A Survival Guide for Austin City Limits Music Festival

by Justin Zamudio

This will be the eighth year I’ve attended Austin City Limits Music Festival. I’ve learned a few things, what I deem as essentials, over that time. I am a creature of habit, so after identifying a few bumps over the years, I’ve developed a routine I stick to that maximizes my experience while attending one of Austin’s most popular events.

Here are a couple things to my advantage that help save me money and are convenience factors: One is I live approximately 20 miles north of Zilker Park in Round Rock so I don’t worry about lodging, and two is my day job is with the State of Texas, so free parking!

All photos courtesy of Justin Zamudio

Preparation

Know the rules of what can be brought into the park. Don’t be that person who holds up the line and gets their stuff confiscated at the gate. Every year when I’m going in, I see expensive, large bottles of sunscreens and umbrellas get left at the gates because those are some common items not permitted.

Here is a checklist of what I bring in:

Small bottle of sunscreen. The one guarantee is the sun will be brutal out there. Protect your skin and reapply throughout the day.
Durable water bottle. There are numerous water-refilling stations throughout the park. Do your body a favor and visit them frequently. Don’t stay thirsty, my friends; stay hydrated!
Collapsible footstool. This comes in handy for sitting under shaded areas and for my daughter, so she can level the playing field with the taller folks in the crowd and get a better view of what’s happening on stage.
Ear protection. I’ve been a concert photographer for years and this is one of my necessities for any live music event. Protect your hearing because ringing in your ears after the music stops is a real downer.
Bandana. Cover your face. As an avid allergy sufferer, my nose goes through hell following ACL. I minimize it by covering up from the hazy dust cloud that is sure to linger throughout the day.
See-through bag. Get one that fits the dimensions to hold all your stuff. You’ll accumulate more stuff through the day. It’s also a great place to put your cellphone and wallet to better protect from those pesky pick-pocketers – they’ll definitely be out there.

Getting There

Here is where my homefield advantages take center stage. I always eat a hearty breakfast before I make it out to the park. I urge to eat beforehand because the food there is expensive, good but expensive.

There is a state garage on San Antonio and 4th Street, across from Republic Park, that I can park at for free because of my job. I park there and catch the nearby shuttle to get to Zilker Park. The shuttle picks up near the Austin Central Library, which is a short, five-minute walk from the garage. I think the parking costs about $25 for the general public, which is still a good option.

I always arrive at ACL when the gates open. I get there early for a few reasons:

You get through the gate in a breeze. One year following a massive storm the night before, the park opened at 3 p.m. It was a nightmare getting in at that time. I remember being bummed because I missed all of Emotional Oranges’ set except for their final song because of the tedious waiting at the gate.
It’s the best time to collect cool, free stuff and visit the store to purchase ACL merch. There are plenty of goodies to find, and the lines will be crazy long as the day goes on. Check out the activations, play the games, get the random giveaways and free snacks to eat later.
Up-and-comer acts deserve your attention. I’ve discovered some awesome bands because they were among the first acts to perform at ACL. Probably the best opening one-two punch was Mexican rocker Vanessa Zamora followed by Canadian crooner Orville Peck on an adjacent stage. Both of their performances were incredible. A couple other early-day acts that come to mind that I enjoyed seeing were British pop-rocker YUNGBLUD and Houston rapper BigXthaPlug.

BigXthaPlug performs at the 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Map Out Your Day

Make those tough decisions between competing performances. Go in with a gameplan and remember to allot some time to grab some food while there. Some of Austin’s most popular restaurants offer up some of their local flavor. There’s plenty to choose from. Every year, I can’t resist an agua fresca and plate of nachos from El Patio. I aim to eat around 3 p.m. That’s about the time it feels like the sun is trying its hardest to kill you. Seek shade next to a stage with an artist you’re interested in.

When The Music Stops

A rookie mistake is heading straight toward the shuttles after the final act of the day bids good night. You’ll feel like you’re cattle being led to the slaughter as you navigate the grounds to get to the shuttle pickup area. If you do this, you will be waiting for a long time. There are always people already there because they cut out early to beat the crowd. I’m not a fan of cutting out early, and I’m not fond of waiting in a hot horde of people for a long time afterward.

My solution is to let the crowd thin out and whip out one of those large garbage bags you can pick up from the Rock & Recycle booth. For each bag returned to the booth filled with garbage, you get a cool white ACL shirt with a unique design and the bands listed on the back. I’ve collected a few of them from over the years. Filling up the garbage bag is so fast to do at the end of the night, and you’ll be surprised at some of the cool things you’ll find.

After a final bathroom break, and with the shirt I worked for in hand, I make the approximately 2-mile walk to the downtown parking garage. At this point, there’s still plenty of people walking that direction without it being too crowded. It’s always safer with people around, so the night walk doesn’t put you at too much of a risk. You also get treated to a wonderful view of downtown Austin while crossing the pedestrian bridge off Lamar Road. Once I reach my car, navigating through downtown isn’t bad. To satisfy my urge for the munchies, I go directly to P. Terry’s and get a decent-priced burger. It always hits the spot. I usually make it home just before midnight. You’ll feel a bit tired, but it’s always well worth it.