{"id":255708,"date":"2026-04-18T12:54:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T12:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/255708\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T12:54:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T12:54:46","slug":"acl-fest-2026-lineup-predictions-25-artists-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/255708\/","title":{"rendered":"ACL Fest 2026 lineup predictions: 25 artists to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Austin City Limits Music Festival<\/a> lineup is expected to be released early next month, and the guessing game is already well underway. Early signs point to a mix of pop headliners, Latin superstars and more.<\/p>\n

Using recent tour schedules, festival appearances<\/a> and past ties to Austin, we\u2019ve identified a\u00a0shortlist of artists who appear well-positioned to land on the 2026 bill. Last year, we correctly predicted<\/a>\u00a0Doechii, Sabrina Carpenter and The Dare.<\/p>\n

Our methodology is part pattern recognition, part industry timing. We looked at who\u2019s playing major festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo. We paid close attention to the Lollapaloozas \u2014 produced by Austin-based C3 Presents, the company behind\u00a0ACL Fest \u2014 as well as who\u2019s touring through Texas and who has a track record with\u00a0ACL.<\/p>\n

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We rated each artist’s likelihood using a five-microphone scale, with five signaling a near lock and one a long shot.<\/p>\n

Amyl and the Sniffers<\/p>\n

\"Amy<\/p>\n

Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 13, 2025 in Indio, California.<\/p>\n

Emma McIntyre\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Amyl and the Sniffers are a shoo-in. The Australian rock group is at peak cultural zeitgeist after the release of their third album, \u201cCartoon Darkness,\u201d on Oct. 25. Despite an Atlanta booking on Oct. 4, they could come for both Fridays (Oct. 2 and 9). Amyl and the Sniffers first made waves in Austin during South by Southwest in 2019 and at Levitation Fest in 2023. They came to town twice in 2025, first to Stubb\u2019s and then to support Turnstile at Waterloo Park. If this pans out, imagine the Amy Taylor outfit possibilities<\/a>. \u2014 Mars Salazar <\/p>\n

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Likelihood:\u00a0 \ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

Charli XCX<\/p>\n

\"Charli<\/p>\n

Charli XCX performs at Glastonbury Festival on June 28, 2025 in Glastonbury, England.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Harry Durrant\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Charli XCX performed in\u00a0Austin during her \u201cBrat\u201d era in 2024<\/a>. Since then, she\u2019s expanded her hyperpop universe with the satirical concert film \u201cThe Moment,\u201d leaning even further into the self-aware spectacle that defines her shows. An ACL performance would bring a dance-fueled set and the possibility of surprise guests. She is headlining Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer after releasing the\u00a0Wuthering Heights<\/a> soundtrack. \u2014 Ana Gutierrez<\/p>\n

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Likelihood:\u00a0\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

Foo Fighters<\/p>\n

\"Dave<\/p>\n

Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters performs at Austin City Limits Music Festival on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 in Austin.<\/p>\n

Jay Janner\/American-Statesman<\/p>\n

Foo Fighters have a suspicious ACL Fest-shaped hole between two legs of their \u201cTake Cover Tour.” Dave Grohl and company are\u00a0playing a series of international dates for their April 24 album, \u201cYour Favorite Toy,\u201d including a show in Liverpool with Austin\u2019s Die Spitz. In between the tour stops, Foo Fighters are also scheduled for seven festivals. None of them are affiliated with C3 Presents. There is a possibility the band could tack on Austin after their Queens of the Stone Age run in Las Vegas on Sept. 26 and before they head over to Australia in November, but they have played the festival three times, most recently in 2023<\/a>. \u2014 M.S.<\/p>\n

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Geese<\/p>\n

\"Cameron<\/p>\n

Cameron Winter of GEESE performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2026 in Indio, California.<\/p>\n

Emma McIntyre\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

If Geese isn\u2019t on the ACL Fest lineup this year, I need to find a new job. The Brooklyn-based four-piece has been booking nearly every festival under the sun since the band and lead singer, Cameron Winter, exploded in popularity last year. They put out their fourth album, \u201cGetting Killed,\u201d in September. Geese will be playing more than 25\u00a0fests around the world this year, including: Coachella, Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Primavera Sound, Reading, Leeds and Shakey Knees. Honestly it would just be sloppy if they didn\u2019t show up at ACL Fest. \u2014 M.S. <\/p>\n

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Likelihood: \ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

