure, even caught the attention of Gov. Greg Abbott, who told the artists : “if you don't like [Texas]don't come here.” The lion's share of the festival's performers are Austinites.

Artists also banded together last year to protest the festival's historically low salaries. Austin percussionist and drummer Thor Harris has been performing at SXSW Music for decades. Harris was one of hundreds of artists who called on the festival to raise salaries, which it ultimately did (again quietly) – announcing a new salary structure last summer.

“We have a troubled past, me and SWSW,” he laughed. “But I’m certainly willing to recognize when they make a good decision.”

Harris said that and the festival's decision to waive registration fees for local musicians at the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians was a testament to musicians' ability to flex their muscles as a “soft capital” that keeps the festival at the top.

“We musicians are soft capital, and we don’t want to be used for one of the most disgusting things about America, which is our war machine,” he said. “So SXSW, yeah, they were really stupid to equate us with the war machine. But if they're willing to take the war machine out of that equation, then maybe they have a future.”

KUT reached out to SXSW for comment on the policy change, but was referred to the statement on the festival's website.

Following the news, the US Army Futures Command, headquartered in Austin, told KUT in a statement that it “appreciated the opportunity” to be part of the festival and would “continue to seek opportunities to meet innovators and technology leaders.” explore new ideas and perspectives and create dynamic industry partnerships.