Music Festivals in Austin
Best Festivals in the Live Music Capital of the World®
Everyone knows that Austin is home to some of the most popular festivals in the country. But now people are also starting to buzz about the lesser-known gems that are catching on and well-worth the trip. But one thing is always certain, no matter which festival you choose, you're guaranteed to leave an Austin music fan.
Find more events on our full Events Calendar.
Paul Cauthen at Hot Luck Fest. Credit Chad Wadsworth.
Spring
Austin Blues Festival
The origins of this festival date back to 1989 and now over two decades later, it's back. Celebrate blues icons and enjoy delicious food at Waterloo Greenway downtown.
austinbluesfestival.com
Austin Psych Festival
This weekend music festival takes place across multiple outdoor stages in South Austin honoring the psychedelic rock of the '60s.
levitation.fm
Austin Reggae Festival
Founded in 1994, this annual festival features a weekend of live reggae in scenic downtown Austin.
austinreggaefest.com
Besame Mucho Festival
Celebrate some of the biggest names in Latin music! The one day festival is located at Circuit of The Americas and features multiple stages with over 50 artists performing.
besamemuchofestival.com
Fusebox Festival
Fusebox is a hybrid arts festival that champions adventurous works of art in theater, dance, film, music, literature, visual and culinary arts.
fuseboxfestival.com
HONK!TX
Honk!TX Is a weekend event full of street and brass bands from around the country bringing free, family-friendly fun to public spaces around Austin. This a chance to get outdoors and experience the many genres of brass.
honktx.org
Hot Luck Festival. Credit to Cody Cowan.
Hot Luck Festival
Live Food & Music festival honors the soul, sweat and DIY culture of the food and music world. Come hungry, thirsty, and bring your dancin' boots.
hotluckfest.com
iHeartCountry Festival
Austin showcases some of the biggest names in country music, hosting the iHeartCountry Festival. Past performers will include Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town and more!
iheart.com/iheartcountry-festival
IllFest
Ill Fest is an immersive music and art experience at the Travis County Expo Center. Get ready to dance to EDM sets all night long and take part in colorful street art installations.
illfest.com
Luck Reunion
Hosted on the grounds of Willie Nelson's private ranch, Luck Reunion is an annual gathering, an "anti-festival" that attracts and celebrates outlaw musicians, artisans and chefs, who follow their dreams without compromise.
luckreunion.com
Off The Grid Campout and Music Festival
Head to East Austin for Off The Grid Campout and Music Festival featuring a variety of electronic music including techno, hardstyle and trance.
truedancemusic.com
Old Settler's Music Festival Spring Pickin' Party
Central Texas' signature music event featuring Grammy-winning Americana, arts and crafts, camping, food and libations. Acoustic jazz, blues and bluegrass are all performed by old-time local favorites and award-winning artists from around the world.
oldsettlersmusicfest.org
Rodeo Austin
Austin goes cowboy as PCRA competitors hit the arena. Headline entertainers perform concerts nightly.
rodeoaustin.com
Sips & Sounds Music Festival
Presented by Coke, kickoff springtime with two days of national headlining concerts and local food vendors at Auditorium Shores.
sipssoundsfest.com
Courtesy of SXSW.
SXSW
Noted filmmakers, musicians and multimedia artists from around the world converge to showcase music, film and interactive media during this internationally-recognized event.
sxsw.com
Two Step Inn
Listen to some of the most popular voices in country music at this new two-day music festival in Georgetown, Texas, just north of Austin.
twostepinn.com
Underground Sound Festival
Experience three days of underground electronic music on superior sound systems across two stages at this intimate festival.
undergroundsoundfestival.com
Urban Cultural Festival
Urban Cultural Fest is a family-centric festival for R&B, jazz, funk and reggae music lovers, where national and local entertainment take center stage.
facebook.com/urbanmusicfest
UTOPiAfest Down in the Oaks
What began as a gathering of music lovers on a ranch, has evolved into a weekend of camping and live music featuring 35+ bands. Festival-goers will enjoy a curated culinary experience, a wine grove, a Texas craft beer garden, workshops, art installations and a kid zone for the little ones.
utopiafest.com
Hot Summer Nights. Credit to Robert Hein.
