I just attended Austin City Limits Weekend 1 and while I am still sifting through footage to make a vlog and still need to film my review. I thought it’d be helpful to provide some tips to those attending Weekend 2 to best help you prepare for an amazing weekend ahead.
Getting There/Into the Festival
- We took an Uber each day of the festival and found prices to not be ridiculous. We were a group of 6 people so taking an Uber XL and split between five people averaged to about less than $6 a person.
- The Barton Springs East Entrance (the first entrance if you walk down Barton Springs to get to Zilker) was the most busy. We took the path to the left to get to the Barton Spring West Entrance which had better wait times.
- Friday we arrived around 3 pm and Saturday around 3:30 pm where we entered through the Barton Spring West Entrance and had about a 20 minute wait to get in. Sunday we arrived around 2 pm at the Lady Bird Entrance that had about a 10 minute wait.
- I heard the Lady Bird Entrance was the quickest in terms of getting through security. Might just depend where you park, bike, or where your ride share drops you off.
- Give yourself some time to walk around and get your bearings of where the stages and different amenities are. We got there right when we had sets to see so we weren’t able to see everything on the first day.
Security
- The backpack rule was not really all that enforced. I saw backpacks of all sizes and had more than one pocket. I’d say just don’t bring in anything larger than two pockets.
- I saw some people get in with umbrellas and some get taken away. Just depends on the security guard.
- No outside food or drink was heavily enforced!!
Weather
- IT WAS HOT. Anytime the sun was out it was way hotter.
- Saturday had a slight storm delay of opening the gates but did not affect the set times for the day.
- Sunday had slight rain around 3 pm but didn’t last throughout the day. If there is rain, you can hideaway in the Beer Hall or under the Tito’s tent. The rain was super refreshing after it had been hot so we enjoyed dancing in it to A R I Z O N A.
Stages
- The only stage that really got packed to where it wasn’t enjoyable was Tito’s Tent specifically for Sofi Tukker and San Holo.
- As with any set if you want a good view close to the stage, get there early. It might get more packed depending on the artist so up to you if you like to have your space to dance or not.
How to Experience ACL
- TRY THE FOOD!!! SO many yummy eats from tacos to chili cheese fries to empanadas.
- Be sure to stay hydrated!!! Get a Camelbak, refillable water bottle or spend $2 on a water bottle and continue to fill up during the day. Locate hydration stations so you can refill throughout the day.
- Keep cool with a handheld fan, towel, hat, and put on sunscreen.
- Enjoy a set by laying the grass (my favorite moment was listening to Paul McCartney play Hey Jude while lying in the grass with my friends).
Leaving the Festival
- Day 1 we left early around 9:30 and ended up walking to the bars from Zilker.
- Day 2 we left early around 9:30 as well and took an Uber home. We set our pickup for the new Starbucks off Barton Springs and South Lamar. We ended up walking down Lee Barton Drive. Took about an hour to get home.
- Day 3 was by far the worst because we left at the same as everyone when Travis Scott’s set ended at 9:45. We ended up walking to 1st street a little south of the intersection with Barton Springs and ordered an Uber from an apartment complex.
- If you want to beat the traffic I imagine leaving before 9:30, you won’t have any issues. Walking away from Zilker helped us not pay crazy prices for Ubers.
I hope you have an awesome time, let me know if you have any questions!
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