Add South by Southwest (SXSW) to the list of major events canceled due to the global coronavirus epidemic.
In a statement posted on their website. South by Southwest was effectively canceled due to the mayor of Austin, Texas putting in an emergency order on the city.
“The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the City’s directions,” it stated.
“We are devastated to share this news with you. “The show must go on” is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation.” Further elaborating that the event’s organizers had to acquiesce to the city’s demands.
The news of the festival’s cancellation follows a string of other major conventions and events. Being either postponed or outright cancelled, over the global spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) was recently postponed to a later date in the summer. PAX East saw major vendors such as Sony skipping the event entirely. And Square-Enix scaling back their presence at the convention. Rumors are circulating that E3 2020 may be in doubt as well. However, the ESA still plans to have it go on as scheduled, as of now.
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