Hunx and His Punx performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
The price of Austin City Limits Music Festival tickets has increased gradually since the event’s 2002 debut. Additional expenses start to add up before you even enter the front gates. Here’s what you can expect to spend at the festival in 2026.
$$$$ The cheapest tickets are $170 for a single-day
Fans line up at the gates at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Tickets are the largest cost of attending the festival, and there are multiple options catering to many types of attendees.
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Single-day general admission tickets start at $170 — but for double the price, attendees can opt for a single-day “GA+” ticket instead, which includes private lounge and bar access, private water refill stations and air-conditioned restrooms, among other perks. The $710 single-day VIP option is by far the most jam-packed with extras, including complimentary alcohol, dedicated viewing decks, an air-conditioned lounge, complimentary salon services, and more.
A single-day platinum ticket costs $2,210 — three times the price of a VIP ticket and includes the added bonus of front-of-stage viewing and a golf cart chaperone to whisk pass-holders between stages.
For those who hope to dive in and commit to the full three-day weekend, three-day GA tickets start at $390, GA+ at $775, VIP at $1,850 and the platinum option starts at $5,800, according to the festival website.
Labrinth performs on the American Express Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
The Chainsmokers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Amyl and the Sniffers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Festival attendees navigate the wet, muddy festival grounds on the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Fans watch Turnstile perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Turnstile performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
People mosh in the mud during Turnstile’s performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
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Fans react as Charli xcx takes the stage as she headlines night one of Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
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Turnstile performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Turnstile performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Hannah Roth, left, of Anchorage, Alaska, and Kaylee Adelmann, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, watch Turnstile’s performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
People mosh in the mud during Turnstile’s performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Rebecca Black performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Fans watch the Chainsmokers performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
The Chainsmokers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Amyl and the Sniffers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Brad Tuma finds a lost shoe in the mud during Turnstile’s performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
People mosh in the mud during Turnstile’s performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
CMAT performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Fans mosh to Turnstile at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Fans dance as they watch Charli xcx headline night one of Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Amyl and the Sniffers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Rebecca Black performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Fans cheer as Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
CMAT performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Fans watch Grocery Bag perform on the BMI stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Fans mosh to Turnstile at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
CMAT performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Elena Colon-Pena, left, of Austin, and Caroline Padilla, of San Marcos, share a laugh at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Fans mosh to Turnstile at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Leon Thomas performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Festivalgoers walk through the mud at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Guest services shovels mulch to help soak up puddles at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Fans mosh to Turnstile at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Festival-goers navigate across growing stretches of mud during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Rain pools around Zilker Rock Island in Zilker Park on the first day of the 2026 Austin City Limits Music Festival, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/American-Statesman
Grocery Bag performs on the BMI stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Amyl and the Sniffers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Yeslyann Cruz and Billy Mounlasy kiss in the Turnstile mosh pit at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Fans line up at the gates at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
CMAT performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Billie Scarbro jumps over a puddle at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Festival-goers traverse wet, muddy festival grounds at Zilker Park on the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Sunny Carruthers, 4, walks through the mud at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Vaughn Stockton lifts his daughter, Josephine Stockton, 3, into the air at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
El Arroyo displays a sign as fans arrive to Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Elijah Delgado performs on the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
A festival-goer pushes a stroller through the mud during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
CMAT performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Labrinth performs on the American Express Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Hunx and His Punx performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Rebecca Black performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Rebecca Black performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Rebecca Black performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Rebecca Black performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Rebecca Black performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Festivalgoers walk past water puddles at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
The flags are reflected in a puddle as guests navigate through the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Elijah Delgado performs on the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Amyl and the Sniffers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Elijah Delgado performs on the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Hunx and His Punx performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Festivalgoers walk past water puddles at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Leon Thomas performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
CMAT performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
CMAT performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Labrinth performs on the American Express Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Rebecca Black performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Labrinth performs on the American Express Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Labrinth performs on the American Express Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Labrinth performs on the American Express Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Paris Paloma performs on the Miller Lite Stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Jesse Wells performs on the T-Mobile stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Jesse Wells performs on the T-Mobile stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Jesse Wells performs on the T-Mobile stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Jesse Wells performs on the T-Mobile stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Grocery Bag performs on the BMI stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Grocery Bag performs on the BMI stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
A fan dances as Charli xcx headlines night one of Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Poncho clad festival attendees watch as Garbage Bag performs on the BMI stage during the first day of Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 2, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Fans stand in the mud to watch Elijah Delgado perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Amyl and the Sniffers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Elijah Delgado performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
CMAT performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Lance Steiner of Denver watches Turnstile’s performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Turnstile performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Kitty Divine watches Turnstile’s performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
The Chainsmokers perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Several ticket options that had been showing as sold out earlier this month, including Friday single-day tickets and three-day passes to Weekend 1, are now available on the ACL Festival website.
