Austin City Limits Music Festival is back for another year of big names including Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Doja Cat, Luke Combs, The Strokes, John Summit, Doechii and more. Austinites will take Zilker Park from October 3-5 and October 10-13.
Ticket sales start with three-day wristbands at noon on May 6 at aclfestival.com.
Just in terms of buzz alone, Sabrina Carpenter and Doechii are two big pulls that perhaps could have been expected, although there are never any guarantees. The pristine pop and artistic rap performers, respectively, are each on a meteoric rise. Their sets could echo Chappell Roan's last year, which stole headlines for sheer excitement and crowd size.
Hozier, Doja Cat, Luke Combs, and The Strokes are all returning artists. That means nearly half of this year's headliners are making their ACL Fest debut right at the top. One of those newcomers is John Summit, an who was speculated to show up in 2024 with Dom Dolla. Fans also expected to see Sabrina Carpenter in 2024 (in part thanks to a misleading advertisement on the "payphone" ACL Fest installed to tease its lineup), so thankfully they didn't have to wait long.
After the actual headliners, the top line of performers include Colombian reggaeton star Feid, who has collaborated with Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Karol G, and more; alternative rock band Cage the Elephant, who are back from a tumultuous patch; R&B star T-Pain, in the middle of a personal renaissance to remind people he can sing without autotune; Australian electropop duo Empire of the Sun, with alien operatic stage sensibilities; nostalgic solo artist Djo, the nearly incognito solo project of actor Joe Keery from Stranger Things; and iconic post-hardcore band Pierce the Veil, who are back in the studio again.
Locals receive a karmic second chance to see Passion Pit, the defining electropop group that recently dropped out of a 2025 South by Southwest showcase, leaving barely a trace. Japanese Breakfast also promises big crowds; a recent signing appearance at End of An Ear in South Austin created a line around the block for hours. Two more CultureMap favorites (if readers will indulge us) are Southern indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise and British indie, post-punk band Wet Leg; respectively hyper sincere and deadpan, but both fun and high-energy.
Among Austin artists, two stand out as recent festival favorites: Geto Gala and The Point. Geto Gala is a hip hop duo favoring smooth, nostalgic beats and a laid-back lyrical delivery. The Point, a rock group, spans many styles, but their live sets tend to show off high-energy, world-influenced, and mostly instrumental blues. Dylan Gossett, while not exactly a festival staple, is much higher up on the lineup and is becoming very well-respected as a country-folk songwriter.
A press release pulls out some additional notable acts from the lineup:
- Fujii Kaze (W2)
- ROLE MODEL
- Gigi Perez
- CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso (W2)
- Olivia Dean
- Yoke Lore
- flowerovlove
- Royal & The Serpent
- Amble
- Good Neighbours
- Celeste (W1)
And some from Texas:
- Maren Morris (W1)
- Dylan Gossett
- Tanner Usrey
- Asleep at the Wheel (W1)
- INOHA (W1)
- Johnny Stimson (W2)
- SL Houser (W1)
- Geto Gala (W1)
- Farmer’s Wife (W2)
- Alex Amen (W2)
- Shallowater (W2)
- Aaron Page (W1)
- Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective (W2)
- Disciples of Christ (W1)
ACL's full 2025 lineup.Graphic courtesy of Austin City Limits Music Festival
Folks who can't make the festival can once again tune in on Hulu, returning as the festival's official streaming partner for performances, interviews, and more. Hulu will stream the first weekend, only.
