Key Weekend Snapshot
ACL Fest Weekend Two (Oct 9–11, 2026) at Zilker Park runs 12 p.m.–10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Four OnesToWatch-tracked artists anchor the weekend: Charli xcx (Fri), Noga Erez (Fri ACL Nights), Lorde (Sat), and Parcels (Sun).
ACL Nights aftershows at Scoot Inn, Emo’s, and other venues run as separate ticketed events, with no festival wristband required.
Friday supports a strong hybrid plan, with Noga Erez at 7 p.m. and Charli xcx at 8:40 p.m. on the festival grounds.
Use OnesToWatch Live listings for current artist details, schedule changes, and ticket availability.
Browse ACL Weekend Tickets On OnesToWatch Live
How The Weekend’s Three Music Layers Fit Together
The weekend of October 9–11, 2026 stacks three distinct live-music layers across Austin. The first is ACL Fest Weekend Two at Zilker Park. The festival runs nine stages in total, with seven main music stages plus Kiddie Limits and Bonus Tracks. It hosts more than 100 performances across its two weekends, October 2–4 and October 9–11. Daily capacity is 75,000 attendees, and 2026 marks the festival’s 25th anniversary.
The second layer is the official ACL Nights aftershow series, presented by American Express, which moves festival-adjacent artists into Austin club rooms after the park closes. The third layer is the city’s regular venue calendar, which continues on its own schedule and adds further options for non-festival nights or off-hours.
Charli xcx headlines the American Express Stage at 8:40 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026, during ACL Fest Weekend Two, setting the tone for the weekend. OnesToWatch is an artist-discovery platform whose alumni include Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo. Charli xcx, Lorde, Parcels, and Noga Erez all appear across this weekend’s three layers, and that distribution shapes this guide.
Featured Ticket Links From OnesToWatch Data
Because OnesToWatch-tracked artists are split between Zilker Park and the club circuit, the four shows below are the first tickets worth locking in. ACL Nights tickets are sold separately from festival wristbands, and no wristband is required for those club dates.
Noga Erez — Friday, October 9, 2026
ACL Nights: Noga Erez Live 2026 | Scoot Inn | Austin, TX
Charli xcx — Friday, October 9, 2026
Austin City Limits Music Festival – Weekend Two | Zilker Park | Austin, TX
Get Charli xcx Festival Tickets
Lorde — Saturday, October 10, 2026
Austin City Limits Music Festival – Weekend Two | Zilker Park | Austin, TX
Parcels — Sunday, October 11, 2026
Austin City Limits Music Festival – Weekend Two | Zilker Park | Austin, TX
Discover your next favorite artist and the stories behind their rise. Explore OnesToWatch for exclusive in-depth content on emerging acts.
Friday, October 9
Noga Erez — Scoot Inn — 7:00 p.m. (ACL Nights)
The Israeli electronic artist and producer opens the ACL Nights series at Scoot Inn at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Her work sits at the intersection of art-pop and electronic production. A club-scale room like Scoot Inn delivers tighter sound, closer proximity, and a set built for an intimate crowd.
Get Noga Erez ACL Nights Tickets
Rodrigo y Gabriela — Emo’s Austin — 9:00 p.m. (ACL Nights)
If Noga Erez sets up the electronic side of the evening, Rodrigo y Gabriela’s 9:00 p.m. show at Emo’s brings the guitar-driven counterpart. The Mexican acoustic duo plays an official ACL Nights set at Emo’s Austin. Their percussive, flamenco-inflected instrumentals suit a mid-size room and make a strong case for choosing a club show over the park on Friday night.
The Concourse Project — 9:00 p.m. (ACL Nights)
A third ACL Nights event runs at The Concourse Project for fans focused on late-night electronic lineups. The full artist bill for this slot appears on the official ACL Nights ticketing page.
Charli xcx — Zilker Park, American Express Stage — 8:40 p.m.
Charli xcx closes the American Express Stage on Friday night in one of the weekend’s highest-profile sets. A festival headline slot trades intimacy for scale, with full production, crowd energy, and a shared experience across the field. Attendees who want both layers can catch Noga Erez at 7:00 p.m. and still reach Zilker Park before Charli xcx begins.
Phoebe Robinson — Paramount Theatre — 7:00 p.m.
For attendees without festival wristbands, comedian Phoebe Robinson performs at the Paramount Theatre Austin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The show offers a non-festival option in a historic downtown room.
Saturday, October 10
Lorde — Zilker Park, T-Mobile Stage — 8:15 p.m.
Lorde headlines the T-Mobile Stage at Zilker Park at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, during Weekend Two of ACL Fest 2026. OnesToWatch has followed her trajectory from early releases through her current catalog, and her festival sets emphasize precise staging and a direct connection with the crowd. RÜFÜS DU SOL headlines the American Express Stage at 8:30 p.m. the same night, so attendees choose one closer.
