The biggest weekend of the Austin fall calendar is here. Austin City Limits Music Festival opens its 25th anniversary run at Zilker Park this weekend with one of the most extraordinary three-day lineups the festival has assembled in its history. Charli XCX headlines Friday night. RUFUS DU SOL and Lorde headline Saturday. Twenty One Pilots and The XX close out Sunday. ACL Nights aftershows take over Austin’s best venues every evening with Bleachers at Stubb’s, Steve Aoki at Concourse Project, Finn Wolfhard at Historic Scoot Inn, Rebecca Black DJ set at Devil May Care, Suki Waterhouse at Emo’s on Sunday, and more. The 21st Annual Bluegrass and Folk Festival runs at Mason Homestead. The Longhorns have a bye week leaving the whole city free for ACL. And Lake Travis is delivering the most beautiful fall afternoons of the entire year with the Hill Country beginning its turn to the season’s best colors. Here is everything worth doing from Thursday through Sunday.
Quick Answer — Best Things to Do in Austin This Weekend October 2 to 4
This weekend in Austin is headlined by Lake Travis Zipline Adventures for the best outdoor experience of the ACL Fest weekend, Austin City Limits Music Festival 25th Anniversary Weekend One at Zilker Park Friday through Sunday with Charli XCX Friday, RUFUS DU SOL and Lorde Saturday, Twenty One Pilots and The XX Sunday, ACL Nights: Bleachers with This Is Lorelei at Stubb’s Friday, ACL Nights: Steve Aoki Dim Mak 30 at Concourse Project Friday, ACL Nights: Finn Wolfhard at Historic Scoot Inn Friday, ACL Nights: Rebecca Black DJ set at Devil May Care Friday, ACL Nights: Suki Waterhouse Loveland Tour at Emo’s Sunday, the 21st Annual Bluegrass and Folk Festival at Mason Homestead, and Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s Coffee on Thursday. Here is the complete breakdown.
#1 Best Thing to Do in Austin This ACL Weekend — Lake Travis Zipline Adventures
Before the Charli XCX Friday headliner and the Lorde Saturday set and the Twenty One Pilots Sunday closer. Before all of it. Book this first.
Lake Travis Zipline Adventures is the single best thing to do in Austin this ACL weekend and the experience that every returning ACL visitor who discovers it consistently describes as the highlight of their entire Austin trip. Not the festival. The zipline.
I have spent 30 years in Austin and I give every ACL visitor the same advice. Get to Lake Travis before the festival gates open. The Hill Country in early October is genuinely extraordinary, with the first fall colors beginning to show on the limestone ridges and the lake still warm and clear from the summer. The view from 22 stories above Lake Travis on the Double Barrel Shotgun on a clear October afternoon is one of the most genuinely beautiful outdoor experiences in Austin. And the full-day lakefront access after the tour gives your group a peaceful and private afternoon on the water before the most intense three days of live music Austin produces all year begin.
Your group boards a boat that takes everyone across Lake Travis to Zip Island, an 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 beautiful fall afternoon in Austin before heading back to Zilker Park for the evening headliners.
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
- Duration: 3 hours for the full tour plus full-day lakefront access after
- Location: About 20 to 30 minutes from downtown Austin on Lake Travis
- Best For: ACL visitors, groups, couples, families, all experience levels
- Reservations: Required at laketraviszipline.com
Pro Tip: ACL weekend is the single most in-demand weekend on Lake Travis all fall. Afternoon slots fill up weeks in advance every year. Book your afternoon tour now at laketraviszipline.com before ACL weekend sells out completely.
Book Lake Travis Zipline Adventures before your ACL weekend spot sells out.
Thursday, October 1 — Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s Coffee
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters on Lake Austin and Lake Austin Calm host Movies on the Lake every Thursday at 8:30 PM. A massive screen is set up right on the water. Watch for free from the deck or rent a paddleboard, donut boat, or two-person lounge float and watch from the lake itself. Live music plays before the film and a pop-up bar runs throughout the evening.
