'Don’t come here': Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responds to musicians boycotting SXSW over US Army sponsorship

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) succinctly dismissed bands that have announced boycotts over one of the state's biggest yearly events, the South by Southwest festival.

The annual event has put films, music, interactive media, as well as conferences on display since 1987 in Austin, Texas, which is typically seen as the most art-centric city in the state.

The typically progressive art scene that is prevalent at the festival has decided that the event's sponsors went too far in 2024 with the inclusion of the United States Army as a major backer.

Multiple artists have announced that they have pulled out of the festival over the sponsorship, which they have connected to the Israel-Palestine war in many cases.

Rap group Kneecap from Northern Ireland announced they would not be joining the festival, saying they "cannot in good conscience attend an arts festival that has 'The U.S Army' as a 'super Sponsor,'" the group explained.

They also claimed that other sponsors like RTX were "selling the weapons that have murdered 31,000 Palestinians."

Brooklyn-based artist Okay Shalom posted on her Instagram that she has dropped out of the festival.

"There’s always a right thing to do and it’s almost never as complicated as the establishment wants you to believe. and sometimes it costs you a dream, but a dream is a dream and not a life. palestinians deserve to dream. they deserve to live," she wrote.

"I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the US Army, a main sponsor of the festival," added artist Ella Williams, who goes by Squirrel Flower.

An English group called the Lambrini Girls were less specific, saying they were "trying to find a way to [sic] out of the situation whilst keeping our moral integrity in tact [sic]."

With dozens of bands having reportedly pulled out, Gov. Abbott responded to a media report on the topic through his X account.

"Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back. Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command. San Antonio is Military City USA. We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here," Abbott wrote.

As USA Today reported, Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of defense contractor RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies Corporation), sponsored two showcases at SXSW.

The U.S. Army also announced themselves as a "Super Sponsor" for the festival, likely to reach a younger audience amid recruiting woes.

The progressive boycotts fail to mention any number of the other corporate sponsors that have been funding the festival for years. Volkswagen, alcohol brand White Claw, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, credit card company Capital One, and more are listed as "notable alumni" sponsors of the event.

For 2024, sponsors also include Delta Air Lines and Itau, Latin America's biggest financial institution.

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