HorsegiirL<\/p>\n

\"German<\/p>\n

German musician-DJ HorsegiirL performs at Lollapalooza Music Festival on March 20, 2026 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.<\/p>\n

Miguel Schincariol\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

HorsegiirL performs in a hyper-realistic horse mask and sits at the center of a growing European rave scene that blends internet culture with hard dance music. Festivals have increasingly embraced that kind of theatrical club energy, and ACL\u2019s electronic stages could easily make room for it. Following her set at Lollapalooza this year, her tour dates leave a space for a potential appearance at Zilker Park. \u2014 A.G. <\/p>\n

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Kacey Musgraves<\/p>\n

\"Kacey<\/p>\n

Kacey Musgraves performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 25, 2025 in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

Jeff Kravitz\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

If “Dry Spell” tells us anything about Kacey Musgraves\u2019 new album, it\u2019s that she\u2019s entering a new era.The country singer is exchanging romantic yearning for a look into a single woman’s life.\u00a0Musgraves last headlined ACL back in 2022<\/a>, and we’d be happy to hear \u201cGolden Hour\u201d as the sun sets on Zilker. \u2014 A.G. <\/p>\n

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Karol G<\/p>\n

\"Karol<\/p>\n

Karol G performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12, 2026 in Indio, California.<\/p>\n

Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The reggaetonera has been on a roll following the release of her 2025 album \u201cTropicoqueta.\u201d She became the first woman to headline Coachella this month, bringing dancers and spectacle to the stage.\u00a0Karol G last played ACL in 2021<\/a> and played the Moody Center in 2022 for her Ma\u00f1ana Ser\u00e1 Bonito tour. Like her ex-beau Feid’s set last year,<\/a> we expect tons of Colombian flags in the crowd if she performs. \u2014 A.G.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Lily Allen<\/p>\n

\"Lily<\/p>\n

Lily Allen performs at Auditorium Theatre on April 3, 2026 in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Emma McIntyre\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The London-born singer \u2014 who has been in the public eye for a messy divorce from \u201cStranger Things\u201d star David\u00a0Harbour \u2014 could\u00a0 make a stop in Austin. While she isn\u2019t playing many festivals and is focused on her international arena tour, she has some space for both weekends of ACL Fest after her last U.S. gig in Los Angeles on Sept. 25 and before her first show around Australia on Oct. 21. Allen\u2019s first album in seven years, \u201cWest End Girl,\u201d went viral after its October release for\u00a0revealing scathing details about her husband\u2019s infidelity<\/a>. She last played ACL Fest in 2018<\/a>, and I\u2019d love to see her come back to drop a \u201cdrama bomb.” \u2014 M.S. <\/p>\n

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Lorde<\/p>\n

\"Lorde<\/p>\n

Lorde performs at Glastonbury Festival on June 27, 2025 in Glastonbury, England.<\/p>\n

Joseph Okpako\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lorde is slated to play around 30 festivals in 2026, and ACL Fest is probably going to be one of them. The New Zealand-born singer is also playing ACL’s sister festival Lollapalooza in Chicago. She’s already made stops at Lollapalooza Chile and Lollapalooza Brazil, and she has Lollapalooza Berlin and The Governors Ball in New York City, another C3 Presents\u00a0fest, on her roster. Her last Austin show was at Moody Center in September<\/a> for her fourth album, \u201cVirgin\u201d (2025). \u2014 M.S. <\/p>\n

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Likelihood: \ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

Not for Radio<\/p>\n

\"Maria<\/p>\n

Maria Zardoya of Not for Radio performs at Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 10, 2026 in Indio, California.<\/p>\n

Katie Flores\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Mar\u00eda Zardoya is already familiar to ACL audiences as the frontwoman of The Mar\u00edas, who have played the festival before. Her solo project leans in a different direction, \u00a0more experimental and stripped-back. The project skipped Austin on its debut tour, making a festival slot a plausible way to introduce the material to local fans. She is set to play Lollapalooza after performing at Coachella earlier this month. \u2014 A.G. <\/p>\n

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Skrillex<\/p>\n

\"Skrillex<\/p>\n

Skrillex performs at Lollapalooza on Aug. 3, 2024 in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Natasha Moustache\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

