Boycotts Lead SXSW to, Drop US Military Sponsors, for 2025 Festival.br On June 26, South by Southwest (SXSW) announced that the br United States Army would no longer be sponsoring the br 2025 festival after boycotts by artists and panelists occurred in 2024.br On June 26, South by Southwest (SXSW) announced that the br United States Army would no longer be sponsoring the br 2025 festival after boycotts by artists and panelists occurred in 2024.br After careful consideration, br we are revising our sponsorship br model. As a result, the U.S. Army, br and companies who engage in br weapons manufacturing, will br not be sponsors of SXSW 2025, SXSW statement, via Fox News.br Fox News reports that over 80 artists and panelists pulled br out of the 2024 festival "in solidarity with Palestine," br according to the Austin for Palestine coalition.br Fox News reports that over 80 artists and panelists pulled br out of the 2024 festival "in solidarity with Palestine," br according to the Austin for Palestine coalition.br The group called for a boycott of SXSW br over the organization's ties to the U.S. military br and weapons-manufacturing companies. .br In 2024, the U.S. Army, Defense Department, , Raytheon and L3Harris , all sponsored the SXSW festival.br In 2024, the U.S. Army, Defense Department, , Raytheon and L3Harris , all sponsored the SXSW festival.br We appreciated the opportunity br to join South by Southwest in 2024. br With U.S. Army Futures Command br headquartered in Austin, we value br any opportunity to join with our br community to ignite discovery br and make new connections. , Lt. Col. Jamie Dobson, U.S. Army Futures Command Spokesperson, via Fox News Digital.br The Army will continue to br seek opportunities to meet br technology innovators and br leaders, explore new ideas br and insights, and create dynamic br industry partnerships because br tomorrow is worth protecting. , Lt. Col. Jamie Dobson, U.S. Army Futures Command Spokesperson, via Fox News Digital.br Bands and artists participating in the boycott, br including Squirrel Flower, Scowl and Okay Shalom, br explained why they protested the 2024 festival. .br There are many ways SXSW is harmful br to working musicians, but I am pulling br out specifically because of the fact br that SXSW is platforming defense br contractors including Raytheon br subsidiaries as well as the U.S. Army, br a main sponsor of the festival, Squirrel Flower, also known as br Ella Williams, via Instagram.br Genocide profiteers like Raytheon br supply weapons to the IDF, paid for br by our taxes. A music festival should br not include war profiteers. I refuse br to be complicit in this and withdrawl br [sic] my art and labor in protest, Squirrel Flower, also known as br Ella Williams, via Instagram.br Genocide profiteers like Raytheon br supply weapons to the IDF, paid for br by our taxes. A music festival should br not include war profiteers.