Austin City Limits 2025 Opens Today at Zilker Park
As gates open today for the first day of the 2025 Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin is experiencing one of its busiest periods of the year. The festival runs through this Sunday, October 5, before returning for a second weekend October 10-12, bringing world-class entertainment and significant economic activity to Texas’s capital city.
A Major Cultural and Economic Force
This year’s festival features headliners Sabrina Carpenter, The Killers, and Luke Combs, along with Doechii, The Strokes, and dozens of other artists performing across multiple stages.
The Austin Chronicle‘s essential acts to see.
With approximately 75,000 attendees expected daily, ACL remains a cornerstone of Austin’s identity as the “Live Music Capital of the World.”
The festival’s economic impact is substantial. Last year’s event generated a record $534.8 million for the Austin economy, the highest in the festival’s history. Since economic tracking began in 2006, ACL has contributed over $4.1 billion to the local economy—equivalent to sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs. The festival also gives back directly to the community, with $8.4 million from the 2024 event donated to the Austin Parks Foundation for citywide improvements.
A Two-Decade Tradition
The Austin City Limits Music Festival dates back to 2002, when it first brought the spirit of the legendary PBS television series to life in Zilker Park. Over the past 23 years, it has evolved from a single-weekend event into a massive two-weekend celebration that draws visitors from across the country and around the world.
Road Closures and Transportation in Effect
Zilker Park has been closed to public access since September 22 for festival preparations and will remain closed through October 19. The Great Lawn is off-limits during this period, though Barton Springs Pool remains open for swimmers.
Road closures are now in effect each day through Sunday, and will resume next weekend Friday through Sunday. Key closures include Stephen F. Austin Drive/Veterans Drive from Cesar Chavez to Lake Austin Boulevard starting at 8 p.m., and Barton Springs Road from South Lamar Boulevard to Azie Morton Road beginning at 9 p.m. Traffic impacts are concentrated around Barton Springs Road, MoPac, and Stratford Drive.
No parking is available at Zilker Park or in surrounding neighborhoods, with violations resulting in fines. The city strongly recommends alternative transportation methods including CapMetro’s MetroRapid 803 route, which services the intersection of South Lamar Boulevard and Barton Springs Road. Festival shuttle service is running from Sand Beach Park with drop-off at the Barton Springs west entrance. Rideshare pickup and drop-off zones are located under the MoPac Pedestrian Bridge at Veterans Drive, Lee Barton Drive, and Wallingwood Drive.
Attendees can also walk or bike via the Hike and Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake, though motorized vehicles are prohibited on the trail.
Airport Experiencing Heavy Volume
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is experiencing significant crowding today, with up to 35,000 passengers expected on peak days during both festival weekends. Airport officials are urging travelers to arrive 2.5 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international departures to account for increased security wait times.
Safety Measures in Place
The Austin Police Department is conducting a No Refusal Initiative throughout the festival period, running daily from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. through October 12. This allows officers to obtain blood search warrants for drivers who refuse breath or blood tests.
Austin-Travis County EMS is providing on-site medical resources, and festival organizers are partnering with This Must Be the Place, an overdose prevention nonprofit, to provide Naloxone (Narcan) on-site. City officials remind attendees that smoking and vaping are prohibited in city parks, and glass, Styrofoam, and outside alcohol are not allowed on park grounds.
Festival Tips
ACL organizers recommend downloading the festival’s mobile app to map out performance schedules, as multiple stages feature overlapping sets throughout the day. Attendees should bring reusable water bottles to refill at on-site water stations. The city has created an interactive ACL Mobility Guide to help navigate road closures and bike routes.
With peak attendance expected between 2-5 p.m. each day and 450,000 total attendees anticipated across both weekends, Austin City Limits 2025 is shaping up to be another landmark event in the festival’s storied history—a celebration of music, culture, and the vibrant community spirit that defines Austin.
Frequent ACL attendees share their best advice on navigating the festival:
DAY ONE WEATHER
RUMOR: Some fans think Taylor Swift will be making a surprise appearance at ACL.