I\u2019m putting money on Skrillex as ACL Fest\u2019s electronic music headliner this year. The DJ played Lollapalooza in Argentina, Chile and Brazil, and he is also opening the C3-produced Tennessee music festival\u00a0Bonnaroo in June. His gig at SoCal\u2019s Head Trip fest on Sunday, Oct. 11, leaves him open to play both Fridays in Austin. His\u00a0latest album<\/a>, \u201c(EXPLETIVE) U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3,\u201d dropped last year on April Fools’ Day. \u2014 M.S. <\/p>\n

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Likelihood: \ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

The Smashing Pumpkins<\/p>\n

\"Billy<\/p>\n

Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins performs at Parco della Musica di Milano on July 30, 2025 in Milan, Italy.<\/p>\n

Francesco Prandoni\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Alt-rock vet Billy Corgan’s band may not be touring in 2026, but I don\u2019t think the chances that they\u2019re this year’s rock headliner are \u201cZero.\u201d The group is headlining Lollapalooza in their hometown of Chicago in early August, before they play SoCal\u2019s Darker Waves in November, which makes Austin the perfect midpoint for a festival\u00a0trifecta. Corgan also made his Coachella debut<\/a> as Sombr\u2019s onstage guest for a cover of \u201c1979\u201d last week, a song from the Pumpkins\u2019 1995 hit album \u201cMellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness\u201d that turned 30 in 2025. \u2014 M.S. <\/p>\n

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Likelihood: \ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

Turnstile<\/p>\n

\"Brendan<\/p>\n

Brendan Yates of Turnstile performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 10, 2026 in Indio, California.<\/p>\n

Frazer Harrison\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Just like Geese, Turnstile exploded in popularity during 2025 and are riding the momentum of that hype to major music festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza (Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Chicago),\u00a0Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Shaky Knees. The band, originally from Baltimore, also won two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album for their 2025 LP \u201cNever Enough\u201d and Best Metal Performance in February. If singer Brendan Yates is willing to stage dive during a NPR Tiny Desk Concert<\/a>, imagine what he could have in store for ACL Fest. \u2014 M.S.<\/p>\n

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Likelihood:\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

Twenty One Pilots<\/p>\n

\"Josh<\/p>\n

Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots perform at iHeartRadio ALTer EGO on Jan. 17, 2026 in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Gilbert Flores\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Twenty One Pilots will be playing 19 festivals this summer, closing the run with Atlanta\u2019s\u00a0Shakey Knees and Ocean\u2019s Calling in Maryland \u2014 both C3 Presents operations \u2014 in late September. I can almost guarantee Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun will rock ACL Fest right after. The duo just released a new album, \u201cBreach,\u201d in September and last played the festival in 2015.\u00a0Joseph made a big impression, climbing the stage\u2019s towering scaffolding to <\/a>three stories above the crowd during their performance. I\u2019m surprised they weren\u2019t banned! \u2014 M.S. <\/p>\n

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Likelihood: \ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

Wolf Alice<\/p>\n

\"Ellie<\/p>\n

Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice performs at The 3Arena Dublin on Dec. 10, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland.<\/p>\n

Kieran Frost\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Wolf Alice has blossomed in the last couple years. They could have easily fallen into the\u00a0indie band rut of producing a few recognizable songs early on \u2014 their biggest hits \u201cDon\u2019t Delete the Kisses,\u201d \u201cMoaning Lisa Smile\u201d and \u201cBros\u201d were released in 2015 and 2017 \u2014 and then disappearing. But they successfully reinvented their aesthetic to connect with a mid-2020\u2019s social media audience. They\u2019re confirmed at over 15 festivals this year, including Lollapalooza and\u00a0Shakey Knees, with an opening to play in Austin before heading to Japan and Australia. They last played ACL Fest in 2015.<\/a> Fingers are crossed! \u2014 M.S. <\/p>\n

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Likelihood: \ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4<\/p>\n

Other artists who might perform at ACL Fest 2026<\/p>\n

\"Addison<\/p>\n

Addison Rae performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2026 in Indio, California.<\/p>\n

Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images
\nAddison Rae (\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4)
\nDeath Cab for Cutie (\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4)
\nEd Sheeran (\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4)
\nFontaines D.C. (\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4)
\nMoby (\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4)
\nPinkPantheress (\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4)
\nRed Hot Chili Peppers (\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4)
\nSean Paul (\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfa4)
\nThe Chainsmokers (\ud83c\udfa4)
\nThe XX (\ud83c\udfa4)
\n