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.
If you will be at SXSW this year you can catch all of the programming mentioned and an activation that is free to the public called ‘The 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 from the 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.
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.
