This October, Austin City Limits will rock Zilker Park to celebrate 25 years of music! Across two weekends – October 2-4 and 9-11, 2026 – dozens of your favorite artists will perform at one of the country's defining festivals. The lineup feels like a true celebration.

Everyone will find something they love: headliners include Charli XCX, Lorde, Twenty One Pilots, Skrillex, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Kings of Leon, and The xx. The list runs from pop's boldest voices to nostalgic and euphoric electronic sets (I'm looking at you, Skrillex). Some acts play both weekends while others appear on just one, so it's worth checking the daily schedule before you plan your days.

But the real magic of ACL isn't on the stage... it's in the air. Genre-spanning artists from rising stars to legends, strangers who somehow become friends between sets, unreal food, and that golden Texas-in-October glow that makes everything feel like a film.

For anyone who is bored of everyday numbness, this year promises visually striking sets — from Skrillex and RÜFÜS DU SOL's immersive light shows to the moody atmosphere of The xx. As a photographer and a sucker for anything that looks beautiful, I am BEYOND excited to see the visual explosiveness of their sets.

Whether it's your first time in Austin or you're an oldie, the quarter-century anniversary is shaping up to be one you'll never forget.

– Katya Veber for Following Backstage

The link has been copied!