Austin City Limits 2023 

Originally a hit TV show that premiered in 1976, Austin City Limits is American television’s longest-running music series. Filmed at the iconic Moody Theater in downtown Austin, ACL has been a platform for emerging and legendary artists for a long time, and it’s considered a beloved institution in Austin and beyond. In 2002, organizers decided to create a music festival in the program’s image. Thus began the Austin City Limits Music Festival, or ACL Festival.

It’s a two-weekend extravaganza held annually in Zilker Park in the fall. It’s an extremely large music festival with a capacity of 75,000 attendees per day. The closest comparisons are Chicago’s Lollapalooza and Southern California’s Coachella. While it’s definitely considered a “mega-fest,” ACL’s location in Austin’s Zilker Park makes it an approachable and relaxing event.  

ACL’s programming focuses on curating a diverse range of musical genres, including classic rock, hip-hop, pop, country, electronic, folk, and indie-rock, among others. On ACL lineup posters, you’ll find legendary acts and the hottest stars at the top, contemporary artists at the top of their game in the middle, and emerging acts getting their big break toward the bottom. ACL Fest offers diverse lineup additions from Austin’s legendary music scene on the lineup as well, offering local talent a spot on the big stage. 

One of the most appealing things that the ACL Festival features is its atmosphere. There are art installations, photogenic spaces, local vendors, sponsored giveaways, some of the most delicious festival food you’ll ever taste, and a number of programs that showcase Austin as a city and community.

Sounds good? Well, 2023’s edition features a banging lineup of music, food, art, and more. Here’s everything you need to know about Austin City Limits 2023: 

About Austin City Limits 2023 

ACL Fest 2023 goes from Friday to Sunday across two weekends. The first weekend is October 6th-8th. The following weekend of October 13th-15th will feature the same headliners but with a slightly different lineup and schedule than the first. The 2023 schedule and map have been released for both weekends, so you can start planning your weekend entertainment immediately.

Across Zilker Park’s expansive green spaces, ACL Fest has eight stages curated, with two main stages (American Express and Honda) where the largest acts close out the night. There are side stages that tend to feature specific genres, especially electronic and dance music. Doors open at noon each day. Music starts at 1 pm each day and ends at 10 pm, so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the sights and sounds. 

ACL Eats food court features some of the surrounding area's favorite restaurants, including vegan options and the best bites from Austin’s highly diverse food scene. Of course, there will be smoky Texas barbecue on offer, but you'll have a hard time picking from the incredible selection. Another feature of the festival is the ACL Art Market, which showcases works from local and international artists, so you can take a break from the tunes to explore a bit. 

All attendees will have a wristband for entry. There’s a cashless feature: you can pair payment methods with your wristband for fast concessions and easy purchases throughout the weekend. You just need to activate the wristband ahead of time when it arrives in the mail or at the box office. 

The ACL App is a highly useful tool for finding your way around the park, discovering artists on the schedule, or exploring the various features and amenities of the festival. It’s easy to download on Apple or Android and will make your weekend even more enjoyable and efficient. 

For security purposes, ACL Fest has a clear bag policy that allows only small clutch purses smaller than 6" x 9". Anything larger than that must be clear. All bags, clear or otherwise, cannot exceed 12” x 6” x 12”. Hydration packs are allowed but must be emptied of all fluids and have no more than two pockets inside. All items are subject to security screenings upon entry. While this may sound like TSA at the airport, ACL Fest personnel tend to be friendly. It’s best to arrive on the earlier side to give you plenty of time to get through security before the first band you want to see goes on.

These are firm policies. All non-compliant items will have to be stored at lockers onsite or be turned away. This is an important one to look into because you’ll want to bring some gear like sunscreen, a refillable water bottle, a picnic blanket, or other necessities for hanging in the park all day. Bringing the right bag, or finding a luggage storage service to store larger items, is imperative if you want to bring plenty of gear. Luckily, Bounce has lots of luggage storage facilities in Austin that are both convenient and affordable.

Luggage storage in Austin 

If you’re traveling to Austin for the festival, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the festival site in relation to where you’re staying in the city. If you’re flying in or out of Austin the same day you’re heading to the festival and can’t get to the hotel, dropping your bags off at a luggage storage service might be your best option. 

Luckily, we have dozens of luggage storage locations throughout Austin, so it can really help if you’re in a bind. Bounce is reliable and has a fixed price for items of any size. Bounce also offers 24/7 support, and its app is intuitive and easy to use. So you’ll be able to find and book luggage storage on the go. The BounceShield™ guarantee and vetting process for storage facilities also ensure the highest quality service possible. 

Things to do in Austin during Austin City Limits 2023

While you won’t have too much free time if you’re going to all three days of the Austin City Limits Festival, it’s still a good idea to explore the city a bit while you’re in town. Here are a few ideas:

One of the more unique features of Austin is its massive number of bats that make their home in the city’s bridges and caves. The Congress Avenue Bridge is home to 1.5 million bats, and from Spring through October, you can hit the bridge to see them flapping around. You can also take a kayak through the river to get a closer look. It’s October, so this will certainly keep up with the spooky season. 

There's nothing better than Texas barbecue, and there's no place like Franklin's for indulging in slow, smoked brisket, pulled pork, and other Texas classics. Franklins is a James Beard award-winning barbecue joint famous for its rowdy crowds in long lines. If you're short on time but need to fuel up for a long day at the festival, you can order ahead and pick it up. Either way, this is a vital piece of Austin's restaurant scene.

If you can't get enough music at the festival, take a trip to one of the many record stores located throughout Austin. Highlights include Waterloo Records, Breakaway Records, and Antone’s Record Shop. These quirky and independently owned stores are great places for new and used vinyl records, cassettes, CDs, merch, and more. It's not unheard of for festival artists to have in-store performances during ACL weekend for their own mini-fest.

See you at Austin City Limits 2023? 

One of the premier music festivals in the US, Austin City Limits Festival is a bucket-list event for music fans of just about every genre. With blue-chip headliners and a well-rounded lineup, you’ll have a busy three days of epic performances in a gorgeous setting. Visiting Austin is just an added bonus for doing ACL Weekend. If you’re traveling for a festival, you probably won’t be packing light. So if you need to leave the bags somewhere during the festival, you can rely on Bounce for all your luggage storage needs.