Amazon Prime Video will bring Armageddon to Austin, celebrating the highly anticipated premiere of novel-turned-series Good Omens at South by Southwest (“SXSW”) in Austin, TX, during opening weekend beginning Friday, March 8th.
Activities will include appearances and conversations with author and executive producer, Neil Gaiman, director and executive producer Douglas Mackinnon, as well as series stars Michael Sheen, David Tennant and Jon Hamm. In addition, March 8th-11th, a hidden oasis from the impending End of Days, the “Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights,” will beckon fans and festival-goers to escape and celebrate all that this world has to offer as the apocalypse looms near, coming May 31, 2019 (coincidentally, the same day that Good Omens launches on Amazon Prime Video).
A witty, epic tale set at the brink of the Apocalypse, Good Omens tells the adventurous story of a fussy angel, Aziraphale (Sheen), and a loose-living demon, Crowley (Tennant) – a pair of frenemies who’ve become overly fond of their lives on Earth and have formed an unlikely alliance to stop the world from ending. The six-episode limited series is based on the beloved 1990 novel, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
The series stars Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Jon Hamm, Nick Offerman, Jack Whitehall, Miranda Richardson, Adria Arjona, Michael McKean, Anna Maxwell Martin, Mireille Enos, and more, and is produced by Amazon Studios, BBC Studios, The Blank Corporation and Narrativia. Neil Gaiman, Douglas Mackinnon, Chris Sussman, Simon Winstone and Rob Wilkins serve as Executive Producers.
Below are details about the heavenly (and possibly hellish) Good Omens SXSW events:
SATURDAY, MARCH 9th:
Featured Session: A Conversation with Neil Gaiman
Location: Austin Convention Center, Ballroom D
Time: 3:30-4:30PM
Neil Gaiman is a bestselling author and creator of books, graphic novels, short stories, TV series and films, including Neverwhere, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, American Gods, among others. His novel Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett 30 years ago, is being adapted for the screen and will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on May 31st, 2019. In 2017, Gaiman became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Originally from England, he lives in the United States, where he is a professor at Bard College.
“Good Omens:” The Nice and Accurate SXSW Event
Location: The Zach Theater; 202 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Time: 6:30PM
The end is nigh and so is the highly anticipated debut of Good Omens, coming to Amazon Prime Video this year. In this featured session with series showrunner and best-selling author Neil Gaiman, joined by director Douglas Mackinnon and cast including Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Jon Hamm and more, attendees will get the most in-depth look at the limited series to date and watch never-before-seen exclusive clips from the entire series. Additionally, fans will have the rare opportunity to take part in what will certainly be an amusing discussion with the cast and creatives.
FRI-MON, MARCH 8th-11th:
Location: 604 Driskill Street, Austin, TX 78701
“Good Omens” Garden of Earthly Delights
The Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights carries out the spirits of the unlikely duo and transports guests into the world of the beloved book. Surrounded by a wall of lush foliage, the garden is free of charge and can be reached by entering through a massive winged hourglass on Driskill Street. The duality of the heroes’ friendship is ever-present in the space, from the moment guests step foot into the garden and are met at the entrance by angel and demon greeters.
The Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights is bursting with worldly pleasures, including:
- Beer and wine served from a massive 20-foot tree in the garden center,which also bears prophetic apples and gifts, and mouthwatering bites fromthe best of Austin’s food scene.
- Heavenly and hellish cabanas, relaxing lounges and a pampering area for manicures, hand massages and hairstyling with butterLONDON, Cosmedix and SexyHair.
- An A.Z. Fell & Co. pop-up bookshop, where among the shelves of leather-bound books there are hidden surprises for lucky Good Omens fans.
- A Hellhound Puppy Pen filled with adoptable furry friends from Austin Animal Center, alongside a replica of Crowley’s 1926 Bentley.
"With the end of the world imminent, we figured what better place than SXSW to celebrate a few of the good things our world has to offer?” said Mike Benson, Head of Marketing at Amazon Studios. “We’ve created an immersive experience that Good Omens book fans will love, but also anyone who might like to celebrate Armageddon. You never know what type of apocalyptic creatures may be inhabiting Austin during the SXSW festival, so we are happy to provide an escape for all to enjoy the end-of-times with us.”
