As always, the South by Southwest Music Competitors anchors the spring music calendar, and Austin Metropolis Limits Music Competitors holds down the autumn. In between, long-running native fests like Austin Reggae Fest and Outdated Settler’s Music Competitors return, and new events similar to the Two Step Inn in Georgetown, the Austin Blues Competitors and the Nation Music Television Awards saddle up for his or her first go-round.
That is what’s on the books to this point for Austin music festivals.
Bruce, Janet, SZA and the CMT Awards:Your info to remain music in Austin for 2023
JANUARY 5-7: Free Week inside the Pink River Cultural District
State of affairs 1: You merely moved to Austin and are curious in regards to the native music scene, nevertheless don’t know straightforward strategies to start exploring. State of affairs 2: You used to exit frequently, nevertheless life occurred and likewise, you’re on a funds. State of affairs 3: You and your homies rule these streets. If any of these eventualities describe your life, we’ve now good news. Over a three-day interval, a dozen venues inside the Pink River Cultural District will throw open their doorways to present no-cover reveals by higher than 100 native acts. Golf tools on the roster embody staples like Cheer Up Charlies, Mohawk and Empire, along with Flamingo Cantina (on Pink River-adjacent Sixth Street). Latin dance membership Mala Vida, vampire hangout Elysium and the thirteenth Floor might also be inside the mix, and there’ll probably be meals and drinks specials at consuming locations and bars all by the district. Bands on the roster embody rising soul artist Chief Cleopatra, Sweet Spirit’s Sabrina Ellis and the Shiny Light Social Hour. redriverculturaldistrict.org.
MARCH 13-18: South by Southwest Music Competitors
Even sooner than the pandemic, the photo voltaic had set on the March music fest’s celebrity heyday. To date few years, SXSW organizers have refocused on the event’s genuine purpose as a worldwide discovery fest. Will your wristband embody Woman Gaga collaborating in Stubb’s or a Megan Thee Stallion pop-up at a automobile parking space in East Austin? Perhaps not. Nevertheless it’s possible you’ll catch this yr’s Moist Leg, a sensation inside the making who makes use of the spring fling to catapult themselves into the spotlight sooner than summer season touring season. There’ll probably be a great deal of completely different options to catch proficient up-and-comers from throughout the globe, along with a model new Method ahead for Music assortment that targets to peg breakouts, produced in partnership with Rolling Stone. $695 badge; wristbands will go on sale this yr. sxsw.com.
Further:A info to movement photos these days filmed in Austin (whats up, Ben Affleck)
MARCH 30-APRIL 2: HonkTX! Neighborhood Street Band pageant
Areas and lineup for the scrappy street band pageant are often not however obtainable, nevertheless ragtag bands of brassy merrymakers will probably be marching by city all weekend prolonged. HonkTX! events are free, family-friendly jams that bear in mind street music traditions from N.O.L.A. second strains to European klezmer acts. Ultimate yr’s event included a Friday night time current behind Jo’s Espresso on South Congress and daylong occasions at Mueller Lake Park on Saturday and Pan Am Park on Sunday. honktx.org.
APRIL 1: Austin Metropolis Cultural Fest at Auditorium Shores
Scheduled to coincide with the Texas Relays monitor meet on the School of Texas, the event beforehand known as Metropolis Music Fest has flip into the premier annual R&B occurring in Central Texas. These days, organizers have expanded the event’s imaginative and prescient. Previous music, the celebration spotlights Afro-centric meals, garments, dance and visual paintings from the Austin house. Seventies electrofunk influencers Zapp take excessive billing on a musical roster that moreover incorporates Mint State of affairs’s Stokley Williams, Lyfe Jennings, Chrisette Michelle and further. $75-$150. urbanmusicfest.com.
APRIL 2: CMT Music Awards on the Moody Coronary heart
For the first time in historic previous, the one fan-voted nation music awards current is leaving Nashville. Various thousand tickets to the Kelsea Ballerini-hosted ceremony will probably be launched to the general public rapidly. Nevertheless even for those who occur to don’t deal with to snag a seat, you could have the flexibility besides up and boogie with the Nation Music Television crew. “It’s the main principal award current in our metropolis, and previous what happens on the realm by the exact current and the purple carpet ceremony, CMT is planning a citywide takeover,” Moody regular supervisor Jeff Nickler suggested the Statesman in December. CMT keep reveals will broadcast on location from Austin, and Nickler acknowledged to depend on pop-up occasions and completely different events principal as a lot as the current. moodycenteratx.com.
APRIL 15-16: Two Step Inn at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown
Dropped at you by the workforce that produces ACL Fest, this new fest inside the northern ‘burbs has a mission: to unite “old style and new faculty nation” and “the whole thing in between.” Headliners Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers characterize the model new faculty, whereas veterans like Wynona Judd, Tanya Tucker and Travis Tritt keep it down for the old style. I suppose on this analogy, country-inspired items from T-Ache and Diplo fall into the category of “the whole thing in between.” Technically purchased out. twostepinn.com.
