Key Takeaways
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Zilker Park anchors Austin’s live arts calendar with major festivals on the Great Lawn and free productions at the Hillside Theater.
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The 2026 Austin City Limits Music Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary across two weekends, October 2–4 and October 9–11, with headliners Lorde, Charli xcx, Twenty One Pilots, RÜFÜS DU SOL, The xx, Skrillex, and Kings of Leon.
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Five OnesToWatch artists appear at ACL Fest 2026: Izzy Escobar, Lauren Sanderson, Charli xcx, Parcels, and Lorde.
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Free 2026 Zilker events include Austin Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Ballet Under the Stars, Blues on the Green, and Singin’ in the Rain.
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Weekend selection shapes the ACL experience because certain headliners and OnesToWatch artists appear on only one weekend.
Explore ACL Fest Ticket Options
Quick Ticket Links
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Austin City Limits Music Festival – Weekend One
Oct 2–4, 2026 | Zilker Park, Austin, TX -
Austin City Limits Music Festival – Weekend Two
Oct 9–11, 2026 | Zilker Park, Austin, TX
With tickets in mind, the rest of this guide walks through Zilker Park’s 2026 calendar and the OnesToWatch artists on the ACL bill.
Zilker Park’s 2026 Live-Music And Arts Calendar
Zilker Park’s 2026 schedule combines ACL Fest weekends with free theater, dance, and concert programming. Upcoming shows appear first, followed by events that wrapped earlier in the year.
Upcoming Events
Austin City Limits Music Festival – Weekend One — October 2–4, 2026 — Zilker Park Great Lawn
Austin City Limits Music Festival – Weekend Two — October 9–11, 2026 — Zilker Park Great Lawn
OnesToWatch Artists At Zilker Park In 2026
Five artists featured by OnesToWatch appear on the ACL Fest 2026 lineup at Zilker Park. The following breakdown highlights when they play and why their 2026 appearances matter.
1. Izzy Escobar — Friday, October 2, 2026 (Weekend One) — Austin City Limits Music Festival
Izzy Escobar opens Weekend One on Friday, October 2, with a BMI Stage slot that places her among 22 BMI-affiliated artists performing across both weekends. Her 2026 profile has risen sharply: she released “Evergreen Avenue,” featured on The Devil Wears Prada 2 soundtrack, and “Hate to Be the One,” written by GRAMMY-winning songwriter Diane Warren and featured in Season 5 of Hacks. She also partnered with EXTRA Gum on “Hotshot (Extra Time),” an original anthem for EXTRA’s “Chew Into It” platform tied to soccer’s extra-time moments, released June 24, 2026.
2. Lorde — Saturday, October 3, 2026 (Weekend One) — Austin City Limits Music Festival
Lorde performs on Saturday of Weekend One and returns on Saturday, October 10, during Weekend Two. She stands among the few headliners scheduled across both festival weekends. Billboard confirmed Lorde as a top-line headliner for the 25th anniversary edition of ACL Fest alongside Charli xcx, Twenty One Pilots, RÜFÜS DU SOL, The xx, Skrillex, and Kings of Leon.
3. Lauren Sanderson — Sunday, October 4, 2026 (Weekend One) — Austin City Limits Music Festival
Lauren Sanderson closes out Weekend One on Sunday, October 4, with a BMI Stage set scheduled for 5:30–6:30 p.m. She released her album LAUREN in May 2026, including the collaboration “COME SAY SUM” with Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst. She is also set to support Limp Bizkit at their Nashville shows in October 2026, including dates at The Truth on October 11 and 12, following a surprise guest appearance with the band at the UK’s Download Festival.
4. Charli xcx — Friday, October 9, 2026 (Weekend Two) — Austin City Limits Music Festival
Charli xcx headlines Weekend Two on Friday, October 9. She appears among the headliners listed across both weekends of ACL 2026, and CultureMap Austin placed her at the top of the 25th anniversary lineup announcement. OnesToWatch has tracked Charli xcx’s rise from emerging artist to arena-level headliner and often cites her as a defining success story for the platform.
Get Friday Weekend Two Tickets
5. Lorde — Saturday, October 10, 2026 (Weekend Two) — Austin City Limits Music Festival
Lorde’s second ACL 2026 appearance falls on Saturday of Weekend Two, giving fans a clear second chance if they miss Weekend One. Schedule conflicts remain a defining part of ACL. The daily schedule released August 17, 2026 flagged Lorde vs. RÜFÜS DU SOL as a Saturday headliner overlap, so attendees will choose between the two closing sets.
