Every year, Austin, TX welcomes thousands of people to their annual Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival. The festival presents hundreds of artists — big and small — over three days of almost non-stop music in Zilker Park. Over these past two weekends, Oct. 4 to Oct. 6 and Oct. 11 to Oct. 13, many Trinity University students made the trip to Austin to partake in the festivities.
For many ACL attendees, the festival not only provides an opportunity to see some of their favorite artists, but also to encounter unfamiliar artists. The festival draws Gavin Saunders, sophomore psychology and business double-major, back year after year. This was Saunders’ sixth time attending the festival, but he said he still finds excitement in the festival’s lineup. This year’s ACL introduced Saunders to Khruangbin, a band he had never heard of.
“I had no idea who they [Khruangbin] were, and it’s cool to just hear new stuff, right? Because I probably would have never known about it,” Saunders said. “That’s kind of the point of the whole festival, though, the non-headliners, smaller artists that perform earlier. The whole point is they’re hosting them to try to get exposure.”
Another pull to the festival is the opportunity to dress up in your best concert attire. For Lilly Peacock, sophomore marketing major, the process of curating an outfit is a fun addition to festival preparation. Typically, outfits are themed around artists that patrons are excited to see.
“I love just any excuse to dress up. … It was just super fun to all look for outfits together and talk about what we were gonna wear,” Peacock said. “I got this blue scarf for Dua [Lipa], because I love her. And of course, you need something bright for that. And then we’re all wearing country outfits one day because Chris Stapleton is the first day.”
Marlo Zamora, sophomore computer science major, is on their sixth time attending ACL and considers themself an avid concertgoer. They said what keeps them coming back is the feeling they are left with after the festival.
“I feel like our lives are so planned out all the time, and this is the one time we can do anything they want,” Zamora said. “Usually, every time before I go to ACL, I’m very overwhelmed with school or something. This [going to ACL], I’ll feel tired afterward, but mentally I feel energized. So that’s literally why I go.”
However, as enjoyable as the festival experience can be, it comes with downsides. The festival is completely outdoors, which can be both mentally and physically exhausting in the Texas heat. Tam Phan, junior psychology major, said she felt drained after the festival. Further, the festival can quickly become expensive. Peacock said hotels often increase booking prices during the festival weekends, and the food offered during ACL tends to be pricey. Additionally, both Phan and Saunders reported attempted phone theft at the festival.
“There’s lots of pickpockets. Someone almost stole my phone last year,” Saunders said. “So carry as little as possible. I don’t even bring my wallet. I only bring my phone, and that’s it.”
However, there are some tips and tricks ACL attendees have that can help mitigate these challenges. Peacock suggests staying in an Airbnb rather than a hotel and booking far in advance since room reservations tend to fill up fast. Saunders recommends parking north of the Colorado River, away from the festival, to avoid exorbitant parking fees. Zamora said that attendees should stay the whole day to get the most out of the experience, and to order their food at around 2 p.m. when the lines are the shortest.
Phan reflected on the changes she could’ve made after her first experience.
“I would have bought a cross body or a fanny pack, just to keep things in there but really close [to my body],” Phan said. “I think I would have dressed up more just so that it would be more fun. And then I would have brought my own water bottle.”
