SXSW wristbands go on sale for Austin residents

UPDATE 2:15 p.m: The first batch of SXSW 2012 Music Festival wristbands have sold out. The second batch of 2,000 wristbands are now available for $175 each.

Wristbands for the music portion of South by Southwest go on sale today at 10 a.m., event promoters announced this morning. Wristbands for the March 13-17 event, which will be sold online through wristbands.sxsw.com, get wearers into official SXSW music showcases, which feature performances by about 2,000 acts.

The purchase of the wristbands, which do not guarantee entry to showcases (SXSW badgeholders are given priority), is limited to credit cards with a billing address in Austin and select surrounding areas; a list of ZIP codes is available on the SXSW website. Sales are limited to two a person, and the name of the person who will use the second wristband must be provided at the time of purchase. The first 2,000 wristbands will be $149. The second 2,000 wristbands will cost $175. Additional wristbands will be available in March, according to organizers.

With about six weeks to go until the event, the wristband announcement, along with Wednesday's SXSW film lineup, signals the start of more frequent news about the annual event. More acts are still to be announced, and the festival has yet to release the schedule of performances.