6. Parcels — Sunday, October 11, 2026 (Weekend Two) — Austin City Limits Music Festival
Parcels close out Weekend Two on Sunday, October 11. Billboard listed Parcels among the supporting acts on the nine-stage ACL 2026 lineup, which spans rock, pop, dance, country, and folk across both weekends.
Lock In Sunday Weekend Two Passes
ACL Fest Weekend Split And Past Zilker Highlights
Headliner And Weekend Split
The two ACL Fest 2026 weekends share most of their top-line headliners: Charli xcx, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, and The xx. Skrillex headlines Weekend One only and Kings of Leon headlines Weekend Two only. Brandon Flowers of The Killers appears as a Weekend One exclusive.
Weekend One — October 2–4, 2026 — Zilker Park
Weekend Two — October 9–11, 2026 — Zilker Park
Additional ACL 2026 Features At Zilker Park
The BMI Stage returns to Zilker Park for its 23rd year at the 2026 Austin City Limits Music Festival, held Oct. 2–4 and Oct. 9–11, showcasing 22 BMI-affiliated artists across both weekends. The stage has historically highlighted early sets from artists including Ryan Bingham, Alessia Cara, Gary Clark Jr., Luke Combs, Khruangbin, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, and Billy Strings.
ACL 2026 also features the Bonus Tracks stage, the festival’s smallest platform, which hosts artist interviews, podcast recordings, cooking demos, and drag performances alongside the main musical programming. Disney+ and Hulu will livestream select live performances and artist interviews from the on-site Live Set studio throughout Weekend One of ACL Fest 2026 (October 2–4), with exact programming details to be announced ahead of the festival. The Austin Kiddie Limits lineup was scheduled for a later summer 2026 announcement. ACL 2026 also introduces a custom Festival Persona in-app experience that analyzes a user’s Spotify listening history against the lineup to generate a personalized persona and playlist.
Patterns, Themes, And Takeaways
The 2026 Zilker Park calendar reinforces three structural realities. First, the park operates as multiple venues in one: the Great Lawn for large-scale ticketed and free concerts, the Hillside Theater for free community theater and dance, and other park facilities for gatherings and seasonal programming.
Second, free admission is the park’s throughline for most of the year. Blues on the Green, Ballet Under the Stars, Much Ado About Nothing, and Singin’ in the Rain all ran at no cost to attendees. Third, the ACL weekend split is the central decision point for ticketed fans. The OnesToWatch artist distribution across the two weekends, combined with the Skrillex and Kings of Leon headliner split, makes the weekend choice significant.
The 25th anniversary edition of ACL Fest stands as the largest milestone in the festival’s history. “Y’all Access” tickets for both weekends are currently listed as unavailable, signaling demand well above prior years.
Practical ACL Planning Guidance
Choosing A Weekend
Weekend One (Oct 2–4) features Izzy Escobar and Lauren Sanderson on the BMI Stage, Lorde on Saturday, and Skrillex and Brandon Flowers as exclusives. Weekend Two (Oct 9–11) features Charli xcx on Friday, Lorde again on Saturday, and Parcels and Kings of Leon rounding out the weekend. Fans who prioritize Charli xcx or Parcels gain more from Weekend Two, while those focused on Izzy Escobar and Lauren Sanderson align more with Weekend One.
Tickets And Pricing
Published starting prices for ACL Fest 2026 included 1-day General Admission from $170, 3-day GA from $390, 3-day GA+ from $750 (Weekend Two listing), and 3-day VIP from $1,760 (Weekend Two). Weekend One 3-day GA and GA+ sold out quickly after the May 5 on-sale. One-day tickets for ACL Fest 2026 went on sale on May 12, 2026 at 12pm CT.
Free Vs. Ticketed
ACL Fest functions as a major ticketed event at Zilker Park in 2026. Blues on the Green, Singin’ in the Rain, Ballet Under the Stars, and Much Ado About Nothing all ran as free events. Children 8 and under enter ACL Fest GA areas free with a ticketed adult, limited to two children per adult.
