For the first time in 34 years, The City of Austin cancelled the 2020 South by Southwest Festival due to nationwide and local concerns over the COVID-19 virus. As stated by Austin Public Health, “there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer," and following the wishes of the City of Austin, SXSW officials have chosen to shut down this year's festival in order to better "protect its staff, attendees and fellow Austinites".
Read their full statement here: https://www.sxsw.com/2020-event-update/