South by Southwest event canceled amid coronavirus concerns

The annual South by Southwest conference that brings together tech, music and film enthusiasts in Austin, Texas, was cancelled Friday amid growing concerns about the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. 

The cancellation was made by Austin Mayor Steve Adler, who also declared the city a local disaster area. 

SXSW organizers said later that they would comply with the order.

The organizers also issued a statement on the SXSW website that in part reads: “We are devastated to share this news with you.  … 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.” 

The cancellation of the scheduled March 12-22 conference and festival follows reports that the virus, which started in China, has now infected over 100,000 people around the world. 

Organizers also said they are exploring the possibility of rescheduling the event — considered one of the country’s biggest cultural and intellectual gatherings of the year.