Getting There
There is no public parking at Zilker Park or in the surrounding neighborhoods during ACL Fest. However, paid parking options are available at nearby locations such as LAZ garages and Austin High School. The festival directs attendees to CapMetro MetroRapid Route 803, rideshare, festival shuttles, or walking and biking. For ACL 2026, drop-off and pick-up zones are located under the MoPac Pedestrian Bridge at Veterans Drive, Lee Barton Drive (between Riverside and Barton Springs Road), and Wallingford Drive. The City of Austin’s free Zilker Loop shuttle operates on weekends and holidays through September 7, 2026, serving the Stratford Lot, Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Hillside Theater, and Zilker Botanical Gardens, which helps visitors reach non-ACL events earlier in the year.
What To Bring
ACL Fest offers ACL Cashless, a wristband-based payment system that lets attendees pay for food, drinks, and merch by linking a credit or debit card to their festival wristband, though attendees can activate their wristband without enabling the Cashless payment option. Attendees may bring empty reusable water bottles and small hydration packs. Bags must be clear and smaller than 12″ × 6″ × 12″ unless they are a clutch or fanny pack 6″ × 9″ or smaller with one pocket. For Beverly S. Sheffield Hillside Theater events, blankets, low-back chairs (under 28″), bug spray, and snacks are recommended. Glass containers are prohibited in Zilker Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Dates For ACL Fest 2026?
Austin City Limits Music Festival 2026 runs across two weekends: Weekend One from Friday, October 2 through Sunday, October 4, and Weekend Two from Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11. Both weekends take place at Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704. Gates open at 11 a.m. each day, with the earliest music acts starting around 12:45 p.m. and performances running until 10 p.m.
Which OnesToWatch Artists Are Playing Zilker Park In 2026?
Five OnesToWatch artists are on the ACL Fest 2026 bill at Zilker Park. Izzy Escobar performs on Friday, October 2 (Weekend One). Lorde performs on Saturday, October 3 (Weekend One) and Saturday, October 10 (Weekend Two). Lauren Sanderson performs on Sunday, October 4 (Weekend One). Charli xcx performs on Friday, October 9 (Weekend Two). Parcels perform on Sunday, October 11 (Weekend Two).
Are There Free Events At Zilker Park In 2026?
Several major events at Zilker Park in 2026 are free to the public. Blues on the Green ran June 9–10 on the Great Lawn. Austin Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing ran May 7–24 at Zilker Hillside Theatre in Zilker Park. Metamorphosis Dance’s Ballet Under the Stars ran May 29–30 at the Zilker Hillside Theater. Zilker Theatre Productions’ Singin’ in the Rain ran July 10–August 15 at the Beverly S. Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater. All four 2026 Zilker Park events were free to attend with donations encouraged, though parking was paid. ACL Fest operates as a major ticketed event at Zilker Park in 2026.
What Is The Difference Between ACL Fest Weekend One And Weekend Two?
Most headliners, including Charli xcx, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, and The xx, appear across both weekends. Skrillex and Brandon Flowers of The Killers are Weekend One exclusives. Kings of Leon is a Weekend Two exclusive. On the OnesToWatch side, Izzy Escobar and Lauren Sanderson appear only on Weekend One, while Charli xcx and Parcels appear only on Weekend Two, and Lorde plays both Saturdays. Historically, ACL Fest’s Weekend One has drawn more out-of-town attendees, while Weekend Two has traditionally skewed toward Austin locals and repeat attendees.
How Do I Get To Zilker Park For ACL Fest Without A Car?
There is no public parking at Zilker Park or in surrounding neighborhoods during ACL Fest, though paid parking options are available nearby. The recommended car-free options for getting to Zilker Park for ACL Fest include CapMetro MetroRapid Route 803, rideshare drop-off at designated zones (reported as under the MoPac Pedestrian Bridge at Veterans Drive, Lee Barton Drive, and Wallingford Drive, though exact locations can vary by year), festival shuttles, walking, or biking. During ACL Festival 2026, nearby paid garages cost approximately $50–$90 per day and must be booked in advance through third-party apps. Rideshare pricing spikes significantly after headliner sets at ACL Fest, with Uber and Lyft reporting surge pricing of 2–4x or more, though some Austin-based rideshare companies like Wridz do not use surge pricing, so planning a pickup location and time in advance is advisable.
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