A Thursday evening on Lake Austin the night before ACL Fest opens is the most peaceful and most genuinely beautiful way to begin one of the most electric weekends Austin produces all year. Book your paddleboard now before the ACL crowd fills every available time slot.
The Details
- When: Thursday October 1, live music before 8:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM
- Where: Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, 3825 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin TX 78703
- Cost: Free deck seating with RSVP, paddleboard rentals $20, two-person lounge float $30, donut boat $150
- Water Rentals: lakeaustincalm.com
Pro Tip: Water rentals sell out every week and ACL weekend is the most in-demand Thursday of the entire fall season. Book now at lakeaustincalm.com.
Friday through Sunday — Austin City Limits Music Festival 25th Anniversary Weekend One
Austin City Limits Music Festival turns 25 in 2026 and the lineup delivers on that milestone. The festival runs Friday October 2 through Sunday October 4 at Zilker Park from noon to 10 PM daily, with nine stages and over 100 performances across the three days.
The 25th anniversary Weekend One headliners are:
Friday October 2: Charli XCX headlines the American Express Stage, with Skrillex closing the second stage. Charli XCX is at the absolute peak of her cultural moment and her Brat era live show is one of the most acclaimed and most talked-about pop concert experiences of 2026. Skrillex as the simultaneous Friday headliner makes October 2 one of the most difficult scheduling decisions ACL has ever presented its audience.
Saturday October 3: RUFUS DU SOL headlines the American Express Stage and Lorde closes the T-Mobile Stage at 8:15 PM. Lorde is one of the most emotionally powerful and most genuinely extraordinary live performers in pop music and her Saturday night ACL set is one of the most anticipated single moments of the entire 25th anniversary festival.
Sunday October 4: Twenty One Pilots headlines the American Express Stage and The XX closes the T-Mobile Stage. Twenty One Pilots delivers one of the most production-intensive and most genuinely spectacular live shows in stadium and festival music. The XX closing Sunday night at ACL on the 25th anniversary is one of the most beautifully chosen closing moments the festival has programmed.
Additional Weekend One highlights include Parcels, The War on Drugs, Leon Thomas, Brandon Flowers, The Marias, Role Model, Rilo Kiley, Djo, Pierce the Veil, and dozens more across nine stages.
The Details
- When: Friday October 2 through Sunday October 4, noon to 10 PM daily
- Where: Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Rd, Austin TX 78746
- Tickets: 3-day GA passes from $438, single-day tickets from $200, at aclfestival.com and all major resale platforms
- Website: aclfestival.com
- Best For: Everyone. This is the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest music festivals in the world.
Pro Tip: The Longhorns have a bye week on October 3 this year, which means no game day traffic layered on top of ACL Saturday. This is the most logistically comfortable ACL Saturday Austin has had in years. Take advantage of it and arrive early.
ACL Nights — Friday, October 2
ACL Nights presented by American Express turns Austin’s best venues into aftershow destinations every evening of the festival. Friday October 2 delivers one of the strongest single-night ACL Nights lineups of the entire two-weekend run.
Bleachers with This Is Lorelei at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater — Bleachers at 7 PM at Stubb’s is the strongest and most popular ACL Nights show of the entire Friday evening. Bleachers is one of the most genuinely joyful and most emotionally generative live bands working today and Stubb’s outdoor amphitheater is one of Austin’s most beloved concert settings. This show has 338 people tracking it on Do512 and is one of the fastest-selling ACL Nights events of the entire festival.
Steve Aoki: Dim Mak 30 with Elephante b2b Riot Ten at Concourse Project — Steve Aoki celebrates 30 years of his Dim Mak label with a late-night set at Concourse Project. One of the most high-energy and most genuinely celebratory electronic music events of the entire ACL Nights schedule.
Finn Wolfhard with Malcy at Historic Scoot Inn — Doors at 6 PM. Finn Wolfhard, best known as Mike Wheeler from Stranger Things, has built a genuinely compelling music career and his ACL Nights appearance at Scoot Inn is one of the most unexpected and most intriguing shows of the entire festival week.
