Ultimate Guide to Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival

I have lived in Austin for almost two years and by far my favorite time of year is Austin City Limits. For two weekends in October, the city comes alive to celebrate music and the city we’re so lucky to live in. Living in the city of this music festival is so special and is a great time to be an Austinite. If you’re visiting from somewhere else, buckle yourselves up for a true Austin experience.

Pre-Planning

Weekend 1 vs. Weekend 2

The only big difference between weekends is the artists. On the lineup, it’ll signify whether an artist is only playing weekend one or two. If it doesn’t say “Weekend One” or “Weekend Two” then that artist is playing both weekends. Weekend one tends to sell out quicker than weekend two.

Tickets

There are a couple of options when it comes to tickets: General Admission, GA+, VIP and Platinum. Choose what fits your budget best. Learn more at: https://www.aclfestival.com/tickets/

3-Day General Admission Pass
- Access to all three days of the festival with food and music.
3-Day GA+ Pass
- GA+ offers shade and seating in a private lounge, with air-conditioned restrooms and complimentary water and soft drinks. Full-service bar with beer, wine, and cocktails for purchase
3-Day VIP Pass
- VIP ticket includes unlimited access to the VIP Grove featuring private bars, shaded seating, and complimentary catered meals. Shaded viewing deck with exceptional sightlines of the American Express main stage. Dedicated Festival entrance lane at main entrances.
3-Day Platinum Pass – $3600
- 3-Day Platinum Pass includes unlimited access to the Platinum Lounge featuring signature cocktails, craft beer, champagne, wine, and culinary offerings in a relaxed setting. Elevated viewing of the American Express main stage from a shaded deck within the Platinum Lounge. Up-close, prime viewing areas in front of five stages. Access to on-stage viewing at the two main stages. Golf cart transportation between the Platinum Festival entrances, Lounge, and front-of-stage viewing areas.

They also offer single-day passes if you’d like to go for a single day!

Where to Stay

If you’re coming from out of town, book your hotel or Airbnb ASAP. Things can get pricey for sure. I recommend getting a place down south on the west side that’s close to Zilker Park or you can do it up north, north of Zilker Park.

What To Bring

Here’s a general list of items to bring to the festival:

Wristband
Wallet & ID
Chapstick
Sunscreen
Hydration Pack (my go-to is Vibedration) or reusable water bottle
Earplugs (my go-to is Zound Earplugs)
Fan or spray bottle to keep cool
If you’d like to hang in the grass, bring a blanket or inflatable couch like Chillbean.

What To Wear

Here is what I’ve worn for the past several years. ACL’s weather is HOT. Wear something you’re comfortable in and is breathable. Also, comfy shoes are so important you will be walking a ton throughout the festival.

Getting to and From the Festival

Surprisingly enough, taking Uber and Lyft to get to the festival itself isn’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 Barton Springs being the most popular but the four entrances definitely help for those coming from the North or the South.

The Barton Springs East Entrance (the first entry if you walk down Barton Springs to get to Zilker) is the busiest. Take the path to the left to get to the Barton Spring West Entrance which had better wait times. The Lady Bird Entrance can be the quickest security line. Might just depend on where you park, bike, or where your rideshare drops you off.

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.

How to Experience ACL

Walk throughout the venue on the first day to get a grasp on where the stages are located as well as food, water stations, and bathrooms.
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).
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.

I hope you have an amazing time in Austin for Austin City Limits. This festival is so special to me and I hope you have a great time. Let me know if you have any questions.