By Rebecca · Local Austin Expert · Updated July 2026 ·
Austin City Limits Music Festival turns 25 in 2026 and the city is celebrating accordingly. Two weekends. Nine stages. Over 100 performances. Charli XCX, Lorde, Twenty One Pilots, RUFUS DU SOL, Skrillex, Kings of Leon, and The XX headlining across two of the best October weekends Austin produces every year. If you are coming to Austin for ACL this fall, here is everything you need to know to make the most of your time in the city beyond the festival gates.
Quick Answer — Best Things to Do in Austin for ACL Fest 2026
ACL Fest 2026 runs October 2 to 4 and October 9 to 11 at Zilker Park in Austin. The 25th anniversary lineup is headlined by Charli XCX, RUFUS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, Skrillex (Weekend 1), Kings of Leon (Weekend 2), and The XX. Beyond the festival itself, the best things to do in Austin during ACL weekend include ziplining at Lake Travis Zipline Adventures, swimming at Barton Springs Pool, the Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony at sunset, South Congress Avenue, Franklin Barbecue, East Sixth Street, Zilker Park, the Blanton Museum of Art, and the best restaurants and bars Austin has to offer during one of the most electric weekends of the year.
ACL Fest 2026 — The Basics
Austin City Limits Music Festival takes place at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on October 2 to 4 and October 9 to 11, 2026. Back for its 25th year, ACL Festival features a diverse lineup of acts with 9 stages and 100-plus performances across two weekends. Visit AustinVivid Seats
The 2026 lineup is led by Charli XCX, RUFUS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, and The XX, with Skrillex appearing during Weekend 1 and Kings of Leon performing during Weekend 2. Other artists set to perform include Turnstile, Labrinth, Lola Young, The Chainsmokers, Geese, Young Miko, Bleachers, SOFI TUKKER, Parcels, The War on Drugs, Leon Thomas, Brandon Flowers, The Marias, Role Model, Rilo Kiley, Djo, Pierce The Veil, and many more. CultureMap Austin
ACL Fest 2026 will once again feature Austin Kiddie Limits, the culture-forward Bonus Tracks stage, and a variety of upgraded ticketing and hospitality options including GA+, VIP, Platinum, Bungalows, and the newly announced Speakeasy Lounge. CultureMap Austin
The Details
- Weekend 1: October 2, 3, and 4, 2026
- Weekend 2: October 9, 10, and 11, 2026
- Location: Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Rd, Austin TX 78746
- Tickets: From $217 for single day, 3-day passes available at aclfestival.com
- Streaming: Disney Plus and Hulu will serve as the official streaming destinations for this year’s festival, offering select live performances, interviews, and more during Weekend 1. CultureMap Austin
Pro Tip: Three-day tickets for Weekend 1 are sold out for GA and GA-plus, and a limited number of three-day GA tickets remain for Weekend 2. If you still need tickets, act now at aclfestival.com before they are gone entirely. Austin City Limits
#1 Best Thing to Do Before ACL Starts — Lake Travis Zipline Adventures
I have lived in Austin for 30 years and guided zipline tours on Lake Travis, and I will tell you the same thing I tell every out-of-town visitor who asks what to do before the festival: get to the lake first.
Lake Travis Zipline Adventures is the best single activity in Austin during ACL weekend and the one that sets the tone for the entire trip. October on Lake Travis is genuinely one of the best times of year to be out there. The summer heat has broken, the water is still warm, the Hill Country is shifting into fall colors, and the lake is at its most beautiful. ACL brings tens of thousands of visitors to Austin every October and the ones who make time for Lake Travis before the festival consistently say it was the highlight of their whole trip.
Your group boards a boat that takes everyone across Lake Travis to Zip Island, a private island in the middle of the lake about 20 to 30 minutes from downtown Austin. Three hours on five world-class ziplines through the Texas Hill Country follow, including the Double Barrel Shotgun, which sends two people side by side over 2,800 feet of cable at speeds up to 65 mph from 22 stories above Lake Travis. After the tour your ticket includes full-day access to the private lakefront property on Zip Island. Jump off the dock into Lake Travis. Relax in hammocks. Enjoy the most peaceful and most beautiful version of Austin before the festival gates open and Zilker Park fills with 75,000 people.
