80+ bands pull out of SXSW in protest of US military amid Israel-Hamas war. Here's a list

Hannah Ortega, Austin American-Statesman
·4 min read
7

South by Southwest is known for its hustle and bustle taking over downtown, but this year, things might be a little quieter as more than 80 guests pull out of the festival.

The mass exodus of musicians and panelists comes as a result of SXSW's ties with the military amid conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups. According to the SXSW website, the U.S. Army is a "super sponsor" of the event, alongside Delta, the Austin Chronicle, Volkswagen, C4 Energy and Porsche.

More: When some bands pull out of SXSW over military affiliations, Abbott says good riddance

Here's what you need to know:

Gov. Greg Abbott responds to bands pulling out of SXSW: 'Bye'

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Gov. Greg Abbott posted a statement supporting the U.S. military, seemingly unphased by the boycotting guests.

"Bye," he wrote. "Don't come back."

SXSW then posted a statement on Instagram disagreeing with Abbott but also saying that "the Army's sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world."

"We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints," SXSW wrote. "Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech."

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More: Rosario Dawson, Tara Houska discuss revolution, community and Earth at SXSW 2024

What bands boycotted SXSW 2024?

Here's a list of artists who have pulled out of SXSW so far, according to TIME:

  1. Eliza McLamb

  2. TC Superstar

  3. Mamalarky

  4. Proper

  5. The Curls

  6. c*mgirl8

  7. Horse Jumper of Love

  8. Abe Batshon

  9. Buffalo Nichols

  10. Buggin

  11. BODEGA

  12. The Armed

  13. TAGABOW

  14. Farmer’s Wife

  15. Mei Semones

  16. MEDUSA

  17. TC Superstar

  18. Omni

  19. Trauma Ray

  20. Mamalarky

  21. Subsonic Eye

  22. Birthday Girl

  23. Groa

  24. Winona Forever

  25. Little Marzan

  26. Tetchy

  27. Discovery Zone

  28. Friend

  29. Lady Apple Tree

  30. Allegra Krieger

  31. Jess Cornelius

  32. Lip Critic

  33. Godcaster

  34. Lucía Beyond

  35. Gel

  36. May Rio

  37. Greg Freeman

  38. babybaby_explores

  39. The New Eves

  40. Ben Aqua

  41. Bloomsday

  42. Strange Joy

  43. Reyna Tropical

  44. Being Dead

  45. Proper

  46. Enola Gay

  47. Gavin James

  48. Robert Grace

  49. Chalk

  50. Soda Blonde

  51. Madison Baker

  52. Luge

  53. Vilagerrr

  54. Font

  55. Fust

  56. Kolb

  57. Frances Chang

  58. Sarah Morrison

  59. This is Lorelei

  60. Conchúr White

  61. Fantasy of a Broken Heart

  62. Tomato Flower

  63. Merce Lemon

  64. Gold Dime

  65. Vera Ellen

  66. Lambrini Girls

  67. KNEECAP

  68. Scowl

  69. Squirrel Flower

  70. Okay Shalom

  71. Sprints

  72. Rachel Chinouriri

  73. Mick Flannery

  74. Gurriers

  75. NewDad

  76. Cardinals

  77. Chris Smalls

  78. Devon Price

  79. Sarah Philips

  80. Leah Penniman

  81. Yaya Bey

More: Hot movie premieres, smart women and a royal visit: Best moments we've seen at SXSW so far

What canceled SXSW guests are saying

From Kneecap on X on March 10: "We cannot in good conscience attend an arts festival that has 'The U.S. Army' as a 'Super Sponsor' and is platforming RTX (formerly Raytheon), Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems, the very companies selling the weapons that have murdered 31,000 Palestinians, over 21,000 of them women and children."

From Lambrini Girls on X on March 9: "For transparency, the reason it's taken us a few days to pull out the festival is because we received funding from PRS Foundation to play. We were trying to find a way to out of [sic] the situation whilst keeping our moral integrity in tact and not having to repay thousands of pounds at the same time. That really just isn't possible."

From Georgia Gets By on Instagram on March 13: "I condemn the genocide of Palestinian people and therefore cannot in my right mind or heart go through with these shows knowing that the festival is sponsored by producers of weapons that are killing innocent people."

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From Gurriers on X on March 13: "To be clear, we, as 'Music From Ireland' bands will not be partaking in any official SXSW shows. We stand in complete solidarity with Palestine and others who have spoke out against, and boycotted SXSW."

Some artists return for 'Fair Pay at SXSW' concert

The United Musicians and Allied Workers labor union held its own concert Wednesday evening at Cheer Up Charlies to protest military presence and unfair pay at SXSW. Performers included Squirrel Flower, MEDUSA and Proper, and organizations such as Clear the Air ATX, Austin for Palestine Coalition and Austin Democratic Socialists of America tabled.

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The union will also hold a rally this evening from 6-8 p.m. at 800 Congress Ave. "to demand fair pay and no warmongers at SXSW," according to its Instagram. The protest is held in conjunction with the Austin for Palestine Coalition.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: List: 80+ bands pull out of SXSW in protest of US Army sponsorship