Temperatures in Austin are still toasty, but as we move into September the air is beginning to shift.
If I remember correctly, Johnny Cash sang: “I hear the fests a-comin’/ they’re rolling ‘round the bend / and I ain’t seen live music since I don’t know when.” That’s the sound of “Austin Music Blues.” Despair not, festival season is right around the corner. Yes, we can see live music every night in town if we want to and we’re definitely blessed because of that, but there’s a certain ease and comfort to hearing a carousel of bands in one place. From psychedelic jam acts, electronic dance music and a certain three letter acronym that takes over Zilker Park, get ready to test your endurance at these six upcoming music festivals.
Sept. 11-14: Sonic Transmission Festival at multiple Austin venues
Started by Norwegian bassist Ingebright Håker Flaten in 2015, Sonic Transmission Festival features four nights of multi-genre music across multiple venues around town. Featuring artists from around the globe, the fest offers a range of music from jazz and rock, to folk and experimental. Here’s the gameplan for your weekend: Go to the Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA on Sept. 11; head to the Scottish Rite Theater on Sept. 12; go to dadaLab on Sept. 13; then go to Monks on Sept. 13 and Radio/East on Sept. 14. It’s just that easy! — Mars Salazar
Info: All ages, $25 and up, sonictransmissions.com.
Hundreds of attendees walk among tents and booths along Sixth Street on May 8, 2022 during the Pecan Street Festival. (Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman)
Sept. 13-14: 50th Annual Pecan Street Festival at the Hill Country Galleria
Austin’s biannual Pecan Street Festival is celebrating its bicentennial — although the fest founded to celebrate Sixth Street moved earlier this year. Now west of town at the Hill Country Galleria, the free celebration will include live music, rows and rows of local vendors, handcrafted arts, a wide variety of food and drink options and fun activities for the whole family. There will also be some carnival rides and dance lessons so you can shake things up in between your shopping sprees. Music will be at the Covert Bee Cave Stage with Henry Invisible, FOAM, the Bros Fresh and more on Saturday. Sunday will feature Armadillo Road, Brian Scartocci, Jo James and more. — M.S.
Info: All ages, free, pecanstreetfestival.org.
The Osees play the first night of their four-night residency at Hotel Vegas during Levitation Fest on Oct. 31, 2024. (Pooneh Ghana/Levitation Fest)
Sept. 25-28: Levitation Fest at Palmer Events Center
Levitation spawned in the tour van of Austin psych heavies the Black Angels. Launched in 2008 as Austin Psych Fest — now resurrected as a separate spring music festival — musicians Christian Bland and Alex Maas and their friend Rob Fitzpatrick have made it their mission to put on a grassroots psych showcase with music from around the globe. Levitation has existed in several formats, and this year, organizers shifted programming from a multi-venue structure to a centralized location at the Palmer Events Center. However, the fest will continue to host individually ticketed late-night shows in the Red River Cultural District during the four-day event. There are too many amazing acts coming to town for me to name them all, so check out the full lineup on the fest’s website. — M.S.
Info: All ages, $115 and up; tickets for night shows vary, levitation.fm.
Some praised Chappell Roan’s 2024 appearances at the festival as being among the most memorable ACL Fest sets of all time. (Mikala Compton/American-Statesman)
Oct. 3-5, 10-12: Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) is classic Austin. It scratches every itch, whether you came for mosh or mood. You can dance to hits from Sabrina Carpenter, get your indie rock fix with the Strokes and Cage the Elephant, or tap into country energy for Luke Combs over two weekends. Download the fest’s schedule app, because with over 100 artists across six stages, you’ll be making some tough “which set to see” decisions. Some ACL tickets are still available, but you have to act fast. General admission three-day tickets for both weekend one and two are currently on waitlists, however limited single-day Sunday tickets are up for grabs for both weekends, with Friday tickets also available for weekend two. — Ana Gutierrez
Info: All ages, $170 and up, aclfestival.com.
Eminem performs on the super stage at Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Mikala Compton/American-Statesman)
Oct. 17-19: Formula 1 at Circuit of the Americas
This race weekend blends roaring engines with banging beats. This year’s F1 at Circuit of the Americas headline sets begin with Kygo’s electronic set under the Friday night sky. Attendees then get to ride into Saturday with Garth Brooks — the country music superstar’s only planned concert of 2025 — and then let the Turnpike Troubadours wrap it all up on Sunday. — A.G.
Info: All ages, $103 and up, circuitoftheamericas.com.
Oct. 25-26: Wicked Oaks Music Festival at Carson Creek Ranch
Introducing Wicked Oaks, the convergence of Freaky Deaky, Summoning Fest and Illfest in one single place. The “superfestival” features more than 60 artists playing at scenic Carson Creek Ranch, where you can get your groove on at a waterfront amphitheater shaded by old pecan and oak trees. Wicked Oaks will feature camping areas, light displays, fire performances and large-scale interactive installations. The music will span multiple genres, including world beats, house, techno, electro-funk and more genre-defying hybrids. Programming splits between three stages: the Freaky Deaky Stage, the Summoning Stage and the Illfest Stage. Most 2-day GA, GA+ and VIP tickets are sold out, but you can still try your luck with single day passes. — M.S.
Info: 18 and up, $100 and up, wickedoaksfest.com.
Crowds dance to the music at Seismic Dance Event. The two-stage bash will return to the Concourse Project in Austin on Nov. 14-16. (Clark Terrell/Seismic Dance Event)
Nov. 14-16: Seismic Dance Event at Concourse Project
Seismic Dance Event feels like being welcomed into the city’s most intentional underground party. If you care about house and techno music, this is Austin’s answer to the best warehouse raves. DJs for this year’s event include Charlotte de Witte, Duke Dumont, Four Tet, and Underworld. Attendees can expect generous set times (usually over 90 minutes) that allow DJs to craft a proper arc from start to finish. — A.G.
Info: 18 and up, $115 and up, seismicdanceevent.com.
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