Two days, one solo adventure and an ACL lineup that gave me plenty to get acquainted with.

Saturday by Vinnie Fallico for Austin City Limits Festival 2026 — *Vinnie Fallico for Austin City Limits Festival*

Besties, a confession: I went to ACL Weekend One knowing fewer than a handful of the artists playing Friday and Saturday. I had a few names I was excited about, but the rest? I was about to get acquainted.

So I headed to Zilker solo, getting dropped off by my husband—no high-priced ridesharing here: wearing rain boots and a clear backpack full of supplies.

Going anywhere alone, much less Austin City Limits Music Festival, can sound intimidating. But going solo meant I could move between stages whenever I wanted. Sometimes I got closer to immerse myself in the crowd of diehard fans. Other times, I stood farther back where I could dance without making someone else an unwilling participant in my choreography.

Like many festivalgoers, I watched the weather like a hawk. But I’m happy to report that the rain didn’t affect my experience. I came prepared: rain poncho, hair ties, two bandanas, rechargeable fan, a towel, and rain boots.

And that cool breeze? Incredible. I’ll take mud fest over dust fest any day.

Dress Code: BRAT!

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Dress Code: BRAT! *

FRIDAY

They girls, gays and theys came dresses, but the whole Friday crowd understood the assignment. Mini shorts, mini skirts, black corset tanks, lime-green tops, statement sunglasses and glitter everywhere. Hair was sleep, braided or up in space buns with rainboots completing plenty of looks.

Others braved the mud in their cute shoes: white cowboy boots, knee-high boots, Converse and even Crocs. The commitment to the outfit was there.

The commitment to playing in the mud was also there. I saw a girl pull a Love Island classic clam slam right into it. Bestie, this is Zilker, not the villa.

“Wait, I like this”

is something i repeated to myself through-out the weekend. Going in without knowing much of the lineup gave me room to discover artists instead of rushing exclusively between familiar names.

New Constellations, Elijah Delgado, Paris Paloma and BUNT. all became artists I wanted to hear more from. Leon Thomas was another I enjoyed. My listening was growing, which was a pretty good outcome from someone who arrived knowing so little.

*Elijah Delgado, Dusana Karam for Austin City Limits Festival 2026*

Then there was Labrinth, who gave me a moment of recognition: wait, he’s behind that music from Euphoria? Apparently, I was more familiar with his work than I was with his name.

That’s part of what made the weekend fun. Sometimes I was discovering something completely new; sometimes I was finally putting an artist to a sound I already recognized.

*Labrinth by Ashley Osborn for Austin City Limits Festival 2026*

The DJs Kept Everybody Moving |

Between BUNT., Steve Aoki, the Chainsmokers and Levity there was plenty for the EDM crowd to get excited about.

The Chainsmokers brought the nostalgia. Their music took me back to when I first started hearing their hits, while Levity was another standout that kept me dancing.

Steve Aoki’s set also came with a moment I have only seen on TikTok: someone getting caked in the face by Aoki.

I was sad to miss Skrillex but choosing Charli xcx meant making a touch schedule decision. And for me, Charli was worth it.

Charlie xcx: Everybody Was Ready

*Charli XCX by Henry Redcliffe for Austin City Limits Fest 2026*

When Charli appeared, the crowd went crazy. I knew people were excited but I wasn’t prepared for quite that level of excitement.

Her set was fun and then she brought out Troye Sivan as as special guest. A little bonus for those of us who had already decided that was where we needed to be.

Between the outfits, the crowd and the surprise appearance, there was plenty to take in.

Saturday

Saturday brought better weather, with much less rain during my time at the festival. It also felt like there were more people than Friday and the line to get inside certainly supported that impression.

Gates didn’t open until 2 p.m. because crews needed more time to address the muddy grounds. That meant a whole lot of us were trying to enter at once. Unfortunately, the wait cost me DJ Cassandra’s set, and my heart still hurts about that one.

Once inside, I could see the work that had gone into making the grounds easier to navigate. Turf, temporary flooring, and mulch had been added in certain areas, and they helped. My rain boots were still very much part of the outfit, though.

