Every evening, Austinites gather their pets, picnic blankets and spike ball sets and head to Zilker Park for respite after a long day. They chat with family and friends as the sunset’s colors melt into Austin’s skyline. Not far away, the sounds of Austin’s world-renowned music scene ring out from downtown clubs and concert venues. In 2002, the two cornerstones of Austin’s cultural identity converged to create the ultimate third place — Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Third places, a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, describe sites for community building, often around a common experience or interest, outside of the home or workplace. Once built into the fabric of society, the increasingly digitized world has made authentic third places more difficult to come by. However, their importance remains. ACL welcomes over 130 artists and nearly half a million people to the Live Music Capital of the World, all of whom are brought together by their love for music and Austin.
This October marks 50 years of the television show Austin City Limits, which gave rise to the festival, and its tradition of showcasing up-and-coming artists. The 1974 pilot episode with Willie Nelson started a cascade of prominent performers including Lyle Lovett, Roy Orbison, Pearl Jam, and many more, even contributing to some artists’ later success. The show won the National Media of Arts, the only television show to receive the honor, and the Peabody Award, and boasts a long history of connecting soulful sounds to listeners who need them.
The inaugural 2002 festival took this to the next level by facilitating intimate audience-artist connections in a way that only live music can. With around 40,000 attendees, five stages and primarily local artists, that first festival took 22 years to grow into the festival seen today. In its rising popularity, ACL continues to platform smaller artists along with household names. Austin natives, students, tech bros, creatives and families — ACL provides a place for everyone to celebrate a range of genres and artists in all stages of their career.
ACL was built on the authenticity of the television show and the local charm of its Zilker host. It is about the bonds between festival goers it creates and the Austin community it reflects. For the first two October weekends of every year, ACL unites festival fanatics through music, memories and friendships that will prove evergreen.