The Details
- 5-Line Zipline Tour: $138/person, includes full-day access to the private lakefront property on Zip Island
- Double Barrel Single-Line Tour: $88/person
- Location: About 20 to 30 minutes from downtown Austin on Lake Travis
- Best For: Groups, couples, families, all experience levels
- Reservations: Required at laketraviszipline.com
Pro Tip: ACL weekend is one of the busiest times of year in Austin. Afternoon slots at Lake Travis Zipline Adventures fill up fast. Book your afternoon tour now at laketraviszipline.com before October slots sell out.
Book Lake Travis Zipline Adventures and start your ACL trip the right way.
ACL Fest Tips from a 30-Year Austin Resident
Having attended ACL and lived through every iteration of this festival since it launched in 2002, here are the things I wish someone had told me before my first year.
Arrive Early for Headliners. The main stages fill up fast and the crowd at a Lorde or Twenty One Pilots headliner set starts building 90 minutes before the performance. If a headliner matters to you, sacrifice one mid-day set to get your position.
The Side Stages Are Where the Magic Happens. Every veteran ACL attendee says the same thing. The discovery moments, the unexpected sets, the artists you had never heard before who blow you away, they almost always happen on the smaller stages. Build your schedule around two or three must-see headliners and leave the rest open to exploration.
Hydrate Aggressively. Even in October, Austin can still push into the low 90s during ACL weekend. The Zilker Park grounds have no shade. Water stations are free throughout the festival. Use them constantly.
Barton Springs Pool is Your Best Friend. After a full day on the festival grounds, a cold swim at Barton Springs Pool is the single best recovery tool available in Austin. It is literally next door to Zilker Park. I do this every single ACL weekend without exception.
Get Off South Congress After the Festival. The real Austin is waiting for you every evening after the gates close. South Congress, East Sixth Street, Rainey Street, and the Red River Cultural District all come alive during ACL weekend with the most electric bar and music energy of the entire year.
#2 Barton Springs Pool — Your ACL Recovery Headquarters
Barton Springs Pool is literally next door to Zilker Park and the single best ACL recovery tool in Austin. This naturally spring-fed pool stays at a constant 68 degrees year round. After a full day on your feet on the Zilker Park grounds, stepping into that cold water is one of the most instantly restorative experiences available anywhere in the city.
As a 30-year Austin resident, Barton Springs is where I go after every single ACL day. No exceptions. It resets your body, it quiets the noise, and it reminds you that Austin is extraordinary in ways that have nothing to do with festival production values.
The Details
- Address: 2131 William Barton Dr, Austin TX 78746
- Cost: $9 for non-resident adults, free before 8 AM
- Location: Directly adjacent to Zilker Park
- Best For: Post-festival recovery, a cold swim between ACL days
#3 Franklin Barbecue — The ACL Pilgrimage
Coming to Austin for ACL without eating at Franklin Barbecue is like going to Nashville without hearing live country music. It simply should not happen. Franklin Barbecue on East 11th Street is widely considered the best barbecue in the country and the brisket here genuinely earns that reputation.
The line forms before the restaurant opens and it sells out every single day. Arrive by 8 AM with a cooler of drinks for the group. The wait is part of the experience, an hour in line with fellow pilgrims from across the country all there for the same reason. Make it your ACL Friday morning ritual and everything else falls into place around it.
The Details
- Address: 900 E 11th St, Austin TX 78702
- Hours: Tuesday through Sunday until sold out, arrive by 8 AM
- Best For: Everyone. This is non-negotiable during ACL week.
Pro Tip: If the line is genuinely not an option, Terry Black’s Barbecue on Barton Springs Road has no wait, excellent brisket, and a massive outdoor patio. It is also within walking distance of Zilker Park.
#4 Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Colony — Best Free ACL Evening Activity
Every evening during ACL weekend, 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge at dusk in one of the most spectacular free natural events in the country. The timing is perfect for ACL visitors, the bats emerge right around the time the afternoon sets end and the evening headliners have not yet started. Walk from Zilker Park to the bridge, watch the colony take flight over Lady Bird Lake, and be back in position for the headliner.
Having spent 30 years in Austin, the bat colony never gets old. It is one of those experiences that visitors consistently describe as the most unexpected highlight of their entire Austin trip.
