Austin has more festivals per capita than any city in America. SXSW, ACL, Trail of Lights, and about 50 others. Here's every single one, organized by month.
South by Southwest. The big one. 10 days. Music, film, interactive/tech. 2,000+ artists, 100+ venues, world premieres, keynotes, and the week Austin becomes the center of the universe. Badges: $900-1,700. Free showcases everywhere.
Two weeks of rodeo, carnival, concerts, and livestock at the Travis County Expo Center. Real cowboys, funnel cake, and a surprisingly good concert lineup. Family-friendly. $15-40.
Zilker Park. Free. Thousands of kites over Austin's favorite park. Bring your own or buy one there. One of the most Instagram-worthy days of the year. Usually the first Sunday in March.
Pease Park. Free. Austin's most wonderfully weird tradition since 1963. Drum circles, costumes, food, donations to nonprofits. If you need proof Austin is different, this is it.
Various venues. Austin's comedy festival. National headliners and rising comics. 4 days. Run by Cap City Comedy. Badges or individual tickets. $30-200.
Tilmon, TX (30 min east). 4 days of roots, Americana, and folk music. Camping. One of the best small festivals in Texas. $60-200.
Fiesta Gardens. Free. 300+ hot sauces to sample. Live music, food vendors. Bring milk. Austin's spiciest day. Usually the last Sunday in April.
Zilker Park. 3 days of reggae on the Austin skyline. Free entry (donations to food bank). One of the longest-running free music festivals in the US. Chill vibes, great cause.
6th Street (closed to cars). Free. 200+ artists and crafters, 3 stages of live music, food vendors. Austin's original street festival, twice a year since 1978.
Zilker Park. Free. The summer concert series. National and local acts on the Zilker hillside. Bring a blanket, bring a cooler, bring friends. Wednesday evenings. The best free music in Austin.
Downtown and Travis County Expo. Motorcycles, music, vendors. The biggest motorcycle rally in Texas. Demo rides, stunt shows, concerts. 3 days. $20-60.
Various venues. TV industry festival with screenings, panels, and premieres. Meet showrunners and actors. Growing into a major industry event. $40-200.
Various locations (often Circuit of the Americas). Willie Nelson's legendary 4th of July concert. Since 1973. Country music, Austin legends, and fireworks. $50-150.
Congress Avenue Bridge. The bat colony (1.5M Mexican free-tailed bats) gets its own festival. Live music, food, bat-watching at sunset. Free to watch the bats; festival area has fees.
Fiesta Gardens. All-you-can-eat ice cream from Austin's best shops. Live music, contests, brain freeze. $15. The sweetest festival in Austin.
Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. Genre film festival — horror, sci-fi, action, animation. World premieres, secret screenings, karaoke. The most fun film festival in the world. Badges sell out fast.
6th Street. Free. The fall edition. Same great format — artists, music, food. Better weather than the spring edition. A perfect Austin weekend.
Austin City Limits Music Festival. TWO weekends in Zilker Park. 130+ bands on 8 stages. The music festival. Headliners, food, art. 3-day passes: $295+. Single day: $135+. The other big one besides SXSW.
Various venues. Focus on screenwriting and storytelling. Film screenings, panels with A-list writers, and a conference that's one of the best in the industry. 8 days. Badges: $50-600.
State Capitol grounds. Free. 250+ authors, readings, signings, panels. One of the largest book festivals in the country. Kid-friendly. Support Texas literacy.
Circuit of the Americas. Formula 1 racing + a massive concert (Eminem, Billy Joel, etc.). THE international sporting event in Austin. 3 days. $200-2,000+. 400,000 attendees.
Congress Avenue. Free. Giant inflatable balloons (Austin-style — think armadillos and bats), marching bands, floats. Austin's answer to Macy's. Family tradition.
Zilker Park. Austin's holiday tradition since 1965. 2 million lights, food vendors, Ferris wheel, live music, the Zilker Christmas Tree (you stand under it and spin). Free nights and paid nights. THE Austin holiday event.
Palmer Events Center. 17 days of shopping from 100+ local artisans, live music every night. Austin's coolest holiday market. Great for gifts. $7-12 entry.
Various museums. Free admission on the first Tuesday of each month at Blanton Museum, UMLAUF Sculpture Garden, and others. Year-round but especially nice in winter when you need indoor activities.
Palmer Events Center. Austin's Brazilian Carnival celebration. Samba, live music, costumes, dancing. The biggest Carnival celebration in Texas. One night of pure joy. $30-60.
ACL and SXSW sell out months ahead. Buy early-bird. Single-day ACL tickets drop later. Fantastic Fest badges sell out in minutes. Most other festivals are free or day-of purchase.
Uber/Lyft surge during big events. Bike if you can. ACL has a bike valet. SXSW — walk downtown. Trail of Lights has a shuttle from Zilker parking. F1 has massive traffic — plan 2 hours.
Bring sunscreen (even in October). Hydrate. Wear comfortable shoes. Cash speeds up food lines. SXSW free showcases are often better than badge events. ACL's best secret: Friday afternoon sets by bands about to blow up.