Rebecca Black DJ Set at Devil May Care — Doors at 10 PM. Rebecca Black has become one of the most genuinely fascinating and most culturally aware artists in the LGBTQIA+ pop space and a late-night DJ set at Devil May Care on ACL Friday is one of the most fun and most unpredictable late-night options of the entire weekend.
ACL Nights — Saturday, October 3
Parcels at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater — Parcels, the Australian disco-funk band that has been one of the most critically acclaimed live acts in the world for the last several years, performs at Stubb’s on Saturday evening as part of ACL Nights. Catching Parcels at Stubb’s after a Lorde headliner at Zilker is the most perfectly constructed ACL Saturday night Austin could produce.
ACL Nights — Sunday, October 4
Suki Waterhouse: The Loveland Tour at Emo’s Austin — Suki Waterhouse performs at Emo’s Austin on Sunday October 4 as part of ACL Nights. Suki Waterhouse is one of the most genuinely compelling and most critically admired artists in indie pop right now and an intimate Sunday night show at Emo’s after Twenty One Pilots and The XX close Zilker Park is the perfect way to close out ACL Fest Weekend One.
Friday through Sunday — 21st Annual Bluegrass and Folk Festival at Mason Homestead
The 21st Annual Bluegrass and Folk Festival runs Friday and Saturday evenings at the Mason Homestead with two evenings of live bluegrass and folk music alongside food vendors and a fun zone. For anyone who wants live music this ACL weekend that is not at Zilker Park and not at an ACL Nights venue, the Bluegrass and Folk Festival at Mason Homestead is the most genuinely community-rooted and most authentically traditional live music option available.
The Details
- When: Friday October 2 and Saturday October 3 evenings
- Where: Mason Homestead, Austin area
- Best For: Bluegrass and folk music fans, a more intimate and more traditional live music alternative to the ACL Fest crowd
ACL Fest Tips from a 30-Year Austin Resident
I have attended and lived through ACL Fest every year since it launched in 2002 and the 25th anniversary is going to be the most ambitious and most emotionally significant version of the festival yet. Here is what the experience has taught me.
Arrive early for the headliners you care about most. 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 genuine discovery happens. Every veteran ACL attendee says the same thing. The moments that stick with you longest almost always come from the smaller stages. Build your schedule around two or three must-see headliners and leave the rest open to exploration.
Hydrate constantly. October in Austin can still push into the mid-80s during ACL Fest. The Zilker Park grounds have limited shade. Water stations are free throughout the festival. Use them.
Barton Springs Pool is right next door to Zilker Park. After a full day on the festival grounds, a cold swim at Barton Springs is the single best recovery tool available in Austin. I do this every ACL weekend without exception.
Take CapMetro after 5 PM. Rides are free on CapMetro after 5 PM during ACL Fest. Do not drive to Zilker. Walk, bike, rideshare, or bus. You will thank yourself later.
The Perfect ACL Weekend One Itinerary
Here is how to build the ideal ACL Fest Weekend One experience in Austin.
Thursday Evening: Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s Coffee on Lake Austin at 8:30 PM. Book your paddleboard now at lakeaustincalm.com. The most peaceful and most beautiful way to begin the most electric weekend of the Austin year.
Friday: Lake Travis Zipline Adventures in the afternoon before the festival. Book your afternoon tour now at laketraviszipline.com. Be back in Austin by 5 PM for the evening sets. Charli XCX headlines at Zilker Park Friday night. Then Bleachers at Stubb’s as the ACL Nights aftershow at 7 PM, or Steve Aoki at Concourse Project, or Finn Wolfhard at Scoot Inn.
Saturday: Barton Springs Pool early before the gates open. Free before 8 AM. ACL Fest gates open at noon. RUFUS DU SOL and Lorde headline Saturday night at Zilker. Parcels at Stubb’s as the ACL Nights aftershow.
