By Kalena Reynolds | Editor-in-Chief, Sophia Monson | Opinion Editor, Arden Berry | Arts & Life Editor
After a muddy first weekend, crowds traveled through the now dusty and dry Zilker Park to experience the sights and sounds of Austin City Limits Weekend Two. As for our day, we started with some hardcore punk, transitioned to R&B, turned to hear some rock ’n’ roll and finally joined an expansive crowd for some pop.
Turnstile
Clashing cymbals and gritty guitars melted together as Turnstile swept the stage during the first day of the festival. People of all ages packed the lawn surrounding the T-Mobile Stage.
Fans formed a large mosh pit towards the front of the stage, showcasing the infamous hardcore dance style. For those who aren’t familiar with the hardcore scene, this style typically involves a martial arts-esque manner — think flailing arms, kicking legs and quite a bit of pushing fellow audience members.
Turnstile lead singer Brendan Yates pumps up the ACL crowd. Photo courtesy of Andrea Escobar
The band’s lead singer, Brendan Yates, emphasized throughout the set what the hardcore community represented. Speaking on themes of love and friendship, Yates spread the message through the crowd as he encouraged the audience to scream, dance and even sit on each other’s shoulders.
Those unfamiliar might have seen that the band has entered recent headlines for two reasons: their Saturday Night Live performance on Oct. 4 and an update stemming from the active criminal case involving Yates and the band’s former guitarist, Brady Ebert.
Ebert was indicted on a second-degree attempted murder charge after allegedly driving a car into William Yates, the lead singer’s father. As of Sept. 22, Ebert was found incompetent to stand trial and is currently held in custody at the Maryland Department of Health. The status hearing for the case will take place in January 2027.
Turnstile’s Oct. 9 performance was loud and energetic. Photo courtesy of Andrea Escobar
Leon Thomas
Bright lights and fog painted the stage as Leon Thomas and his band took the crowd through a set full of smooth instrumentals and tasteful lyrics.
Thousands filled the lawn, getting louder and more energized with each song. The audience sang especially loud to Thomas’s smash hit, “MUTT.”
Leon Thomas provided great grooves to ACL. Photo courtesy of Phill McDonald
Thomas’s unruffled stage presence was undeniable. Draped in a purple button-up and slacks, he led the audience through a set full of danceable, easy listens. He managed to blend R&B seamlessly with rock ’n’ roll, a perfect pairing for the 7:15 p.m. showtime. Even though the day was nearing an end, he piqued the crowd’s interest and kept their energy high for the entire set.
Last night’s ability to effortlessly capture an audience proudly displayed his progress as an artist. Thomas’s career began on Broadway when he was cast as Young Simba in The Lion King. His next, and potentially most recognizable, gig was his role as André Harris in Victorious.
It’s undeniable that while the singer’s acting days shaped many Generation Z’s childhoods, his music career comes as a pleasant change of pace, leaving us all begging for more music.
Kings of Leon
For night one, Kings of Leon and Charli xcx brought generational hits to the ACL headlining spots.
Red light serenaded the audience as Kings of Leon brought their nostalgic, 2000s rock sound to the city of “weird.”
Caleb Followill’s dreamy vocals engulfed the audience bringing a beautiful sense of sonic yearning. Kings of Leon always seem to convey a unique sense of deep passion mixed with unrequited vulnerability in their music.
The band brought out Kristin Weber, an esteemed string musician, to accompany their sound. Weber accompanied the band on their latest record and joined them on the Austin stage for covers including “Amarillo by Morning” by George Strait.
Kings of Leon sings while backlit by glittering red and gold lights. Photo courtesy of Adrian Garcia
Charli xcx
After a legendary weekend one set with surprise guest Troye Sivan, expectations were high for the current queen of pop. As Charli graced the stage with her signature raven crimped locks and blacked out shades, a Gen Z heavy audience roared in celebration.
Between Charli’s effortlessly cool stage presence and intuitive crowd connection, it was clear that her set was intentionally crafted. Artistry ran through every vein of the night, from the syncopated flashing lights to her matching grungy outfits.
The barricade began filling up early into the afternoon, making open space few and far between. It was a fight to have Charli in sight, and the crowd only grew the longer she was on stage.
The sea of festival-goers were dressed in the iconic “brat” green and danced enthusiastically when Charli transitioned into hits “Guess” and “Club Classics.” The set was transformed by remixes that included samples from EDM hits and extended dance-centered intros.
Charli xcx sings to a large audience at ACL Weekend One. Photo courtesy of Henry Redcliffe
On Oct. 7 Charlie posted an ambiguous message on X for ACL weekend 2 festival goers.
acl weekend 2 i have a surprise for you.. <3
— Charli (@charli_xcx) October 7, 2026
Speculations arose that Charli was going to bring Madonna or Lorde as her guest appearances for weekend two. However, the crowd was thrown a curveball after the surprise guest ended up being Tinashe.
Swarms of people began to leave after Tinashe took the stage, which was unfortunate because her performance was top-notch.
From a skin-tight red leather outfit, a high pony hairdo to her iconic dance moves, Tinashe absolutely dominated the ACL stage.
Charli reappeared after Tinashe’s portion, and the iconic brat aura once again spread throughout the festival.
Charlie xcx gives a dramatic, pop-forward performance at ACL Weekend One. Photo courtesy of Henry Redcliffe