Under the Lights of Austin City Limits

Crystal-clear skies. A shy breeze. People of all backgrounds and lifestyles impatiently throng the entryway arch. Apart from the scent of brisket, beer and bug spray, the place is alive with excited chatter and guessing which songs will be on each artist’s setlist.

The midday sun glistens and glows on sun-kissed faces and shoulders. Festival-goers stand adjusting ballcaps, backpacks or the occasional doll-pink corset top — perhaps tucking back a curl here and there as they wait for the gates to open.

Welcome to Austin City Limits.

Held at Zilker Park with a gorgeous view of the Austin, Texas skyline, Austin City Limits (ACL) is a nationally renowned music festival that runs for two consecutive three-day weekends each year. By invitation, a unique and diverse lineup of music artists plays hour-long sets throughout the day on different stages set up around the perimeter, culminating each night with two headliners that perform at opposite ends of the park.

The event is set up so these smaller artists can get mainstage experience and garner publicity. When I attended this year’s ACL in early October, I realized very quickly that it was normal to only start recognizing artists later in the evening.

While that may sound boring, it was a charming experience to be able to walk around freely for the first couple of hours rather than having to stake out a front-row spot of some big artist right out of the gate.

During these earlier times, I heard artists such as Marina, Ocean Alley, Johnny Stimson and Leisure. Time slots before 4 p.m. generally have a smaller crowd, particularly on Fridays, because many festivalgoers have to work at least a half day, which, honestly, creates a more personal experience for watching these lesser-known artists up close. They arguably felt the same; all of them seemed so grateful to be able to perform for us and share their music.

Once it gets to 6 p.m., bigger artists start to come out. I had the absolute joy of seeing King Princess, Role Model and Olivia Dean. The park really begins to fill up around this time as well; the sun falls lower in the sky, and everything is basked in a soft tangerine and peach color. People’s light-up hats and bracelets are noticeable now, and they glitter in the crowds.

There’s a subtle change in the atmosphere, as people’s day drinking starts to comfortably catch up with them. The energy dip honestly feels good because it’s going to spike again soon.

It’s at this point that diehard fans begin to secure their spots for the headliners — often standing through one, or even two, shows that occur at the same stage just to get as close as possible to the front for later in the night.

From around 7 to 8:15 p.m. — the latter being the start time for the headliners — excitement fills the grounds. The wave of artists that perform during these time slots are well known and well-loved. On the first night, I watched the dazzling technicolor performance of Empire of the Sun; on the second, I experienced the powerful, high-intensity energy of Doechii.

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It’s clear that a larger budget is allotted to these artists, as they get to have the first semblance of onstage sets and props — Empire of the Sun used fog and staircases, while Doechii turned her stage into a collection of pedestals surrounded by swampland. Organizers of the festival intentionally place these artists on stages that neighbor those of the headliners, to allow for greater accessibility for the final performances.

On the first day of the festival, every single artist I wanted to see performed on the same stage, including the headliner, Hozier. Because of this, I ended up in the fourth row for his performance at the end of the night. I can only describe the experience as jaw-dropping. Beyond powerful. Earth-shattering.

Hozier’s stage featured upstage risers that highlighted his instrumentalists and backup vocalists, as well as large projected images on the backdrop. In the song “Eat Your Young,” Hozier had a variety of statistics alternating on the screen, including the number of children displaced by war since 2023 and the amount of money shared between the top five wealthiest individuals in the United States. His music has always been and continues to be a political statement, carried out with class, subtlety and earnestness.

Sabrina Carpenter was the headliner I went to for night two. Although her branding, audience and messaging are very different from Hozier’s, they felt equal in terms of quality.

Carpenter’s set featured a scaled-down version of the two-story dollhouse platforms built for the Short n’ Sweet Tour, as well as a false proscenium with her initials at the top. Her performance was themed around a news broadcast, and the screens on either side of the stage displayed fake ads between songs that referenced particular lyrics in a filmy, 1950s style.

ACL is an incredible experience of music, food and drink — all nestled in the heart of Austin. With vendors sourced from local mom-and-pop restaurants, people from all walks of life come together to enjoy the performances that speak to their souls. Young artists are able to find their first footholds here in the industry, and world-renowned singers get a more intimate, homely environment that is different from their regular tour locations. Music plays a key role in our connection with each other as humans, and ACL unifies the city for six nights of the year into a celebration of art and emotion.

demingai@miamioh.edu