Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, Feb. 28, 2024.
Sara Diggins/American-Statesman
One of pop music’s biggest stars is returning to where much of her rise first began.
Olivia Rodrigo will take the stage at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on Wednesday, July 29, for an Austin City Limits taping, marking her first full-set performance of songs from her new album, “You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.” The performance comes five years after Rodrigo made her ACL television debut before a live audience on the iconic PBS series as an 18-year-old artist on the verge of superstardom.
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Since that appearance, Rodrigo has won three Grammy Awards, completed her 100-date GUTS World Tour in 2025 and released another chart-topping album featuring hits including “drop dead” and “the cure.” She recently unveiled “what’s wrong with me,” a collaboration with Robert Smith of The Cure.
The episode will air this fall as part of Austin City Limits’ 52nd season on PBS.
Here’s what fans should know before heading downtown.
More than 60,000 entered the lottery
Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, Feb. 28, 2024.
Sara Diggins/American-Statesman
Admission to Austin City Limits tapings is free, but getting inside is another story.
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According to an ACL representative, more than 60,000 lottery entries were submitted for Rodrigo’s performance. With the Moody Theater holding about 2,000 people during ACL tapings, demand far exceeded available space.
Passes were distributed through the show’s online lottery on Monday. Winners received passes in pairs, but even those with passes are not guaranteed admission because entry is based on venue capacity.
When to arrive
Bruce Fisk of Rochester, Michigan, looks at the newly installed ACL TV Poster Wall along the stairway leading to ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Fisk and his wife were visiting Austin for a concert by Kenny Wayne Shepherd at the venue that evening. The curated collection of posters by local artists highlights two decades of “Austin City Limits” tapings.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Fans have already begun camping outside the venue, with an ACL representative saying people started lining up Monday night.
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For those attending, the schedule is:
Gates, will call and exterior bars open: 6 p.m.
Doors open: 7 p.m.
Taping begins: 8 p.m.
Organizers recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before the taping begins to allow time for security screening.
At 7:40 p.m., any remaining capacity — including unclaimed seats — will be released to waiting attendees to ensure a full studio audience.
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Will call will be open from 6 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. at the top of the main entry stairs.
Don’t expect to film the show
People wait in a line that wrapped around City Hall at 4:30 p.m. for a performance by Mexican singer Peso Pluma at ACL Live at Moody Theater during SXSW Wednesday March 13, 2024.
Jay Janner / American-Statesman
While the atmosphere is encouraged to feel like a concert, the performance is ultimately a television production.
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Audience members are welcome to cheer, sing along and help create an energetic crowd, but cell phone use inside the studio during the taping is prohibited. Organizers ask guests to put away their phones and leave the recording to the professional production crew.
Camera operators also have designated work areas near the stage that guests are asked not to enter.
Inside bars close once filming begins, though drinks remain available from the outdoor Music Porch throughout the performance.
Parking, bags and getting there
Fans line up for a meet-and-greet with filmmaker and actor, Kevin Smith, and to eat at “Mooby’s,” on May 10, 2021. Mooby’s is a restaurant experience based on a fictional fast food restaurant that appears in several Kevin Smith films like “Dogma” and “Clerks II.” The restaurant is at 3TEN ACL Live, the downtown music venue at 310 W Willie Nelson Boulevard and will be open from May 10, 2021 to May 15, 2021.
Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman
ACL Live at the Moody Theater is located at 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd. in downtown Austin’s Second Street District.
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There is no official venue parking, though several nearby garages and surface lots are available. Metered street parking is also available, but rates vary. Because of expected crowds and downtown traffic, rideshare is recommended.
Security screenings are required for all guests.
Backpacks and bags larger than 11 by 17 inches are prohibited, though diaper bags and medically necessary bags are allowed. All bags are subject to inspection.
Outside food and drinks, weapons, illegal substances and other prohibited items are not permitted inside the venue.
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Watching after the taping
María Zardoya from The Marías at an ACL TV taping in Austin July 8, 2025.
Photo by Scott Newton courtesy Austin City Limits/Austin PBS.
Even if you don’t make it inside Wednesday night, Rodrigo’s performance won’t stay exclusive for long.
The taping will air on PBS later this fall during Season 52 of Austin City Limits. Recent episodes are also available through the PBS App after broadcast.
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While the televised episode will run about 57 minutes, tapings often last up to two hours, meaning only a portion of the performance makes the final broadcast.