Austin City Limits is a music festival held in the first two weekends of October. The famous saying Keep Austin Weird radiates through this music festival. I went to ACL for the first time last year and had an incredible time. There’s something about going to a music festival for the first time in a city you live in and it’s seriously so much fun. Aside from my other festival tips that I have here are some Austin specific tips. I’ll also talk about the artists I’m excited for.
Where to Stay
If you’re coming from out of town, book your hotel, airbnb or HomeAway NOW. Things can get pricey for sure. I recommend getting a place down south on the west side that’s close to Zilker Park.
How to Get There and Back
Surprisingly enough, taking ubers and Lyfts to get to the festival itself aren’t bad depending on the time you’re going. Uber and Lyft prepare themselves for this weekend so there are tons of drivers. Even if you get dropped off somewhere on Barton Springs you can walk to the entrance of the festival. There are four festival entrances with the Barton Springs being the most popular but the four entrances definitely help for those coming from the North or the South.
As for when you leave the festival, even if you live 20 minutes before the last set ends, you won’t get crazy surcharges. The festival ends at 10 pm so it has that intersection between people leaving the festival and those going out to the bars which causes the prices to increase.
What to Bring
Aside from usual things to bring, the thing I like about ACL is how much more laid back it is. You can bring a chair or blanket and hangout on the Zilker grass to enjoy some music. Definitely have a fan, sunglasses, and sunscreen to protect yourself against the Austin sun. Last year got pretty hot until the sun went down. I wore a hat one of the days as well for style and to keep my head cool.
What to Wear
I am not concerned about what I’m wearing this year because of how laid back it is. Think similar Coachella aesthetic of a multi-genre festival then scale it back a bit. Here are the outfits I wore last year. Wear something you’ll be comfortable in and that you won’t get too hot in.
Pro-Tips
- ACL has some of the best food options so come hungry and bring cash just in case
- There are tons of water stations to keep you hydrated
- Put on the sunscreen and have ways to keep cool whether you bring a fan or spray bottle
- The festival ends at 10 pm which means you can check out the bars on the infamous Dirty 6th., Rainey St. or West 6th. Our group loves Rainey and West but if you’ve never been to Austin, you need to experience Dirty 6th for yourself
- ACL is such an easy going festival so just have fun and enjoy the ride
Artists I’m Excited For
OH BOY. When this lineup first dropped I was ecstatic. Last year’s lineup was pretty great, but this year’s has so many of my favorite artists. From long time favorites: Odesza, Childish Gambino, Illenium , Rezz, Gryffin and San Holo to artists I have never seen before that I am excited for: Khalid, Chvrches, Brockhampton, Hozier and Borns.
From the entire lineup here are my five must-see acts.
Odesza: I haven’t seen Odesza since 2015 so I am so excited to see their most recent album played out. I’ve seen videos, but am ready to see the experience for myself.
Childish Gambino: Childish has been on my list for a while to see. I don’t listen to rap other than Childish, Drake and Chance so this is going to be amazing.
Khalid: Khalid is by far one of my favorite non-edm artists. His voice is just so smooth and his music is great for any occasion.
Chvrches: I have listened to Chvrches for a long time so this is long overdue. Can’t wait to hear the new album live as well as my favorite songs: Clearest Blue and Bury It.
Illenium: My heart, my soul. Any chance I get to see Illenium, I’ll take it. I’m ready to cry to Crawl Outta Love tbh.
I am also looking forward to catching some of Paul McCartney, Travis Scott, Sofi Tukker, Justice, A R I Z O N A, and wherever else the vibes take me.
If you’re looking to learn more about ACL you can read my review of last year’s ACL and watch my recap video. Hope to see you there I will be there Weekend 1 and may make my appearance for Weekend 2.
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