Austin City Limits vs. Every Other Music Fest: Why ACL?
What’s the big deal with Austin City Limits Music Festival? Here’s a breakdown of why locals love it, and people come from all over the country to attend!
The TV Series - Austin City Limits got its name (and inspo) from the PBS music series of the same name. The show features performances from several artists of varying genres and has attracted a large audience over the years. The show’s following was actually a large contributor in the first festival’s success in 2002! Since then, the success of the festival has continued to grow and actually went from being one weekend long to two consecutive weekends in 2012.
The Lineup - Much like the TV series, the festival quickly became known for its diverse lineup of artists from all different genres. Some may think of Austin’s festival as primarily an “indie” festival, but its 8 stages consist of musical groups from rock, country and folk to electronic and hip hop. While this is pretty common for most fests nowadays, it’s still nice to see lineups that mix it up with popular artists, classics and newcomers!
The Location - I think it’s safe to argue a pretty huge part of attending ACL is being in the vibrant city that is Austin, TX. You may have heard sayings such as “Keep Austin Weird,” maybe you’ve heard some fellow Texans referring to ATX as the “Los Angeles of Texas.” Either way, all the rumors, slogans and nicknames mean the same thing: Austin is unlike any other city, especially in the south. It’s full of outdoor adventures, eclectic art and of course, music (it is the Live Music Capital of the World, after all), so having its own music festival is a very “Austin” thing to do. Many people come for the lineup, but most want to experience that lineup specifically in Austin. Don’t have much time on your trip? Here are some leisurely must-do's in the city!
THE FOOD - Texas is pretty well known for lots of different foods - BBQ, southern-style home cooking, and the legendary “Tex-Mex.” Austin, specifically is known for putting their own spin on already delicious quintessential Texas foods, and you can grab pretty much all of them on-the-go at ACL. From Torchy’s Tacos and Stubbs BBQ to the famous Amy’s Ice Cream, you’ll definitely want to save $$ (and room) to try out some ACL Eats. And if you’re worried about dietary restrictions in the southern state of Texas, remember - this isn’t Texas, it’s Austin, so vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are always available!
**Other important things to note: ACL is also fairly inexpensive compared to other 3-Day festivals. The average price for most major weekend fests is well above the cost for 3-Day Passes to Austin City Limits! So if you’re searching for that one fest to fill your 2021 festival needs, this one may be worth considering!
Picture yourself at Austin City Limits
Thinking of attending ACL this year? We’ve got your hotel stay, transportation, custom ATX experiences & more covered! Don’t miss out on Austin’s favorite festival.