Tag Archives: South by Southwest
Task force sees COTA disability work as starting point for other venues, businesses
Praising the dozens of improvements made at Circuit of the Americas over the past year to address disability issues, members of a task force organized by the racetrack and concert venue want other Austin venues to use their work as…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 8, 2023
Austin cancels SXSW amid COVID-19 concerns
South by Southwest is canceled. Mayor Steve Adler, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and public health officials said the concerns surrounding COVID-19 were too great. “I’ve gone ahead and declared a local disaster in the city, and associated with that,…
Austin • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Mar 6, 2020
Venues face tough realities in city's active shooter training
“Remember that the intent of this person is to end your life.” Those sobering words, delivered last Wednesday by Austin Police Department Officer Josh Visi, came as something of a wake-up call for the 40 or so concert venue owners…
Public Safety • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 26, 2019
New event deadline means clarity, crunch time for SXSW planners
The Austin Center for Events has set a hard deadline of Feb. 8 for applications for special events scheduled to take place during spring festival season, or the 10 days in March that span the South by Southwest festival. Setting…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 7, 2019
Adler picks out top two climate change priorities at SXSW
When it comes to climate change, Mayor Steve Adler believes that cities are fundamentally ill-equipped to face the challenge. “You really do need the innovation that comes from outside of government to really act and scale in a material way,”…
Environment • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 14, 2018
SXSWTF? Dissecting a music festival's immigration PR meltdown
In today’s installment of “A Good Rumor Travels Around the World Before the Truth Can Put On Its Shoes,” we watch with fascination as music fans from all over the world make South by Southwest out to be the newest…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 2, 2017
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Shifting SXSW focus, permitting changes await music head upon return
Returning South by Southwest to its focus on industries and helping to usher components of the city’s plans to help the local music industry are high on the personal to-do list of Don Pitts, until recently the director of Austin’s…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 20, 2017
How the city handles SXSW cleanup
On Sixth Street just past midnight, small herds of young people mill in the street or near the entrances of bars – some smoking cigarettes, others looking at their phones. Virginia Alexander honks at them to move. She is trying…
Austin • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Mar 17, 2016
SXSW panel spotlights urban housing
Austin is no snowflake when it comes to issues of housing, affordability and density. Cities across the United States grapple with similar challenges even if they don’t have the robust economy that is driving growth here in Central Texas. Last…
Development • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 17, 2016
Mayors talk mobility at SXSW
South by Southwest’s claim to fame is its rich offerings for fans of technology, film and music, but this year it also offered a healthy smattering of civics for the so-inclined wonk. The Interactive portion of the festival featured a…
Transportation • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 16, 2016
Austin's music industry talks future, fees
This summer’s release of the Austin Music Census, along with recent and potential music venue closures, paints a dire picture of Austin’s celebrated music scene and has prompted a dialogue about the future of local artists and venues. That conversation…
Music & Entertainment • By Tyler Whitson • Oct 12, 2015
City fails to patch SXSW crash-pad issue
An East Austin home whose lease holders are housing musicians in exchange for promotion on social media has city officials flummoxed. Neighbors of the Waller Street property argue that it is an inappropriate use of the house, which is zoned residential.…
Austin • By Kara Nuzback • Mar 18, 2015
