Austin City Limits Music Festival

Aust City Limits Music Festival
ACL Music Festival’s Bud Light stage, 2012
GenreMusic festival
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Zilker Park, Austin, Texas, United States
Years active2002–present
Most recentOctober 4-6 / 11-13, 2024
Previous eventOctober 6-8 / 13–15, 2023
Next eventOctober 3-5 / 10–12, 2025
Attendance450,000 (Two weekend total)[1]
Capacity75,000[2]
Websiteaclfestival.com

Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, on two consecutive three-day weekends and is inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series Austin City Limits. The festival is produced by Austin-based company C3 Presents, which also produces Chicago’s Lollapalooza.[3]

The ACL Music Festival has eight stages where musical groups from genres including rock, indie, country, folk, electronic, and hip hop perform. The concert starts at 10am and ends 10pm on each day during the festival at various stages spread out in the park. Approximately 450,000 people attend the festival each year.[4] In addition to the music performances, there are food and drinks, an art market, a kids area for families and other activities for attendees.

History

[edit]

Founded in 2002, the festival began as a one-weekend event and remained as such through until 2012. On August 16, 2012, Austin City Council members voted unanimously to allow the Austin City Limits Music Festival to expand to two consecutive weekends beginning in 2013.[5] Artists who have played at the festival include Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses, Tame Impala, Robyn, Arcade Fire, Muse, Vampire Weekend, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Austin native Gary Clark Jr., and more.

In July 2020, the festival was called off due to the COVID-19 crisis.[6]

In May 2022, it was announced that Hulu will exclusively stream the festival, as well as Bonnaroo Music Festival and Lollapalooza.[7]

Vendors

[edit]
The Austin Eats food court in 2004.

The Festival's food court, called Austin Eats, is modeled after the Jazz Fest in New Orleans.[8] Austin Eats features vendors from local Austin restaurants.[9]

The Festival’s art market features numerous art vendors located in the centre of Zilker Park and is open throughout the duration of the festival.[10]

International expansion

[edit]

Auckland City Limits

[edit]

In 2015, it was announced that the Auckland City Limits Music Festival would debut at Western Springs stadium in Auckland, New Zealand in early October 2016. The festival showcased over 40 artists from a broad spectrum of musical genres, and highlight local culinary, artisans, festival fashion, an area for children, and a new festival forum for speaking on and exchanging cultural and innovative ideas.

Sydney City Limits

[edit]

In the spring of 2018 Sydney City Limits made its debut at Brazilian Fields and Parade Grounds at Centennial Park in Sydney, Australia. This festival was one day and featured 28 bands on four stages. It had many of the same activities and features as Austin City Limits such as Sydney Eats, Sydney Market, and Sydney Kiddie Limits.

List of lineups by year

[edit]
Main article: List of Austin City Limits lineups by year

Releases

[edit]

Several live albums of music from the festival were released. The 2004 festival as CD[11] and double DVD[12] albums Austin City Limits Music Festival: Live From Austin, Texas 2004 and 2005 festival as double CD album Austin City Limits 2005 Music Festival.[13]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Saxena, Kanika (2 January 2022). "Austin City Limits Music Festival 2022 Is Soon Approaching And Here's How To Attend It". www.traveltriangle.com. Retrieved Jul 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Latella, Leah (Oct 5, 2021). "Scenes From an Austin City Limits Music Festival Like No Other". www.wsj.com. Retrieved Jul 21, 2022.
  3. ^ "C3 Presents". C3 Presents. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
  4. ^ "Austin City Limits Music Festival". Topo Chico USA. Archived from the original on 24 July 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Council Approves Two Weekends of ACL Fest". Austin 360. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  6. ^ "billboard.com". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Haring, Bruce (May 12, 2022). "Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Will Stream Exclusively Via Hulu Through 2023". Deadline Hollywood.
  8. ^ "ACL Music Fest – Austin Eats: ACL's food court, 10 years later – Food – The Austin Chronicle". AustinChronicle.com. 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  9. ^ "2014 Austin Eats | ACL Music Festival | Oct. 3-5 & 10-12, 2014 | Zilker Park, Austin, Texas". Aclfestival.com. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  10. ^ "2014 ACL Art Market | ACL Music Festival | Oct. 3-5 & 10-12, 2014 | Zilker Park, Austin, Texas". Aclfestival.com. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  11. ^ "Austin City Limits Music Festival (Live From Austin, Texas 2004)". discogs.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Austin City Limits Music Festival (Live From Austin, Texas 2004)". discogs.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Austin City Limits 2005 Music Festival". discogs.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Austin City Limits Music Festival.

30°16′3.216″N 97°46′1.78″W / 30.26756000°N 97.7671611°W / 30.26756000; -97.7671611

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Austin_City_Limits_Music_Festival&oldid=1250683242"