APRIL 20-23: Outdated Settler’s Music Competitors in Dale
After important restaffing all through the pandemic shutdown, organizers say the 36-year-old roots-and-Americana music celebration will return to its, successfully, roots as a family-friendly campfire jam. On this case, it’s a jam that options a few of the extremely efficient voices of her period, British singer-songwriter Yola, alongside excessive pickers the Picket Brothers. Americana duo Shovels and Rope and Austin fave Shinyribs spherical out the very best tier of the roster. Competitors organizers are moreover scaling once more to daytime acts on the campground stage solely and eradicating fences so campers can convey their very personal drinks all by pageant grounds. Advance prices: two-day for $100; three-day for $175; four-day for $225. oldsettlersmusicfest.org.
APRIL 21-23: Austin Reggae Competition at Auditorium Shores
The lineup has not however been launched for this mellow-groove bash, nevertheless let’s be precise: Does it matter? Flamingo Cantina, the Sixth Street membership that has been dwelling base for reggae in Austin for over 30 years, helps with reserving, and there’ll probably be not lower than one or two worldwide reggae heavies on the roster. Nevertheless the event, which misses the stoner trip 4/20 by sometime this yr, is about higher than music. It’s an old-school Austin vibe fest with an intensive multicultural vendor market, numerous meals selections and blatant public celebration of a certain plant that was these days decriminalized inside the metropolis of Austin. austinreggaefest.com.
APRIL 23: Austin Blues Competitors at Waterloo Park
Once more in 1999, Clifford Antone, founding father of his famed namesake nightclub and one of the best blues patron in Austin historic previous, launched a short-lived pageant. Over three years, the Antone’s Blues Competitors launched the likes of Ray Charles, Buddy Man and John Lee Hooker to Waterloo Park. Fast forward various a very long time, and the workforce from his namesake membership has joined forces with employees at Waterloo Greenway to revive the pageant inside the park’s beautiful new amphitheater. The pageant traces one of the simplest ways the blues have moved by our custom, with a numerous lineup helmed by Latin-rock titans Los Lobos and Booker T’s Stax Revue, an ensemble led by most likely probably the most well-known Hammond B3 participant in historic previous. Adrian Quesada will convey a keep rendition of his wonderful new album, “Jaguar Sound,” to the stage, alongside BLK Odyssy, whose breathtaking expanded launch, “BLK Basic: The Reprise,” was top-of-the-line albums of 2022. $50 and up. waterloogreenway.org.
MAY 6-7: Pecan Street Competitors
Celebrating its forty eighth yr, the free event that sprawls down Sixth Street simply is not solely the largest arts and crafts pageant in Central Texas, it’s considered one of many oldest events of its type inside the nation. Together with paintings distributors and street meals, the pageant operates various ranges that features keep music from excessive native and regional acts. The autumn model of the fest takes place on Sept. 16-17. pecanstreetfestival.org.
MAY 25-28: Scorching Luck Fest inside the Pink River Cultural District
The meals’s the precise draw at this event created by Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, James Moody of the Mohawk and Mike Thelin, co-founder of Feast Portland. Nevertheless organizers sometimes current a secure soundtrack to your noshing. The 2023 lineup has not been launch nevertheless earlier artists embody the Motts, Robert Ellis and DJ Jazzy Jeff. All entry “whole enchilada” packages on sale for $450 plus expenses. A la carte tickets will probably be obtainable nearer to the event. hotluckfest.com.
MAY 19-20: Seismic Spring Lite Model at Concourse Enterprise
The little sister to Seismic’s fall event, considered one of many largest underground dwelling and techno festivals in Texas. Two-day for $119 and up.
JUNE 16-18: Oblivion Entry Competitors inside the Pink River Cultural District
The cult fave pageant has been steadily rising and the 2023 model will convey the noise to seven venues inside the Pink River Cultural District along with every ranges at Empire and the Mohawk. The lineup just isn’t out however, nevertheless organizers present a well-curated combination of eardrum-shattering metal, hip-hop and experimental music. All-access passes are purchased out, nevertheless tickets to specific particular person events will come on-line this yr. oblivionaccessfestival.com.
OCTOBER 6-8 and 13-15: Austin Metropolis Limits Music Competitors at Zilker Park
The massive multistage blowout attracts roughly 75,000 daily to the crown jewel of Austin’s parks system. The lineup gained’t drop until late spring, but it surely certainly’s protected to depend on a cross-genre combination of chart-toppers collaborating in songs you may want heard on the radio or on the gymnasium, alongside up-and-comers collaborating in songs it’s possible you’ll hear on the gymnasium in various months. Moreover depend on various legacy rockers for the silver foxes, and a few TikTok stars the silver foxes have in no way heard of, inside the mix. The first spherical of tickets went on sale and purchased out in November. Three-day passes start at $300. aclfestival.com.
OCTOBER 26-29: Levitation inside the Pink River Cultural District
The native experimental music pageant returns with 4 days of boundary-pushing music. The lineup is not going to be out for a while, nevertheless earlier headliners have included Jesus and Mary Chain, L7, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and host band the Black Angels. levitation.fm.
NOVEMBER 10-12: Seismic Dance Fest at Concourse Enterprise
The lineup for the two-day, multi-stage dwelling and techno pageant in Southeast Austin gained’t be out for a while, nevertheless earlier headliners have included worldwide stars like Jamie XX, Black Espresso and Fatboy Slim. Together with music, the event incorporates paintings installations, meals vans and further. Three-day $169 and up. concourseproject.com.