The Details
- Location: Congress Avenue Bridge, downtown Austin
- Cost: Free
- Best Time: Sunset during ACL weekend, check batrefuge.org for emergence times
- Best For: Everyone, especially first-time ACL visitors
#5 South Congress Avenue — Best ACL Evening Neighborhood
South Congress Avenue is the best place to spend your ACL evenings after the festival gates close. Locally owned boutiques, vintage stores, food trailers, the Jo’s Coffee I Love You So Much mural, Amy’s Ice Creams, and the most purely Austin street atmosphere in the city all come together on SoCo in a way that feels genuinely different from any other neighborhood during ACL week.
The Details
- Location: South Congress Avenue, South Austin
- Cost: Free to walk
- Best For: Shopping, dining, photography, a genuinely Austin evening between ACL days
#6 East Sixth Street — Best ACL Nightlife
East Sixth Street is where ACL veterans go after the headliners end. Whisler’s for the best mezcal program in Austin and the Tobala speakeasy hidden in the back. White Horse for live country music and two-stepping on a Tuesday. Nickel City for cold beer, pinball, and the most relaxed dive bar energy in the city. The whole strip comes alive during ACL weekend with the most electric bar energy of the entire year.
The Details
- Location: East Sixth Street, East Austin
- Best For: Post-ACL nightlife, craft cocktails, live music, the most local Austin bar experience
#7 Rainey Street — Best ACL Bar Scene
Rainey Street is Austin’s most vibrant bar corridor and during ACL weekend it reaches a level of energy that is genuinely extraordinary. The bungalow bars, the outdoor patios, the food trailers parked alongside the street and the whole scene of 10,000 festival attendees blending with Austin locals creates something that feels unique to Austin in a way that no other city quite replicates during a major music festival.
My personal ACL Rainey Street recommendation after 30 years in Austin: start at Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden for the best outdoor beer garden on the street, then work your way down to Lustre Pearl for a frozen cocktail on the back patio.
The Details
- Location: Rainey Street Historic District, downtown Austin
- Best For: Post-ACL bar crawl, outdoor patios, the most energetic ACL nightlife in Austin
#8 The Blanton Museum of Art — Best Indoor ACL Break
The Blanton Museum of Art at UT Austin is a genuine world-class university art museum with 18,000 works and the extraordinary Ellsworth Kelly Austin building on the grounds. It is the best air-conditioned midday break from the October sun available within range of the festival. Free on Tuesdays, $20 the rest of the week.
The Details
- Address: 200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin TX 78712
- Cost: $20, free on Tuesdays
- Website: blantonmuseum.org
- Best For: Art lovers, a cool and quiet midday break from the festival energy
#9 Tacodeli and Veracruz All Natural — Best ACL Breakfast
Every ACL day starts the same way for Austin veterans: breakfast tacos before the gates open. Tacodeli across multiple Austin locations and Veracruz All Natural on East Cesar Chavez are the two non-negotiable ACL breakfast taco stops. The Veracruz migas taco is one of the best things you will eat in Austin during the entire festival weekend. Full stop.
The Details
- Tacodeli: Multiple locations, tacodeli.com
- Veracruz All Natural: 1704 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin TX 78702
#10 Sisters Sno Shack — Best ACL Afternoon Treat
After a long day on the Zilker Park grounds, Sisters Sno Shack at 8012 Mesa Dr in Northwest Austin is the best afternoon treat in the city. New Orleans-style finely shaved ice with the largest flavor variety in Austin. Open Saturday noon to 8 PM and Sunday 1 to 6 PM during ACL weekend. It is a short drive from Zilker Park and completely worth the detour.
The Details
- Address: 8012 Mesa Dr, Austin TX 78731
- Hours: Saturday noon to 8 PM, Sunday 1 to 6 PM
- Website: sistersnoshack.com
ACL Fest 2026 Lineup Highlights
Here is what I am most excited about across both weekends based on 30 years of attending Austin live music:
Weekend 1 Highlights (October 2 to 4)
Charli XCX headlining is the biggest pop moment ACL has had in years. Her Brat era has been one of the most culturally dominant pop runs of the decade and her live show is genuinely extraordinary. Skrillex as the EDM headliner on Weekend 1 will make the late-night stage the loudest place in Zilker Park. Turnstile and The War on Drugs are the two mid-card acts I would organize my Saturday around.