HOA, HOA, HOA |

*Suki Waterhouse by Dusana Karam for Austin City Limits Festival 2026*

I had never seen Suki Waterhouse live and only knew one or two of her songs, so this was my chance to get better acquainted.

But the rainy weekend and muddy setting had my Twilight brain working overtime. It was definitely giving “hoa hoa hoa.”

Would I have minded Edward Cullen I mean, Robert Pattinson making an appearance? Absolutely not. A girl can hope.

Suki was the reason I was there, though, and catching her live gave me an introduction beyond the couple of songs I already knew.

A Dolly Tribute…with a Few Familiar Faces

*Dolly Parton Drag by Ashley Osborn for Austin City Limits Festival 2026*

Over at the Bonus Tracks stage, Exxtragrams brought a Dolly Parton tribute drag show, and it was such a fun addition to the day.

The best part? Two special “guests”: Kenny Rogers and Whitney Houston, brought to life by the tribute performers.

Dolly, Kenny, and Whitney in one show? Besties, that is a lineup. I was glad I made time for something beyond the main music stages.

YOUNG MIKO *

Before ACL, I had heard people talking about how excited they were to see Young Miko. Meanwhile, I didn’t know her music or what to expect. I hadn’t even realized she was a woman.

Well, I left a fan.

Her passion drew me in. As a Latina, seeing a Puerto Rican woman onstage and connecting with the culture and representation she brought to her performance made it even more meaningful.

I didn’t need to know every lyric to enjoy her set. I just knew I wanted to keep listening afterward.

To everybody who was hyping her up before the festival: I get it now. You were onto something.

Levity: Still Plenty of Dancing to Do

Levity was another standout, and I was happy to have space to dance.

With plenty of DJ sets throughout the weekend, the EDM crowd had a lot to enjoy. Levity kept that energy going and got everybody hyped, myself included.

Going into so much of the lineup blind kept paying off. There was always another performance giving me a reason to stick around.

*Levity by j.baura for Austin City Limits Festival 2026*

A Market Stop Was Necessary

I also visited the market, where Roommate Collective got me with two cute star hair clips, a corndog hat, and a few stickers.

Yes, a corndog hat. Apparently, that was something my wardrobe needed.

They have a store here in Austin, and I’m already making plans to head there ASAP. If their festival booth was enough to send me home with all that, I need to see what else is waiting for me.

Between shopping and sets, I also explored activations from Trojan, Mike and Ike, and Aperol Spritz. The dancing Mike and Ike mascots were a highlight—even the candy came ready to have a good time.

Lorde: Three Songs In, Already in My Feelings ||

Lorde was Saturday’s headliner I was especially excited to see. I already love her music, and her opening was incredible.

Then she performed “Royals” within the first three songs.

Besties, we were barely getting started, and I already had emotions to deal with.

Hearing it live brought me back to a time—and feelings—I hadn’t connected with in a long while. I expected to enjoy her performance. I didn’t expect that song to hit quite like it did.

*Lorde by Dusana Karam for Austin City Limits Festival 2026*

The Playlist Kept Growing

Saturday also turned me into a fan of Coleman Jennings, it’s murph, Lola Young, Bleachers, and Rochelle Jordan. Between them and Young Miko, I had plenty of music to take home with me.

That was one of my favorite things about going without knowing the full lineup. I kept finding artists who made me want to stop, listen, dance, and look them up afterward. What started as “let’s see who’s playing” became “okay, I need more of this.”

“Same Time Next Year?”

Would I do ACL solo again? Easily.

I loved moving at my own pace, getting into the crowds when I wanted to, and hanging back when I needed room to dance. I could catch a set, make a shopping detour, or discover someone new without coordinating anybody else’s schedule.

My only regret? Not being able to run fast enough to every stage. Apparently, my music taste has more stamina than my legs.

I had so much fun, and I’m already excited for ACL 2027. Until then, I have new favorites to listen to, a corndog hat to wear, and one question to answer:

Besties, which festival am I taking myself to next?

New Beats, Muddy Boots and Clam Slams…Oh My!

Dress Code: BRAT!

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Dress Code: BRAT! *

FRIDAY

The DJs Kept Everybody Moving |