Wave to Earth — ACL Live at The Moody Theater, 310 W Willie Nelson Blvd — 8:15 p.m.
Wave to Earth is a South Korean indie rock trio from Seoul, featuring vocalist and guitarist Daniel Kim, drummer Dong Q (Shin Dong-gyu), and bassist John Cha (Cha Soon-jong). The band performs at ACL Live at The Moody Theater as part of their “the pieces tour,” their largest run to date. Their track “seasons” has surpassed 500 million streams, and the 2024 North American leg of their “0.03” world tour ultimately reached 29 sold-out stops. The Moody Theater (ACL Live) seats 2,750 across three levels, with the floor sometimes configured as general-admission standing, which creates a focused indoor contrast to the open-air festival environment at Zilker Park that night.
Austin Latin Rock Fest — Flamingo Cantina, 515 East 6th Street — Doors 8:30 p.m., Show 9:30 p.m.
Fabulosos Decadentes and Será Cero headline the Austin Latin Rock Fest at Flamingo Cantina in Austin, TX, on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Advance tickets are $13, and the door price is $18. The event is 21 and over.
3TEN Austin City Limits Live — 9:00 p.m. (ACL Nights)
Antone’s Nightclub — 10:00 p.m. (ACL Nights)
Two additional ACL Nights aftershows run Saturday evening at 3TEN Austin City Limits Live and Antone’s Nightclub. Artist lineups for both appear on the official ACL Nights page.
Sunday, October 11
Parcels — Zilker Park — Sunday, October 11
The Australian pop group Parcels performs at Zilker Park on Sunday. OnesToWatch has covered Parcels as a live act known for tight ensemble playing and a sound that draws from funk, disco, and indie pop. Sunday at ACL Fest often functions as a wind-down day, and Friday and Sunday are generally easier to navigate than Saturday, which draws peak crowds.
Twenty One Pilots and The xx — Zilker Park — Sunday Closers
Twenty One Pilots closes the American Express Stage at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at ACL Fest Weekend Two, performing opposite The xx on the T-Mobile Stage. The xx closes the T-Mobile Stage at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2026, the final day of ACL Fest Weekend Two. The two headline sets overlap, so Sunday night ends with a clear choice between them.
Additional Artists And Venues To Know
Beyond the OnesToWatch-tracked artists, the weekend’s broader calendar offers depth across rock, pop, and electronic acts. At Zilker Park, the Weekend Two lineup includes Rodrigo y Gabriela, Turnstile, Labrinth, Lola Young, SOFI TUKKER, The War on Drugs, Blood Orange, Lykke Li, Suki Waterhouse, Amyl and the Sniffers, Natasha Bedingfield, Young Miko, and Kings of Leon, who headline the T-Mobile Stage at 8:15 p.m. on Friday, October 9, as a Weekend Two exclusive act at ACL Fest 2026.
Austin’s independent venue circuit runs parallel to the festival and gives non-wristband holders additional options. The Saxon Pub on South Lamar, the Continental Club on South Congress, Cactus Cafe on the UT campus, and the Broken Spoke on South Lamar are long-running Austin rooms that reward a check of their ACL-weekend schedules.
For a wider view of emerging artists shaping this year’s live landscape, see OnesToWatch’s 2026 Top 30 Artists To Watch.
Patterns In The Weekend Schedule
The weekend’s structure rewards planning. Many of the strongest sets sit across both Zilker Park and the club circuit, so timing matters. Official 2026 ACL Nights shows at Scoot Inn and Emo’s Austin typically begin between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m., with doors at 7:00 p.m. and showtimes around 8:30 p.m. for many events. Some shows at these venues start earlier, at 6:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m., which can overlap with festival headliners and still allow a hybrid evening on Friday.
Weekend Two often carries slightly better hotel availability than Weekend One, though this can shift depending on the Texas-Oklahoma game weekend. The crowd skews more local, which shapes the energy inside the park and the traffic patterns around it. Saturday remains the most congested day, while Friday and Sunday tend to move more easily.
ACL Nights aftershows concentrate the artist-to-fan connection in smaller rooms. Noga Erez at Scoot Inn on Friday illustrates that dynamic clearly, with a club-scale set from an artist whose work favors close listening and does not require a festival wristband.
Discover your next favorite artist and the stories behind their rise. Explore OnesToWatch for more coverage of artists on this weekend’s bill and beyond.
Practical Reader Guidance
Getting There: There is no parking at Zilker Park or surrounding streets during ACL Fest, so most attendees rely on shuttles, rideshare, or walking. In some recent years, the official ACL Fest shuttle has run free for wristband holders from Republic Square to the Barton Springs West entrance, though boarding locations have shifted, and 2026 City guidance places shuttle boarding at Sand Beach Park instead. The 2026 ACL shuttle guide lists noon Friday starts and 11 a.m. weekend starts, with last returns at 11 p.m., while other sources report an 11:30 a.m. daily departure from Sand Beach Park. Rideshare pick-up and drop-off zones sit under the MoPac Pedestrian Bridge at Veterans Drive, Lee Barton Drive, and Wallingford Drive, each roughly a 5–20 minute walk to the nearest entrance. Leaving 15–20 minutes before the headliner ends can save 30–45 minutes in post-show congestion.
