When the coronavirus epidemic arrived, SXSW was the first major event to get cancelled. Now, they turning their attention to streaming for SXSW Online.

Revealed today, SXSW Online will bring the best in film and music to the online world. In a statement, SXSW CEO and co-founder Roland Swenson said:

“The challenge of building a new future is one that we’re excited to tackle. This has been such a year of change and we, like the entire world, are reshaping our perspective on how we connect. We’re pleased to be working on SXSW Online as part of our program for 2021, and regardless of platform, we will continue to bring together the brightest minds from creative industries worldwide.”

On October 6, PanelPicker proposals and film submissions will go live. PanelPicker allows the community to pick conference programming for the event. Film submissions will officially close on October 28 with an early deadline of October 14. Musical acts will be curated by the staff with a strong priority towards acts slated to perform at this year’s event. Head here for more information on PanelPicker. People looking to submit films can go here.

SXSW Online will take place from March 16 through March 20, 2021.

SXSW 2020 cancelled due to coronavirus

March 06, 2020 by Terrance Pryor in Music

For the first time in its illustrious history, SXSW has been cancelled.

Revealed today, the city of Austin has cancelled SXSW and its SXSW EDU. “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,” reads a statement on SXSW’s website.

While it’s canceled, organizers are looking at other ways to deliver the experience. “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.,” the statement also reads.