A lot has changed about the inaugural KUT Festival in the past few days following a dispute with the University of Texas at Austin, the festival’s original venue. KUT News is continuing to cover disagreements between festival organizers and the university.
But the festival will go on. It takes place Friday evening and all day Saturday, and it will still feature live music, author talks, podcast tapings and panel discussions about Austin.
If you’re looking for updated information about the event and how to attend, check out the guide below.
The festival has changed venues
All events were slated to take place on the UT campus. That is still the case for the keynote program happening Friday night, which includes a panel on the future of public radio journalism — with Maria Hinojosa, Leila Fadel and Domenico Montanaro — and a conversation with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker. The program starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium inside the LBJ Presidential Library.
The bulk of the festival will take place Saturday at Central Machine Works and East End Ballroom in East Austin.
Some events are at different times — and some have been canceled
Because of the change in venues, KUT for Kids programming and a jazz brunch scheduled for Sunday have been canceled.
Most panels and musical performances are still on. This includes previously announced musical acts — Shakey Graves, J’cuuzi, BLK ODYSSY and Melissa Carper — and Texas Book Festival programming featuring author discussions and book signings.
The timing of some events has changed. Check the schedule page for the latest adjustments.
All events are free to attend
If you paid for a pass to the festival, organizers will automatically refund you next week. If you want to turn your purchase into a tax-deductible donation for KUT instead, email membership@kut.org.
People who paid for a pass to attend sessions will be guaranteed entry to the keynote program on Friday.
If you hadn’t previously registered for a paid or free pass, you can register for a free one now.
Other festival logistics
For Friday’s event, parking will be available in Lots 37 and 38 on the UT campus. There are also several CapMetro bus routes and Bikeshare stations near campus. Rideshare is also an option.
For Saturday, know that street parking near the venues is limited. CapMetro bus routes 2, 4 and 350 — plus Bikeshare — can get you close. For rideshare, enter your drop-off location as Central Machine Works.
There are no bag restrictions, but security will be at the festival.
There will be paid food and drink options at the Saturday venues.
Only service animals are allowed at the festival, so please keep your pets at home!
Details are still being finalized
The best way to keep up with any further updates to the festival is to check the website or sign up for a free pass so you can receive email updates.