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Those are the direct purchase options.
Single-day tickets on third-party resale sites can range from $400 to $500, but if you flew by the seat of your pants and bought a ticket from a reseller outside the gate Friday, chances are you paid closer to $200 — at least, that’s what one reseller was offering outside the gate on Barton Springs Road. While resale tickets are typically marked up, the rain and subsequent flood watch that loomed over weekend one left many scrambling to sell, driving down street prices and rewarding those dedicated souls willing to brave the mud.
ACL Festival organizers advise against buying tickets on the street, as there is no way to verify they will work at the gate.
$-$$$ Getting to the park
The cost of transportation can vary depending on your game-day strategy. If you take the bougie option to grab a ride share, expect surge pricing and a drop-off spot that will still require a half-mile walk. Prices early Friday were elevated as some rideshare drivers avoid working during rain to keep their cars clean, driving up demand.
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One of the more popular options for bargain hunters is to be dropped off near Austin High School. You can also buy passes to park at Austin High, but those start at $71.50 per day.
The ACL shuttle picks people up at the corner of Walter Seaholm and Electric Drive and delivers them to the Barton Springs West entrance. That option is free. And of course, residents of the Zilker and Barton Hills neighborhoods need only brace for a short, mildly rainy walk.
$$$ Food and drink at the festival
You’re not allowed to bring any outside food or drink through security — and once through the festival gates, don’t expect to find much in the way of free food. That’s the point. An all-day jaunt at Zilker Park could bring any person to such a point of desperation that even a $16 corndog sounds reasonable.
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Expect to pay $17 for a beer, regardless of whether it’s a Miller Lite, a Coors Banquet, or a slightly smaller 19-ounce Blue Moon. Luckily, water stations around the park make free refills easy if you bring your own (empty and reusable) bottle. The alternative is buying a $6 can of Open Water.
There are 65 “Eats and Sweets” vendors operating at the festival, with menus featuring pizza, tacos, burgers, chicken and more. Of the vendors, hometown favorite P. Terry’s prices stand out as particularly affordable. The cheapest food at the festival is available at the ACL Bodega, offering small snacks like Oreos, candy, Clif Bars, almonds, jerky sticks and more for $5 or less.
Festivalgoers walk past water puddles at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
$$-$$$$ Souvenirs and supplies
The bodega is also selling personal care products, earplugs, batteries and $5 ponchos, which happen to be the same price as the ponchos being sold right outside the Barton Springs Road entrance by opportunistic street vendors.
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The merchandise tent, meanwhile, was deserted when the gates opened at noon but will almost certainly resemble the “Hunger Games” arena by dusk. Some fans will be more than happy to stand in long lines to pay $100 for a hoodie from their favorite indie rock band. The cheapest items on the merch list included hats and tote bags for $35, while the most expensive garment, electronic trio Levity’s “Snack Pack” hockey jersey, costs a whopping $145.
After buying all of that merch, it’ll also cost you to store it. Buying a locker to put your stuff in costs $25 for one day, or $65 for all three. But at least, as former vice president Kamala Harris once said, you will be “unburdened by what has been” for the duration of the festival.