According to Pitchfork, South by Southwest (SXSW) has announced it will no longer accept sponsorships from the U.S. Army and weapons manufacturers. This change comes in response to a boycott that gained traction during this year’s festival. On its website, SXSW stated, “After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model. As a result, the US Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.”

The successful boycott began in March when several artists withdrew from the festival. Squirrel Flower initiated the movement, citing “protest of SXSW’s ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people.” The artist highlighted that at least one defense contractor involved in the festival was supplying arms to the Israeli Defense Forces. Following Squirrel Flower’s lead, artists Mamalarky, Shalom, and the Irish rap trio Kneecap also pulled out, expressing similar concerns.

When Texas Governor Greg Abbott criticized the protestors, SXSW distanced itself from his comments, affirming respect for the artists’ decisions.

The wave of successful boycotts extended to the United Kingdom, where over 100 artists withdrew from the Great Escape festival, a British equivalent of SXSW, due to its sponsorship by Barclays bank. The boycott, started by the Bristol band The Menstrual Cramps, attracted significant names such as Idles and Brian Eno, protesting Barclays’ investments in arms companies. This led to further boycotts of the Latitude and Download festivals, resulting in Barclays suspending its sponsorship of all Live Nation festivals in the UK until further notice.