AUSTIN, Texas — Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) is officially over, and Zilker Park is closed for maintenance. This is not completely abnormal after the festival, but this year’s festival was a little bit different with lots of rain the first weekend.
After the rain cleared and the dust settled, the conversation is now focused on what happens to the damage done at the park where the festival happens each year.
Austin City Council member Ryan Alter said on social media after Weekend One in part, “The Great Lawn is a public asset that must be available for everyone after the festival. I’ve told C3 and city staff that something needs to change to protect from further damage.”
C3 is the company that puts on ACL. Spectrum News did some digging and found the latest contract between the City of Austin and C3. The event agreement said it was renewed just last year and secures Zilker Park as the host of ACL through 2040. Per the contract, C3 pays the city $103,500 each year. The Austin Parks Foundation gets much more but that number slides with ticket sales. C3 paid the foundation $8.4 million in 2024. Right now, the park is closed, and Austin Parks and Recreation (APR) is assessing the site for this year’s restoration and remediation.
City staff said sections of the park will reopen as work allows, along with the customary partial closure remaining in effect for APR’s annual maintenance window and the Trail of Lights. Austin’s goal is to open the Great Lawn on a similar time frame in line with previous years.
“Zilker Park belongs to all Austinites,” said APR Director Jesús Aguirre. “We hear the concerns of our community clearly. APR has been actively monitoring conditions and collaborating closely with C3 and our partners to ensure the Great Lawn will be ready for use by all Austinites.”