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About Austin: Get To Know Our Capital City

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Music, Film and Television
Where can I hear live music?
How do I see a taping of Austin City Limits?
Why is Austin called The Live Music Capital of the World®?
I have heard of SXSW; does Austin have other big music festivals?
Why is Austin referred to as the “Third Coast”?

Q: Where can I hear live music?
A: This is The Live Music Capital of the World®, after all. With nearly 200 live music venues, the sound of Austin is all over town. However, the largest concentration of live music can be found downtown in the high-energy bars along our famous Sixth Street, the rockin’ live music venues on Red River and the eclectic scene down in the Warehouse District.

• The East Sixth Street area runs between IH-35 and Congress Avenue.
• The Red River area runs north from Sixth Street along Red River.
• The Warehouse District encompasses Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Streets, west from Congress Avenue to Guadalupe Street.

Just a mile or two from downtown, you’ll find the South Congress Avenue (SoCo) area, centered on the beloved Continental Club at 1315 S. Congress Ave. Off South Lamar in SoLa, there’s the renowned honky-tonk called The Broken Spoke at 3201 South Lamar. But that doesn’t even scratch the surface — when you add in all the coffee shops, restaurants, neighborhood hangouts and more, there can be hundreds of opportunities to hear live Austin music on any given night.

To learn more about Austin’s live music, click here.

Q: How do I see a taping of Austin City Limits?
A: Austin City Limits tapes on an irregular schedule throughout the year, based on the musicians’ availability. The taping takes place on the sixth floor of the University of Texas College of Communications Building B at Dean Keeton (26th Street) and Guadalupe. Free tours of the studio are offered every Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Vouchers for admission to the tapings are free, however they are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at specific dates, times and locations (which are announced via local radio stations). Possession of a voucher does not guarantee admission — you will have to wait in line again for your chance to get in for the performance, as seats are limited. Call the Austin City Limits Hotline at 512-475-9077 for more details.

Q: Why is Austin called The Live Music Capital of the World®?
A: With nearly 200 venues, the city has more live music entertainment per capita than any other U.S. city.

Q: I have heard of SXSW; does Austin have other big music festivals?
A: For 10 days each March, the South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive Conferences and Festival bring people from all over the world to Austin. But that’s certainly not all. Held in October of each year, the Austin City Limits Music Festival is a three-day outdoor music extravaganza: Now in its ninth big year, the ACL Fest spreads over 16 acres in Zilker Park and features hundreds of the best music acts in the world.

Q: Why is Austin referred to as the "Third Coast"?
A: There are a lot of reasons Austin has become a film and TV production mecca: For five years running, Austin has bested all other Texas cities in feature film production budgets. Numerous independent and blockbuster movies have been made here, and the annual Austin Film Festival is one of the top film festivals in the country.
But don’t take our word for it. MovieMaker magazine recently named Austin the No. 1 city to live, work and make movies in. In fact, our city was ranked No. 3 on the magazine’s "Top 10 Cities for Moviemakers" list in 2007 and No. 2 in 2006.