Summer
Austin PRIDE
The PRIDE Festival is the largest annual LGBTQ advocacy and fundraising event in Central Texas! After the festival, head to Congress Avenue for the Pride Parade through downtown.
austinpride.org
Fourth of July Fireworks & Symphony
The Austin Symphony hosts an annual concert of patriotic music, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display over Lady Bird Lake.
austinsymphony.org
The Front Fest
Produced by Future Front ATX, The Front Fest is an annual music, art, film, comedy and education festival based in Austin, Texas for people who like a good show.
thefrontfest.com
Hot Summer Nights
Every summer, venues throughout the Red River Cultural District host four days of free live music, alongside local food and vendors.
redriverculturaldistrict.org
Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic
This day-long event features a star-studded lineup, headlined by Nelson himself, and a patriotic fireworks display at the end of the night.
thecircuit.com
Austin City Limits Music Festival. Credit Sara Marjorie.
Fall
Austin Celtic Festival
This annual festival is also the largest gathering of Celts in Central Texas. The event is home to four stages of Irish, Scottish and Breton music, dance, sports, storytelling, workshops and more.
austincelticfestival.com
Austin City Limits Music Festival
ACL Festival is a two-weekend event that brings together more than 130 acts from all over the world to play rock, indie, country, folk, electronic and more on eight stages.
aclfestival.com
Chingona Fest Texas
The Chingona Fest is an annual festival meant to inspire and empower Latinas through music, film, art and community.
chingonafesttx.com
Eastside Kings Festival
Eastside Kings Fest is a celebration for the great living musicians who have given us some of the best years of music. The festival brings together great blues, gospel and jazz acts every year for two amazing evenings.
eastsidekingsfest.com
Freaky Deaky
Celebrate this Hallow’s Eve and commit yourself to Freaky Deaky with two days of dancing on the dark side. Our freaky celebration welcomes many of today’s most sinister selectors across several stages with booming basslines to be heard for miles.
freakydeaky.com
LEVITATION. Credit to Chad Wadsworth.
LEVITATION
Formerly Psych Fest, this independent festival has grown from a small word-of-mouth event to an internationally acclaimed, full weekend event that attracts attendees from all over the world.
levitation-austin.com
Outside the City Limits Festival
Vista Brewing’s laid-back, outdoor music fest is back! Spend the day at the Driftwood brewery for a relaxing day in the Hill Country filled with live music, farm-fresh food, craft beer and Texas wine & cider. Held on Vista Brewing's beautiful, tree-filled 21-acre ranch, the 4th annual OCL Music Fest is hosting an outstanding lineup of local musicians playing all day on two stages.
vistabrewingtx.com
Pecan Street Festival
Musicians, food vendors, artists and craftspeople turn Historic Sixth Street, originally named Pecan Street, into a lively, bi-annual street fair.
pecanstreetfestival.org
Seismic Dance Event
A boutique music festival curated specifically for house, techno and underground music enthusiasts. Seismic is the only house and techno music festival of the Southern US with an intimate size and a reputation for its impeccable crowd culture and thick vibes.
seismicdanceevent.com
Viva La Vida Festival & Parade
Viva La Vida is Austin’s largest and longest-running Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival, featuring a Grand Procession, art activities and demos, traditional foods, live music and performances throughout the day.
mexic-artemuseum.org/viva-la-vida-fest
Free Week. Credit to Renee Dominguez.
Winter
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar makes holiday shopping fun with nearly 200 artists and makers, live music daily, interactive activities, local food and two full bars.
armadillobazaar.com
Austin's New Year
Join the City of Austin and Visit Austin for a free and family-friendly evening as Austin welcomes in the new year at Auditorium Shores. CNN will be live at Austin’s countdown as part of the network's “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.” Austin’s New Year also features a night of entertainment headlined by local musicians, food trucks and beverage vendors, and a midnight fireworks show.
austintexas.gov
Carnaval Brasileiro
Flamboyant costumes, Brazilian samba music and the uninhibited, spirited atmosphere make Austin's Carnaval one of the biggest such festivals outside of Brazil.
sambaparty.com
Free Week
The first week of January might be the best time for a music fan to visit Austin. Why? Hundreds of Austin bands participate in this annual event that encompasses multiple venues throughout the Red River Cultural District.
redriverculturaldistrict.org
OUTsider Fest
OUTsider Fest celebrates the bold originality and creative nonconformity of the LGBTQ+ communities through the presentation of provocative, overlooked and out-of-the-box film, dance, theater, performance art, music, writing and visual art.
outsiderfest.org