From the Austin Police Department:
“Austin Police launched a new crime reduction strategy in Northeast Austin to address a prominent violent crime hot spot. The area of 900 E. Braker Lane has been plagued with violent crime, weapons violations, sex crimes, and alcohol violations for several years. In an effort to reduce violence, address community concerns, and improve safety for our community, a Place Network Investigation (PNI) was piloted at this site.”
Thanks to a multi-county and multi-agency effort, the Karnes County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a man accused of shooting and killing a woman in Runge nearly two weeks ago.
According to the sheriff’s office, Texas Department of Public Safety Bicycle Patrol Unit troopers came across a person who appeared to be Severiano Valdonado, 38, at a homeless encampment on Wednesday morning in downtown Austin.
A Travis County jury has convicted Yaseen Naz, 27, of murder after he shot and killed Marquis Lavar Demps, 42, at an East Austin gas station in January 2023. (CBS Austin)
A court hearing on Thursday brought to light new information about the events preceding last year’s mass shooting at the Juneteenth festival in Round Rock, an incident that resulted in the deaths of two women and numerous injuries. Central to the proceedings was the $1 million bond set for Ricky Thompson III, who is charged with aggravated assault in connection with the violence at Old Settlers Park.
The Taylor Police Department is looking for suspects connected to several stolen vehicles and vehicle break-ins. Police said the incidents happened all over the span of three hours on Thursday between 12:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. (KVUE-TV)
A house fire just after 8:30 p.m. last night…
Eanes ISD‘s board said it is committed to high standards in the search for a new superintendent, following scrutiny of the hiring of a man from Iowa.
Austin ISD‘s four “wall-to-wall” dual language campuses — Ridgetop, Becker, Reilly and Sunset Valley — where every student learns in both Spanish and English –are facing an uncertain future as the district prepares to unveil a sweeping plan today aimed at closing a $19.7 million budget deficit. (Austin American-Statesman)
WEATHER
THURSDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Imelda is no longer a hurricane but has still left damage in her wake.
The Texas Education Agency is investigating more than 350 complaints against teachers who have been accused of making inappropriate comments online about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death as several educators across the state have already been punished for allegedly doing so. (Texas Tribune)
Visitors to Texas National Parks like Big Bend National Park and The Padre Island National Seashore are likely to encounter a lack of services and other issues due to the government shutdown.
The founder of a Texas megachurch who resigned last year after a woman in Oklahoma accused the pastor of sexually abusing her in the 1980s pleaded guilty Thursday to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child, authorities said. (Houston Chronicle)
A letter filed with the Texas Workforce Commission now confirms that approximately 183 employees of Texas Instruments will be laid off as the company shuts down a fabrication plant in Dallas. (My San Antonio)
The Texas Supreme Court has ordered that it will take over the oversight of the state’s law schools. This move makes Texas the first state to no longer use the American Bar Association (ABA), which has set national standards for law schools for decades. (Texas Standard)
An attorney for the family of a man shot and killed last week at a Dallas ICE facility said that ICE failed to protect him while he was in harm’s way, and the family waited three days before they were told of his death.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is demanding that four cities suspend their property tax increases as his office investigates whether they broke a new state law.
Paxton, in letters to city officials in Odessa, La Marque, Tom Bean and Whitesboro, said his office received complaints that the cities either missed key financial reporting deadlines or have incomplete audits. (Texas Tribune)
James Henson and Joshua Blank dig into what Texas polling can tell us about the public opinion context for the government shutdown.
A Dallas police officer has turned himself in to authorities following a warrant for his arrest on theft charges. (My Texas Daily)
New details to the shocking case of child abuse that left a 10-year-old boy dead and a San Antonio couple arrested for his murder.
SPORTS
THURSDAY NIGHT SCOREBOARD
- Dripping Springs 56, Austin High 14
- Akins 0, Westlake 66
- Georgetown 56, Killeen Chaparral 7
- Granger 2, Snook 0 (forfeit)
- Hutto 34, Westwood 18
- Lampasas 42, Lorena 35
- New Braunfels Long Creek 56, LASA 0
Texas Football Begins FINAL Prep for Florida | LIVE | 10/3/25
The first phase of FIFA’s release of World Cup tickets began early last month. The event will take place in Houston next June and July. Prices range from under $100 to $950. (Houston Chronicle)
This year’s State Fair of Texas is one week into its 24-day run.
Let’s visit…
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