Several musicians who withdrew from a prestigious Texas festival due to its connections with the U.S. Army and defense firms have now revealed plans to perform unofficial shows.

As of Friday, more than 80 musicians and panelists have opted out of participating in the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin due to heightened tensions from the Israel-Hamas conflict, Newsweek reported. SXSW, a widely recognized event featuring music, films, and discussions, has been a significant platform for emerging artists.

Taking to social media earlier this week, Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott made his stance known when he told them, “Don’t come back” to Texas.

“Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back. Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command. San Antonio is Military City USA. We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here,” Abbott wrote on X.

Musicians started pulling out of this year’s SXSW event, which runs until March 16 amid concerns about the festival’s affiliation with the U.S. Army as a “featured partner,” along with its ties to defense firms RTX and its subsidiary, Collins Aerospace. Some of the bands have since announced they would play “unofficial” shows.

“We’ve decided to pull out from SXSW showcases due to the festival’s ties with the US Army— it’s the right thing to do, and we refuse to be associated with organisations that are complicit in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Will be playing the unofficial shows c ya,” Singaporean band Subsonic Eye announced on social media.

“We are no longer an official SXSW artist but we are still playing three incredible, free unofficial showcases this weekend. We love you. Let’s get wild,” The Armed wrote on X as Santa Cruz band, Scowl, also revealed new dates for its “unofficial” gigs.

SXSW organizers meanwhile, have since responded to Abbott’s remarks condemning the artists that had elected to pull out of the music festival, saying that they “fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech” while also defending the Army’s decision to sponsor the festival.

“The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today,” they wrote.

“These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives,” the statement continued. “The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard to Collins Aerospace, they participated this year as a sponsor of two SXSW Pitch categories, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.”

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