Austin City Limits Music Festival Tickets

What ACL Fest is and when it happens

The Austin City Limits Music Festival, usually shortened to ACL Fest, runs on two consecutive three-day weekends each October in Zilker Park, just southwest of downtown Austin, Texas. The 2026 edition is scheduled for October 2–4 and October 9–11. Each weekend is a separate ticketed event, and you can buy a single day or a full three-day weekend.

The festival takes its name and spirit from Austin City Limits, the long-running KLRU and PBS live music television series, and is produced by Austin-based C3 Presents, which also produces Lollapalooza in Chicago. It began in 2002 as a single weekend. In August 2012, the Austin City Council voted unanimously to allow a second weekend, and the two-weekend format has been in place since 2013. The 2020 festival was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scale is the defining feature. In 2025 the festival drew about 75,000 people per day over six days, roughly 450,000 admissions in total. The official site advertises more than 100 performances across 9 stages for 2026 (Wikipedia lists eight stages), with music running from about 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Headliners and the 2026 lineup

ACL has always mixed rock, indie, hip-hop, country, folk and electronic acts on one bill. Artists who have played the festival over the years include Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses, Tame Impala, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Vampire Weekend, Kendrick Lamar, Willie Nelson and Austin native Gary Clark Jr.

The 2026 lineup, announced May 5, 2026, is led by Charli XCX, Rüfüs Du Sol, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, The xx, Skrillex and Kings of Leon, according to KUT and Rolling Stone.

Most acts play both weekends, but the day-by-day schedule is not always identical across the two, and a few artists appear on only one. If you are buying a single-day ticket for one artist, confirm the specific date on the official schedule before you buy.

Ticket tiers: GA, GA+, VIP, Platinum and group options

ACL sells nearly every tier as either a 1-day or 3-day ticket for a chosen weekend. Based on the 2026 tickets page:

• General admission (GA) covers all stages, food and drink vendors, bars, merchandise, water stations and the Austin Kiddie Limits family area.
• GA+ adds access to lounges with seating, available first come, first served.
• VIP adds limited-capacity viewing decks, grove seating and, for 2026, free drinks, an air-conditioned lounge and a dedicated VIP entrance.
• Platinum includes VIP and GA+ perks plus priority access to food and drink areas and a private Platinum lounge.
• Group and private options include Bungalows for 10 guests, The Speakeasy for groups of 25 to 75 (single day), Cabanas for 30 guests (three day), and Y'all Access, a two-person package that can include side-stage viewing subject to artist approval.

Which tier matters: on a hot October afternoon, VIP's viewing decks and shaded seating are worth more than they look on paper, because GA crowds at the main stages are dense by mid-afternoon. Platinum earns its premium mainly through shorter food lines and lounge space. The festival also offers payment plans at checkout.

Weekend one vs. weekend two, and how demand behaves

Demand is driven first by the lineup announcement in spring and then by the day each headliner plays. Three-day passes move first, and once single days are on sale, the day with the most in-demand headliners tends to tighten first on both weekends, while days with a lighter bill stay easier to find.

Weekend one carries the novelty and the first reviews of each set; weekend two benefits from production kinks having been worked out and from a week of fan reports on crowds and set times. Neither weekend is reliably cheaper, so pick the dates that fit your travel and the artists you want. Hotels near downtown fill quickly for both weekends, so book lodging as soon as you commit.

Austin also hosts other live events through the fall, including college football and arena shows at the Moody Center, which can compete with ACL for hotel rooms on some weekends.

Getting to Zilker Park

Zilker Park has no general festival parking, and several surrounding roads close during both weekends, including Stratford Drive, Barton Springs Road and Azie Morton Road. Plan to arrive without a car. The options below reflect the festival's 2025 guidance; check current details before you go.

• Free shuttle: starting at 11:30 a.m., shuttles run from Walter Seaholm Drive and Electric Drive downtown to a drop-off near the Barton Springs West entrance. It is the default choice if you are staying downtown.
• Rideshare: designated pickup and drop-off zones have been set on Wallingwood Drive, Lee Barton Drive, and Stephen F. Austin Drive next to the Austin High Tennis Center. Expect long waits and surge pricing right after the last set.
• Bike: bike parking has been located across the MoPac pedestrian bridge on Stratford Drive and near the Umlauf Sculpture Garden on Azie Morton Road.
• Walking: from downtown hotels, walking to the park is practical in good weather and avoids the post-show rideshare crush.

The City of Austin publishes an interactive road-closure map each year, which is worth checking if you are staying south of the river.

Bags, rules and the kids policy

As of the 2025 festival, bags 6 by 9 inches or smaller with no more than one pocket were allowed, and larger bags had to be clear and no bigger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches. Coolers, most wheeled items, shade structures, outside food and drink, hammocks, glass, selfie sticks, tripods and professional camera gear were prohibited. Empty reusable water bottles were allowed, and water stations are included with every tier. Check the current rules on the ACL festival guide before you go, as policies are updated each year.

• Kids: per the 2026 tickets page, children 8 and under get in free with a ticketed adult, limited to two children per adult. In Platinum, children 2 and under are free and ages 3 to 8 need a Platinum Kids ticket.
• Austin Kiddie Limits is a dedicated family area included with admission.
• Payment: the festival uses cashless wristbands linked to a card.
• Food: Austin Eats, the food court modeled on New Orleans Jazz Fest's, features local Austin restaurants, and an art market runs throughout the festival.

Bring sunscreen, a hat, electrolytes and comfortable shoes. An open park field can turn dusty in dry weather and muddy after rain, so closed-toe shoes are the safe call.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Austin City Limits Music Festival
• ACL Festival – Official site (2026 dates, stages)
• ACL Festival – Tickets (tiers, kids policy)
• ACL Festival – Festival guide
• KUT – ACL 2026 headliners
• Rolling Stone – 2026 Austin City Limits lineup
• Texas Public Radio – ACL Festival 2025 guide: rules, tips and road closures