Getting to ACL 2020

Article by JP Gaffney, Photos by JP Gaffney, Raquel Guerra, & Mackenzie Miller

In recent weeks, you may have stopped to ask yourself, “Is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge back? Where are the ice buckets? All I see are people fashionably dressed at a music festival.” That’s because it’s not ASL— it’s ACL, or Austin City Limits, and we’d love to see you attend next year!

Austin City Limits Music Festival is a 3 day annual festival held for two weekends in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas that attracts thousands of people to the beautiful city every year. The festival is put on by C3 Presents, the same company that puts on Lollapalooza in Chicago and various places around the US! It attracts some of the biggest names in music; this year, headlining and notable performers included Childish Gambino, Billie Eilish, Guns N Roses, Kacey Musgraves, Lizzo, and so many more incredibly talented artists. Sounds amazing, right? You’re probably thinking, “How in the world do I go? What do I do if I’ve never been to a music festival? What should I expect? “ Well, I’m here to give you a step-by-step breakdown of all the things so that you can have the time of your life at ACL 2020!

Subscribe to the Austin City Limits E-List

This is where you will get the latest news on the line-up for ACL 2020, notifications before tickets go on sale, and special promotions leading up to the festival. I recently found out that artists also do private shows in Austin, outside of the ACL festival! So if there’s someone big that you missed, were too far away to enjoy, or want to see again— you can do so for as little as $20 (in some cases).

I heard it was expensive?

Austin City Limits is expensive, but there are plenty of ways to pay! Many people may find themselves turned off when they see the hefty ticket price, but there are ways around it. Through the ACL ambassador program, you can invite people to buy their ticket using a code— get together enough people and you can get your ticket for free! The next best way is to buy your ticket on layaway! I did it this year and it worked perfectly. Instead of paying $250 up front, you can divide it into monthly installments that are much easier to make in $70 to $50 increments leading up to ACL. Keep in mind that they do add interest, but it’s a reasonable price for broke college students to pay, and a lot easier to get a refund by cancelling your layaway plan than it is to refund the full ticket up front. Austin City Limits can also be a lot. Three days of nonstop music festival might have you feeling burnt out on the last day, so if you still want to experience the festival but get your rest in, you might want to consider the more affordable option of buying a Day Pass ($110) for one or two of the days that have the artists you’re most excited to see during the weekend. Keep in mind that if you buy two day passes, you might as well shell out the extra dough to buy the weekend pass since there’s only a $50 difference. These are all general admission (GA) prices, but if you’ve got a little extra spending money and want to treat yourself (go you!), GA+ (General Admission plus) starts at $500 and includes a private lounge with shade, seating, air-conditioned restrooms, complimentary water and soft drinks, and a full-service cash bar with beer, wine, and cocktails.

Hmm, thanks, but I’ll probably stick with a GA wristband. I mean, I still have to eat, drink, play, and have somewhere to sleep while I’m there, right?

Nothing slips past you, our wonderful reader! You’re right! The ticket price is only one part of the costs to consider— travel costs, lodging, Austinite breakfasts before (or after!), staying hydrated and fed at the festival...the list goes on. So let’s think about this logistically. First, where should you stay? The cheapest way to ACL is through Airbnb, VRBO, or hitting up your friends who live around the city. Hotel rooms go very fast and rates are exponentially higher due to the amount of people ACL attracts to the city, but if you can find one that includes breakfast, it may be worth your while. However, some Airbnb/VRBOs have their own kitchens, so you can DIY your own avocado toast and save a few bucks. Try to find a place really close to Zilker Park, as it will make Ubers/Lyft cheaper. Otherwise, you can drive yourself and pay $10-$20 for garage parking near the festival. Both services run their “pool” feature, which lets you share the ride costs with multiple riders who are also going to the festival that helps lower the cost significantly! There are also shuttles in downtown Austin you can Uber/Lyft/walk to that will take you to Zilker Park. The earlier you book, the better! You can even find places to rent super close to the park if you book far enough in advance (which is why I’m writing this article)! If you live in Texas, driving to Austin is probably the cheapest option. However, if you fly in from another city, it’ll probably be less expensive to rent a car for the weekend than to constantly Uber or Lyft. If you don’t rent a car, just be aware that “surge” charges go into effect due to the amount of people that flock to Austin.

What about food and water at the festival?