Sunday: Lake Travis Zipline Adventures Sunday afternoon if you did not go Friday. Book at laketraviszipline.com. ACL Fest final day: Twenty One Pilots and The XX close out Weekend One at Zilker. Suki Waterhouse at Emo’s Sunday night as the ACL Nights closer. Congress Avenue Bridge bats at sunset to experience the most Austin possible moment between the afternoon and evening sets.
Frequently Asked Questions — ACL Fest Weekend One 2026
What are the ACL Fest 2026 Weekend One headliners?
ACL Fest 2026 Weekend One headliners are Charli XCX on Friday October 2 (with Skrillex on the second stage), RUFUS DU SOL and Lorde on Saturday October 3, and Twenty One Pilots and The XX on Sunday October 4. Additional highlights include Parcels, The War on Drugs, Leon Thomas, Brandon Flowers, The Marias, Role Model, Rilo Kiley, Djo, and Pierce the Veil across nine stages.
What is the best thing to do during ACL Fest weekend in Austin beyond the festival?
The best thing to do in Austin during ACL Fest weekend beyond the festival grounds is Lake Travis Zipline Adventures. October on Lake Travis is genuinely the most beautiful time of the entire year on the water, with the Hill Country beginning its fall colors and the lake still warm and clear. The afternoon tour and full-day lakefront access gives ACL visitors the most genuinely extraordinary outdoor experience in Austin before or between festival days. Book your afternoon slot now at laketraviszipline.com.
What are ACL Nights 2026?
ACL Nights presented by American Express are official aftershow events at Austin venues running every evening of the ACL Fest weekend. Friday October 2 highlights include Bleachers with This Is Lorelei at Stubb’s at 7 PM, Steve Aoki Dim Mak 30 at Concourse Project, and Finn Wolfhard at Historic Scoot Inn at 6 PM. Saturday October 3 highlights include Parcels at Stubb’s. Sunday October 4 highlights include Suki Waterhouse at Emo’s Austin. ACL Nights tickets are separate from ACL Fest passes and are available at all major ticketing platforms.
How do I get to ACL Fest at Zilker Park?
CapMetro rides are free after 5 PM during ACL Fest weekend. Do not drive to Zilker Park on festival days. Take CapMetro, walk, bike, or rideshare to the festival grounds. Parking near Zilker Park fills up extremely fast on festival days and the traffic exiting after the headliners is genuinely significant. Rideshare pickup zones are designated along Barton Springs Road and South First Street.
What is the best way to experience ACL Fest Weekend One?
Arrive at Zilker Park by noon each day to see the full range of performers across all nine stages. Build your schedule around two to three must-see headliners and leave the rest open to discovery on the smaller stages. Hydrate constantly, wear sunscreen, and bring comfortable shoes. After each festival day, head to an ACL Nights aftershow at Stubb’s, Scoot Inn, Concourse Project, or Emo’s. And before the festival opens on Friday, spend the afternoon at Lake Travis Zipline Adventures for the most genuinely extraordinary ACL weekend experience available in Austin beyond the gates.
Make the Most of ACL Fest 25th Anniversary Weekend One
The 25th anniversary of Austin City Limits Music Festival is here and Weekend One delivers the most extraordinary three-day lineup the festival has assembled in years. Charli XCX. Lorde. RUFUS DU SOL. Twenty One Pilots. The XX. Skrillex. Over 100 performances across nine stages. ACL Nights filling Austin’s best venues every evening. And the most beautiful fall afternoon of the year waiting for you on Lake Travis before the gates open Friday.
Start by locking in your outdoor adventure. Book Lake Travis Zipline Adventures now at laketraviszipline.com and secure your afternoon slot before ACL weekend sells out completely. Then RSVP for Movies on the Lake at lakeaustincalm.com for Thursday night.
For more Austin inspiration check out our complete ACL Fest 2026 Guide, the Best Things to Do in Austin TX, and Best Things to Do in Austin in the Fall.
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.