Hotels: Properties near Zilker Park and downtown typically sell out 6–9 months before ACL Festival. East Austin and Airport-area properties are the practical options by fall, and downtown hotels sit closest to ACL Live at The Moody Theater for the Wave to Earth show on Saturday.
Weather And Packing: Austin’s average high temperatures by mid-October trend in the low 80s, though the average high on each festival day since 2002 has been 88.7°F, with evenings cooling noticeably. Layers, sunscreen (non-aerosol, 3.4 oz or smaller per ACL policy), a refillable water bottle, and closed-toe shoes are standard. ACL provides free water stations throughout the park.
Non-Festival Itinerary: Attendees without wristbands still have a full weekend. Noga Erez and Rodrigo y Gabriela play ACL Nights venues on Friday, Wave to Earth headlines ACL Live on Saturday, and the independent venue circuit (Saxon Pub, Continental Club, Cactus Cafe, Broken Spoke) runs across all three nights. The Paramount Theatre hosts Phoebe Robinson on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Family Note: ACL Fest includes Austin Kiddie Limits, a dedicated children’s area. Children 8 and under are free with a ticketed adult on GA, GA+, and VIP tickets, limited to two children per adult; this policy does not apply to Platinum tickets, which require a Platinum Kids ticket for children ages 3 through 8. ACL Fest Platinum tickets use age-based pricing: children ages 3–8 require a Platinum Kids ticket, kids 2 and younger are free with a ticketed adult, and anyone 9 and above needs a full Platinum ticket.
Discover your next favorite artist and the stories behind their rise. Explore OnesToWatch for more festival and tour coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need An ACL Fest Wristband To Attend ACL Nights Aftershows?
ACL Nights aftershows are ticketed separately and do not require a festival wristband. ACL Nights tickets went on sale to the general public on Friday, August 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. CDT, and tickets can be browsed and purchased through the official ACL Nights page at do512.com/aclfestnights, as well as through Live Nation, venue box offices, and the festival’s Platinum Presale. Each aftershow requires its own ticket.
Which OnesToWatch Artists Are Performing In Austin The Weekend Of October 9–11, 2026?
Four OnesToWatch-featured artists appear across the weekend. Charli xcx headlines the American Express Stage at Zilker Park on Friday, October 9, at 8:40 p.m. Noga Erez headlines the ACL Nights show at Scoot Inn on Friday, October 9, with the show listed at 7:00 p.m. Lorde headlines the T-Mobile Stage at Zilker Park on Saturday, October 10, at 8:15 p.m. Parcels performs at Zilker Park on Sunday, October 11.
What Are The Best Options For Someone Without An ACL Fest Wristband?
The ACL Nights series provides direct access to festival-adjacent artists without a wristband. On Friday, Noga Erez at Scoot Inn (7:00 p.m.) and Rodrigo y Gabriela at Emo’s Austin (9:00 p.m.) are both official ACL Nights events. On Saturday, Wave to Earth plays ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W Willie Nelson Blvd) at 8:15 p.m., and the Austin Latin Rock Fest runs at Flamingo Cantina (515 East 6th Street) from 9:30 p.m. Austin’s independent venues — Saxon Pub, Continental Club, Cactus Cafe, and Broken Spoke — are long-running rooms worth checking across all three nights.
What Are The Practical Transportation Options For Getting To Zilker Park During ACL Fest?
There is no on-site parking at Zilker Park during ACL Fest, and surrounding streets are closed or restricted. The official festival shuttle runs free for wristband holders from Republic Square downtown. Rideshare drop-off zones are located at Veterans Drive (under the MoPac Pedestrian Bridge), Lee Barton Drive, and Wallingford Drive, each requiring a short walk to the nearest entrance. During ACL Festival 2026, nearby paid garages cost roughly $50–$90 per day and must be booked in advance through third-party apps. CapMetro’s high-frequency Routes 3 and 803 serve the Barton Springs Road area with stops near Barton Springs Road and Lamar, about a half-mile walk from Zilker Park, while Route 30 is detoured off Barton Springs Road each day of the festival.
Is Weekend Two Of ACL Fest 2026 Easier To Attend Than Weekend One?
Weekend Two typically draws a higher percentage of local Austin attendees and slightly better hotel availability than Weekend One, which skews more toward out-of-town visitors. Both weekends share the same daily capacity of approximately 75,000 attendees, and the area around Zilker Park is similarly congested during festival hours regardless of weekend. Saturday is the most crowded day across both weekends, while Friday and Sunday are generally easier to navigate.