Inspired by the Apocalyptic signs of Good Omens, the streets of Austin will flood with ominous characters such as bickering angels, chattering nuns, demons and Witch Finders warning festivalgoers of the beginning of the end. The most harrowing sign of them all is the penultimate motorcycle ride of the Four Apocalyptic Horsemen and their masses of loyal followers at noon on Friday, March 8. As more world-ending signs unravel across the city, guests who have escaped to the Garden of Earthly Delights will be surprised and slightly on edge as the cataclysmic omens begin to break through the once serene environment.
Throughout the weekend, doomsdayers will be captivated by daily roving entertainment, including the likes of magicians, sword swallowers, fire breathers, tarot-card readers and more. Earth-shattering live performances on the main stage will include a set of dueling pianists playing pre-Apocalyptic tunes, a string trio strumming classical harmonies and modern-day covers, an interactive, life-size chess tournament with Twitch and a special show from a Queen tribute band.
Before the world takes its final turn, the Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights will include the following exclusive marquee programming:
Entertainment Weekly + Amazon Prime Video Party
- What: Amazon Prime Video and Entertainment Weekly will partner to celebrate the “Saints and Sinners” in all of us in an immersive event experience AT SXSW.
- Who: Within the Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights, invited guests won’t be able to resist the lure of Queen cover band, Almost Queen, alongside interactive experiences including tattoo artists, aura readers and a life-size seesaw-like “Scale of Good and Evil” to play on.
- When: Saturday, March 9 from 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.
- Where: Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights at 604 Driskill Street, Austin, TX 78701
Buzzfeed + Amazon Prime Video Party
- What: BuzzFeed is taking over the Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights to bring an invite-only party of epic proportions before the End. Guests will enjoy the sounds of live musical acts Dan Deacon, Questlove, and Hesta Prynn while imbibing on elixirs poured from a tree tap.
- Who: Live set from Dan Deacon, composer and electronic musician; DJ set from Questlove; DJ set from Hesta Prynn
- When: Sunday, March 10 from 10:00 p.m. CT – 1:00 a.m. CT
Prime Video Blue Room Portrait Studio – In Partnership with Entertainment Weekly
- What: Amazon Prime Video is introducing Prime Video Blue Room Portrait Studio for the first time adjacent to the Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights experience with Entertainment Weekly.
- Who: Top talent both behind and in front of the camera can grab a drink away from the crowds of the garden and take a portrait with celebrity photographer, Peggy Sirota, that will appear in an exclusive gallery on Entertainment Weekly’s website.
- When: March 8 – March 11
- Where: Prime Video Blue Room Portrait Studio at the Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights at 604 Driskill Street, Austin, TX 78701
The Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights can be found at 604 Driskill Street, Austin, TX 78701 and will be open to guests ages 21+ from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 8 and Monday, March 11, and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10.
About Prime Video
Prime Video is a premium streaming service that offers customers a vast collection of digital videos—all with the ease of finding what they love to watch in one place. Prime members will be able to stream the series exclusively via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online. Members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be a global release and available on PrimeVideo.com for Prime Video members in more than 200 countries and territories.
Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Prime Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
About Buzzfeed
BuzzFeed is the world’s leading tech-powered media company, with a cross-platform news and entertainment network that reaches hundreds of millions of people globally. The company produces articles, lists, quizzes, videos, original series; lifestyle content through brands including Tasty, the world’s largest social food network; original reporting and investigative journalism through BuzzFeed News; strategic partnerships, licensing and product development through BuzzFeed Marketing; and original productions across broadcast, cable, SVOD, film and digital platforms for BuzzFeed Studios.
About Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is your all-access pass to Hollywood’s most creative minds, most fascinating stars and the latest projects. With sharp insight, unparalleled access and a trusted voice, EW keeps readers plugged into pop culture. The brand’s magazine was launched in 1990 and is America’s leading consumer publication in the entertainment category. EW.com and its digital platforms publish daily an array of featured stories, news articles, TV-recaps, original videos, film reviews and photo galleries. Entertainment Weekly is the first to know about the best in entertainment.
