Ryan Raddon aka Kaskade performs in the rain during weekend two, day one of the Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park on October 11, 2013 in Austin, Texas.
Rick Kern/WireImage
False (?) fall is on the way here in Central Texas — and both Austinites and visitors alike could be trading in their high-level SPF for ponchos during Weekend 1 of the 2026 Austin City Limits Music Festival.
The annual tradition in Texas’ capital city kicks off on Friday, October 2, with Weekend 1 running through Sunday, October 4 ahead of a second round of festivities Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11. This year, festivalgoers are bracing for a potential wet start to October courtesy forecast rain throughout Central Texas, with those storms projected to start late Wednesday, September 30 before carrying through the weekend.
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On Wednesday, Austin city leaders and public safety officials will host a press conference to discuss safety measures in place at the festival and other major events slated in the Texas capital during its busy October events season. Online, C3 Presents — the promoter behind the ACL Music Festival — notes that the annual music series is a rain or shine event, save for any inclement weather that threatens public safety.
Attendees are encouraged to keep an eye on local forecasts and dress accordingly, tapping into resources like rain boots, ponchos and other protective gear should the rainstorms pick up this weekend. On the festival’s end of things, officials are monitoring the forecast for any potential programming changes.
A woman dressed in an orange poncho and rain boots at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park.
Lori Greig/Moment Editorial/Getty Images
Has the Austin City Limits Music Festival ever been canceled due to rain?
In the more than two decades that Austin has hosted ACL Music Festival, organizers have only fully canceled one day of the event. That anomaly traces back to 2013, ACL Music Festival canceled the final day of the festival on Sunday, October 13 as heavy rain and flash flooding gripped the region, per KUT archival reporting. Ticket holders were reimbursed one-third of their original three-day weekend ticket price or reimbursed in full for single-day passes.
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“Our first priority is always the safety of our fans, staff and artists,” a spokesperson told KUT back in October 2013. “We regret having to cancel the show today, but safety always comes first.”
More recently, organizers delayed the start of the festival in October 2021, with the inaugural day — October 1, 2021 — starting at 3 p.m. instead of noon, KXAN reported at the time. As a result, some of the earliest billed performers were cut, including festival staple and Austin western swing band Asleep at the Wheel.
Earlier this April, Georgetown’s Two Step Inn was forced to cancel due to severe weather. That resulted in refunds for some concertgoers.
Austin City Limits Music Festival organizers shared a statement on how they’re handling the upcoming forecast, noting, “We are monitoring the weather closely and see that Austin is expecting some much-needed rain this week. Proactive preparations are already underway in Zilker Park including clearing drains, pre-positioning equipment, and accelerating our set-up schedule to protect the park.
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So, dust off your rainboots and prepare for some cooler temperatures as we approach the weekend.”
Festivalgoers react to rainy forecast, brace for impact to ACL Music Festival
On the ACL Music Festival subreddit, attendees discussed the possibility of rain and how it’ll affect the festival. The overall verdict? Brace for plenty of mud.
“Now depending on how much it rains they have and will delay or cancel whole days,” @FakeRectangle wrote. “If it rains just a bit then it’s mostly fine. But if pours, and especially if it pours while everyone is walking around all day on it, then you get something like 2009.”
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ACL veterans, including @pixelgeekgirl, recommended always packing a poncho regardless of whether rain is in the forecast. They also recommended bringing a spare pair of socks and not wearing long pants to protect the hem.
Others reflected on their favorite memories from past rain show performances, with highlights including The Cure and Tom Petty.
“Buy rain boots. Bring wipes. Wear a rain jacket. Get wet and enjoy. Embrace the rain,” @MF2021ATX quipped. “Don’t slide in the mud because they pack the puddles with dillo dirt. It’s compost. You will get pinkeye if you decide to cover yourself in it.”
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For now, organizers are encouraging festivalgoers to follow the festival on social media and SMS notifications by texting ACL to 64934, and turning on push notifications via the ACL Fest Festiverse App presented by Miller Lite.