SXSW Plan Major Changes For 2015
SXSW 6th Street Photo Ros O'Gorman

SXSW 6th Street Photo Ros O'Gorman

SXSW Plan Major Changes For 2015

by Paul Cashmere on October 3, 2014

in News,Noise Pro

SXSW has investigated charges to improve the event for 2015 in light of the deaths caused by a driver ploughing into the crowd, killing four this year and leaving 21 injured.

Investigations are underway to determine how best to control the massive crowds that spread across the city, especially on the Friday and Saturday nights of the event.

Sixth Street, Austin, the main stretch of the Texan city, is closed to traffic on the peak nights of SXSW but congestion from the number of events in the small area has become out of control.

SXSW has asked the City of Austin to more strictly monitor the number of permits approved during the event by pop-up events and is working with marketing companies to relieve in in your face product placement caused by companies like Dorito’s and Pepsi while the music events are taking place.

In the past decade, SXSW has grown from a music industry event to a general public circus. In the last few years the music industry has been smothered by public events with general public activity and unofficial events now making the industry event cluttered with unofficial showcases, obtrusive marketing campaigns and general onlooking flocking to the city to be part of the spectacle but not the convention.

SXSW released the following statement to Billboard:

We’ve been careful not to say anything that implies we’re trying to ban unofficial events because, even if we could, we wouldn’t try to do that. We totally get that unofficial events are part of the appeal of SXSW, though the line between “official” and “unofficial” can be hard to distinguish.

The Populous report is their expert assessment and opinion, not ours, and we agree with most of it, but not all of it. In our own statements we’ve been careful not to imply a threat to relocate SXSW, and have also explicitly stated that is not our position numerous times.

What we’re asking the City to do is put a limit on the number of permits issued for events that require temporary permits, based on location, capacity and infrastructure. The City did that for the first time this past year, and we think it was a common sense move that should be a standard procedure. Parts of 6th Street are severely overcrowded and can’t support more pop-up events. The majority of the unofficial events are in existing businesses and this would not affect them.

The most important part of what we’re asking for is a comprehensive safety plan that will include not just SXSW events, but every other significant activity downtown during our event. Marketing companies are fond of the tactic of keeping everything a secret until the last minute to avoid scrutiny. SXSW, the unofficial events, and the City all need transparency in order to plan for safety properly.

ink to the Populous Executive Summary – http://sxsw.com/report

Related Posts

Drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac performs at ADOTG at Mt Duneed Winery on 7 November 2015. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Noise11.com Top Music News Stories of October to December 2020

Continuing the Noise11 top news stories of 2020, Mick Fleetwood became a social media sensation, AC/DC coins debut and live music events for 2021 start happening again.

December 31, 2020
Jimmy and Jane Barnes
Noise11.com Top Music News Stories July to September 2020

By the second half of 2020 Covid-19 had become the greatest threat to mankind since any war. Artists adjusted to iso, performing and recording remotely across the world while the fans watched from home.

December 31, 2020
Something For Kate photo by Ros O'Gorman
Noise11.com Top Music News Stories April to June 2020

As Covid increases and isolation locked us down the music world faces challenges with cancellations globally but new music kept on coming. Here are Noise11.com's top music news headlines from April to June 2020.

December 31, 2020
Bette Midler photo by Ros O'Gorman
Noise11.com Top News Stories January to March 2020

2020 began with Australia in a State of Disaster as bushfires continued to choke the East Coast. Australian climate denying Prime Minister Scott Morrison had to cut short a holiday in Hawaii to deal with it.

December 31, 2020
Harry Styles Fine Line
New Releases for 13 December 2019

Major new titles coming this week from: Harry Styles, Stone Sour (live), Stormzy, Blake Shelton (GH), Lil’ Durk, Dirty Projectors, The Go-Between (Boxset), Furnace & the Fundamentals and Akon.

December 13, 2019
New Music Releases for 6 December 2019

Major new titles coming this week from: Camila Cabello, Kylie Minogue (live), Muse (boxset), Cold Chisel, The Who, Liam Payne, The Beautiful Girls (GH), Fat Freddy’s Drop, Polish Club, Blueface and French Montana.

December 6, 2019
Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson. photo by Ros O'Gorman
Ian Anderson To Perform Jethro Tull Australian Tour Dates

Live Nation has announced Australian dates for Ian Anderson in April but with a more carefully worded announcement than Bluesfest.

October 13, 2016