The outbreak of coronavirus has forced organisers to cancel the South by Southwest music festival just weeks after Bristol raised money to send gig-goer Big Jeff to the event .

Jeffrey Johns, or 'Big Jeff' as he's known by locals, has attended gigs at various venues across Bristol nearly every night for over 20 years.

Nearly £5,000 was raised to send the renowned music lover to a talk at the SXSW music conference and festival in Austin, Texas in March.

Jeff, who has Asperger’s and dyspraxia, has been an ambassador for the UK Independent Venue Week for the past three years, and this year the team behind IVW asked him to be part of a panel.

However, the organisers of the event have confirmed it has been cancelled amid fears over coronavirus, marking the first time in 34 years it will not take place.

A conference at SXSW 2018

In a statement, they said: "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.



Reacting to the news on Twitter, Jeff wrote: "I'm struggling to feel positive today, partly due to the cancellation of @sxsw.

"I feel really sorry for all the bands that are left out of pocket with the cancellation, it's a huge f****r.

"Could do with a hug and some positivity. If I'm not quite my chirpy self then I'm sorry."

The campaign to raise the £3,500 required to fund Jeff's trip was launched earlier this year by his parents, and raised almost £5,000 in total.

This amount would have allowed Jeff to travel and stay in the heart of Austin for the duration of the festival.

On the GoFundMe page, his mum previously said: "It will also give him a huge boost to know that many people love what he’s doing are encouraging him to explore further."

The campaign has now been deactivated and will no longer be accepting donations.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

Symptoms include fever and cough that can progress to severe pneumonia. This can cause shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

The virus causes more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.

How can I prevent it?

In most cases, Covid-19 is mild but everyone should carry on with good washing of hands and related personal hygiene measures, which include:

  • Giving your hands a good wash with soap and water is the most effective action you can take (but hand gels can be a good substitute).
  • Maintaining personal hygiene when coughing or sneezing is also important – use a tissue rather your hands and then throw it away.
  • It is good general practice to use cleaning wipes to give your keyboard, desk, phone etc. the once over on a regular basis.

If someone is feeling unwell and has the symptoms set out on the public health website they should not go to their doctors or a hospital. They should ring 111 to get further advice.