Austin City Limits Music Festival 2025: A Music Lovers Dream
As festival season winds down, we are once again reminded why the Austin City Limits Music Festival is the best way to go out. Set upon the beautiful backdrop of Austin, Texas, ACL provided two amazing weekends of musical bliss for all to enjoy. The festival once again proved why it’s a cornerstone in the American music festival circuit. Held across the sprawling Zilker Park, ACL 2025 was a relentless three-day assault (spread across two back-to-back weekends) on the senses, combining a sick lineup, impeccable production, and Austin’s inimitable vibe. Here are our four takeaways:
Lineup & Performances:
This year’s lineup was a masterstroke of curation—balancing established legends with breakout stars. Headliners like Sabrina Carpenter newly annointed budding career is in the midst of the pop revival, emerging artist like John Summit and Disco Lines brought raw energy and futuristic sounds, pushing genre boundaries from the electronic music world (some of the largest crowds we have seen in recent history). Nostalgic acts like The Killers and The Strokes took us down memory lane with that indie/garage sound we have come to love. The festival’s multiple stages meant no one had to compromise, with indie rock, hip-hop, country, and electronic acts all sharing the spotlight.
Country star Luke Combs serenades the Austin crowd. (Photo Credit: Melissa Bordeau)
Doechii shined both weekend at ACL (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
T-Pain switched to shorts on Weekend Two of ACL (Photo Credit: Melissa Bordeau)
Standout performances:
Cage The Elephant, The Favors, T-Pain, Spill Tab, Feid, Luke Combs, Sabrina Carpenter, DJO, John Summit, Disco Lines, Olivia Dean, Phantogram, Geto Gala, Empire of The Sun, Polo and Pan, La Lom, Fujii Kaze.
Love is in the air at ACL (Photo credit: Robert Castro)
Production & Experience:
ACL’s production values remain top-tier. Sound quality was consistently crisp across all stages, a feat rarely achieved at outdoor festivals, allowing every nuance of the performances to shine through. The thoughtfully designed festival layout minimized bottlenecks (although certain time slots created a traffic jam) and embodied Austin’s trademark chill, fostering a social ecosystem where attendees could discover Austin Eats, serving local delicacies from local food establishments. A makeshift swamp environment, courtesy of Doechii, combined with the wild, wild west theme provided by T-Pain (hint: don’t wear full leather during your set), created performances that offered a fully immersive experience. A plethora of sponsored activations gave attendees a chance to take a break before acts, including The Hacienda from Patron, a customized trucker hat booth, Beat Box, Tito’s Vodka, and several merch booths spread across the grounds to minimize long lines. Our good friend and Austin ambassador, David Brendan Hall, gave us his take on some of the best eats over at UPROXX.
Austin Fashion Limits (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Crowd & Culture:
The crowd was as eclectic as Austin itself. Festival-goers ranged from weekend cowboys and cowgirls to sun-kissed hip-hop heads and indie fashion mavens, embodying the city’s diversity and openness. The sustained positive energy throughout the weekend was palpable, proving that ACL is about more than just music—it’s about community, art, and culture converging in one of the country’s most dynamic urban landscapes.
Fashion trends were in full effect as cowboy boots were the main accessory being worn, others included knit outfits, animal print ensembles, lacey skirts (the Sabrina effect), and enough cowboy hats to have their own zip code.
Final Verdict:
ACL 2025 wasn’t just a festival; it was an immersive musical journey that respected its roots while fearlessly embracing the future. For anyone serious about experiencing a festival that delivers both sonic excellence and cultural richness, Austin City Limits remains unmatched. The bar has been set higher than ever, and honestly, we can’t wait to see what next year brings. This year's fest will go down in the books. From Sabrina Carpenter bringing out Shania Twain and The Chicks to The Killers reliving all of their catalog of hits. Future stars like Olivia Dean and Gigi Perez gave us a glimpse of seeing them one day on the main stage. All in all, another amazing two weekends of music and fun. ACL continues to lead all festivals with its many amenities and world-class music.
Pros: Selection of food options, short beer lines, plenty of bathrooms, and more shaded areas than before.
Cons: Dusty conditions, entitled people acting entitled, congestion areas between AMEX Stage and middle grounds (at times it was impossible to navigate).
Weekend One Photo Gallery (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Friday:
Saturday
Sunday
Weekend Two Photo Gallery (Photo Credit: Melissa Bordeau)
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