When you’re at the festival, expect to pay a premium for “canned” water ($3) at their bars or for grub at their delicious (but also expensive) food stalls. A great way to work around this is to invest in a Camelbak water backpack. It may be hot and heavy to wear, but it’s free to fill up with water and easy to carry around with you in the hot sun! Austin City Limits security only allows you to carry one bag with one pouch, so make sure to read up on their security policy before you head to the festival. Just in case this slips your mind, ACL will send you an email reminder in the weeks leading up to the festival. One way to save space from carrying a bulky wallet is to go cashless. Your wristband will come with a handy NFC chip. Now, we have no idea what that really means, but we know that it works like this: you connect a credit/debit card to your wristband, which is registered through the official ACL website. Then, at the festival, you tap your wristband against their machines, which charges your purchase to your account. Magic! Finally, be sure to budget spending money for hanging out with your friends before or after the festival at any of the amazing restaurants Austin has to offer (we highly recommend the 24 diner on 600 N Lamar Blvd for an early morning or late night breakfast).

Which weekend should I go?

Good question! While both weekends are equally incredible, it ultimately comes down to three deciding factors when choosing which weekend of Austin City Limits to go to. The first is, when are you available? Have an event? Are you going to be able to request off of work? Is someone’s great aunt’s fish having their birthday party that week? You have to figure out which weekend works with your schedule. The second factor can be determined after the lineup is released. Some artists are only there for one weekend and not the other. Cardi B only performed Weekend One of ACL this year, and was replaced by Robyn at the same time and stage during Weekend 2. Many smaller artists attend in the same fashion due to their touring schedule, so look at the lineup poster to see if your favorite artists has a W1 or W2 by their name! If you have the financial means, you might even choose to split your time in Austin over both weekends by taking advantage of the Day Passes. Lastly, you’re going to have to factor in weather. For the past couple of years, Weekend One weather has fared much better than that of Weekend Two. Weekend One has been blisteringly hot, sunny, and sweaty every year, whereas Weekend Two has had the unpredictability of at least one cloudy, cool, overcast day that feels great, but is not as picturesque.

How do I plan which artists to see?

This is probably the easiest question on this list. First, download the ACL Fest app! The line-up is announced as soon as it is finalized, but there hasn’t been a set announcement date, so it’s important to pay attention to social media or email updates! As soon as the lineup is announced, you can go through the app and mark your favorite artists with a heart. Then, go to the schedule page and it will have all your artists highlighted for you. Shortly before the festival, it will also show you what time and stage they will be performing at. Best, or perhaps worst, you can check if any of your favorite artists will be performing at the same time. That way, you can pick the one that you want to see most or decide to split time between shows so you don’t miss either!

But what do I wear?

Ah yes, perhaps the most important question of all for a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle magazine. The ultimate “I Went To A Festival, Don’t I Look Fantastic?” Instagram pic dilemma. Ultimately, it comes down to your personal style. Don’t be afraid to take into consideration Vanessa Hudgens’s flawless Coachella looks over the years for a little inspiration, but remember this is Texas, y’all! We don’t have the cool breeze of California around our festival grounds. It is going to be hot, so I cannot stress this enough— sometimes the most fashionable move is the most comfortable move! Amazon surprisingly has a great last minute selection of cheap festival items (thank you, Prime 2-day shipping for my cowboy hat and yellow fishnet crop top that helped me add the final touches on two of my outfits the day before ACL). If you want something a bit more unique to really wow everyone at the festival, try looking on Etsy for custom and handmade items that will make your look stand out. For the real penny pincher, which we say as college students with high quality taste and low budgets who hold absolutely no judgment, don’t be afraid to ask your friend for those cute shorts they haven’t worn in a few months or the top they wore to ACL last year! Never throw anything useable away, as fashion always comes back in style and is still new if it’s new to you!

So I know how to plan for ACL, but is it worth it?

This, our lovely reader, is completely up to you! Some people aren’t made for the heat, standing for hours to get up close to your favorite artist, the crowds, the expenses, or the exhaustion of doing it again and again throughout the 3-day weekend. However, most of us will never get the opportunity to be 100 feet away from Billie Eilish or close enough to see the sweat on Childish Gambino’s eyebrow at a traditional concert arena. Considering that people pay hundreds of dollars to get front row tickets at an event center to sit second row for these artists, Austin City Limits is a phenomenally small price to pay when you take into account how many current and up-coming artists are all in one place! At the least, you could buy a One-Day pass after the line-up is released and just go see what all the buzz is about, then buy a 3-Day pass for the next year! Either way, we hope to see you in Austin for ACL 2020!

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