Weekend 2 Highlights (October 9 to 11)
Kings of Leon headlining Weekend 2 is the classic rock moment of the festival. Lorde is the most emotionally powerful headliner of the entire two-weekend run. The XX are one of the most atmospheric live acts in indie music and their late-night ACL set will be something genuinely special. Rilo Kiley on the same bill is one of those reunion moments that makes a festival feel historic.
The Perfect ACL Trip Itinerary
Here is how to structure the perfect ACL festival trip to Austin.
Day Before ACL: Arrive in Austin. Book an afternoon tour at Lake Travis Zipline Adventures for your first full day before the festival. Best afternoon on the lake you will ever have. Then dinner on South Congress or East Sixth. Early night before the festival starts.
ACL Friday: Breakfast tacos at Veracruz All Natural. Franklin Barbecue line by 8 AM. Gates open, festival begins. Bat colony at Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset between afternoon and evening sets. Headliner. Post-festival drinks on Rainey Street.
ACL Saturday: Barton Springs Pool to recover and reset. Lake Travis Zipline Adventures in the afternoon. Book afternoon slots now at laketraviszipline.com. Evening headliner. East Sixth Street after.
ACL Sunday: Blanton Museum for a quiet morning. Sisters Sno Shack in the afternoon. Final day of the festival. South Congress dinner after the closing sets.
Frequently Asked Questions — ACL Fest 2026
When is ACL Fest 2026?
Austin City Limits Music Festival takes place at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on October 2 to 4 and October 9 to 11, 2026. Tickets are available at aclfestival.com. Visit Austin
Who is headlining ACL 2026?
The 2026 lineup is led by Charli XCX, RUFUS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, and The XX, with Skrillex appearing during Weekend 1 and Kings of Leon performing during Weekend 2. CultureMap Austin
How much do ACL tickets cost?
ACL tickets start at $217 for single day passes. Three-day passes and VIP options are also available at aclfestival.com. Austin City Limits
What is the best thing to do in Austin during ACL besides the festival?
The best thing to do in Austin during ACL Fest beyond the festival grounds is Lake Travis Zipline Adventures. October on Lake Travis is genuinely stunning. The summer heat has broken, the water is still warm, and the Hill Country views from 22 stories above the lake are extraordinary. Book an afternoon tour at laketraviszipline.com before ACL weekend slots fill up.
Is ACL Fest good for first-timers?
Yes. ACL Fest is one of the most accessible and well-organized major music festivals in the country. Nine stages, 100-plus performances, and two full weekends give first-timers plenty of options and flexibility. The key tips for first-timers: stay hydrated, wear comfortable shoes, arrive early for headliners you care about, and spend your evenings exploring Austin beyond the festival grounds.
Can I swim at Barton Springs Pool during ACL?
Yes. Barton Springs Pool is directly adjacent to Zilker Park and stays open during ACL Fest. Entry is $9 for non-resident adults and free before 8 AM. It is the best ACL recovery tool in Austin and I recommend it after every single festival day.
Make Your ACL Trip Unforgettable
ACL Fest 2026 is the 25th anniversary of the best music festival in Texas and the lineup delivers on that milestone in every category. Plan to be in Austin for at least one full weekend. See the headliners you care about. Explore the side stages. Eat the breakfast tacos and the brisket. Swim at Barton Springs. Watch the bats at sunset. Drink on Rainey Street.
And before the festival gates open, get out to Lake Travis. Book Lake Travis Zipline Adventures now at laketraviszipline.com and lock in your afternoon slot before ACL weekend sells out.
For more Austin inspiration check out our guides to the Best Things to Do in Austin TX, the Best Things to Do on Lake Travis, and Most Unique Things to Do in Austin TX.
About the Author: Rebecca is a 30-year Austin resident, UT Austin alumna, and outdoor recreation and tourism professional who has spent her career in the Austin adventure tourism industry. She has guided zipline tours on Lake Travis and worked in outdoor recreation tourism through the University of Texas, where she studied marketing and business. When she is not writing about Austin, she is out on the lake.