Today is a somber day for the entertainment industry.

Just one week before the festivities were to begin it has been announced that infamous film, music and comedy festival South by Southwest (SXSW) has been cancelled.

“We are devastated to share this news with you,” the SXSW team shared via their website this afternoon. “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,” they added.

SXSW is one of many global events to cancel amid the panic of COVID-19, better known as the “Corona Virus.”

While thousands of fans who planned to attend the festival’s many events are upset, the biggest concern comes from fellow members of the entertainment industry and local business- many of whom rely on SXSW or similar events for income.

Though Coachella and Stagecoach have yet to make statements regarding whether or not their California based festivals will also be cancelled due to the Corona pandemic, fans are speculating that both will be cancelled in the following weeks.

You can read SXSW’s full statement below, and stay tuned for more information on how COVID-19 will affect this summer’s festival lineup.

“The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the City’s directions.

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.

As recently as Wednesday, Austin Public Health stated that “there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer.” However, this situation evolved rapidly, and we honor and respect the City of Austin’s decision. We are committed to do our part to help protect our staff, attendees, and fellow Austinites.

We are exploring options to reschedule the event and are working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants, starting with SXSW EDU. For our registrants, clients, and participants we will be in touch as soon as possible and will publish an FAQ.

We understand the gravity of the situation for all the creatives who utilize SXSW to accelerate their careers; for the global businesses; and for Austin and the hundreds of small businesses – venues, theatres, vendors, production companies, service industry staff, and other partners that rely so heavily on the increased business that SXSW attracts.

We will continue to work hard to bring you the unique events you love. Though it’s true that our March 2020 event will no longer take place in the way that we intended, we continue to strive toward our purpose – helping creative people achieve their goals.”

– SXSW via their website.