It’s that time of year again when Zilker Park transforms into an international music venue featuring dozens of artists. Here’s a guide on how to prepare for the Austin City Limits Festival.
What can you bring?
Allowed items: Empty reusable water bottles, baby strollers, hand sanitizer and sunscreen bottles under 3.4 ounces, some chairs, blankets, cameras, portable battery packs and some totems with flags.
Bag policy: Any bag 6" x 9" or smaller with no more than one pocket will be allowed past security. Larger bags must be clear and no bigger than 12" x 6" x 12". See the festival’s bag policy for more information.
Prohibited items: Aerosol containers, coolers, most wheeled objects and shade structures, outside food and beverages, hammocks, glass containers. Professional video or photo equipment is not allowed without permission. This includes selfie sticks, detachable zoom lenses, tripods and professional audio equipment.
See a full list of allowed and prohibited items on the ACL website.
Health and safety
Sunburn, dehydration and dust: To protect yourself from the heat and sun, bring a refillable water bottle to keep hydrated. Also bring sunscreen and electrolytes.
With high numbers of attendees and grassy terrain, ACL air can become dusty and make it difficult to breathe. Pack masks, inhalers or scarves to wrap around your mouth to filter the air.
Medication and aid: If you require medications, bring only a day’s dosage and pack it in a pharmacy-labeled container. Also consider bringing first-aid such as bandaids and Narcan. A team from This Must be the Place, a group that helps in overdoses, will be wearing yellow vests and ready to help around the park.
Emergency contacts: Add emergency contact information when registering your wristband. For ease of access in stressful situations, also list emergency information like contacts, medication and allergies on your phone’s lock screen.
See the ACL Festival website for more health and safety tips.
ADA accessibility
Transportation: This year’s festival offers ADA parking, pick-up and drop-off locations, and a shuttle service. Find locations here.
Entrances and facilities: Staff and signs will guide festivalgoers to entrance lanes designed for accessibility. Find access centers on the ACL Fest map for questions, requests, charging mobility devices, braille programming, assisted listening devices and more.
Wristbands and viewing access: Those needing mobility accommodations or who are hard of hearing/deaf can access special spots where interpreters can be seen. Those eligible are allowed one guest to accompany them in these zones. Free access tickets are available at the access center.
Mobility accommodations: Wheelchairs and three- or four-wheeled scooters are permitted only for those who need mobility assistance. Bring all required cords and items to charge devices. Zilker Park will have accessible portable toilets on site, which can be located on the map.
Service animals: Service animals are permitted on festival grounds, but pets are not.
For more detailed information, see the website’s ADA and Accessibility page.
Transportation and road closures
Many roads around Zilker Park will be closed during October’s first two weekends. Road closures around the park include Stratford Drive, Barton Springs Road, Azie Morton Road. Several roads like Walter Seaholm Road will be accessible only to shuttles. See the City of Austin’s map on upcoming road closures for more detailed routes to avoid.
With road closures, here are some ways to move to and from the festival other than walking:
Rideshare: There are three pick-up and drop-off locations — Wallingwood Drive, Lee Barton Drive and one along Stephen F Austin Drive next to the Austin High Tennis Center.
Bus and shuttle: The MetroRapid Route 803 offers the most efficient route to Zilker Park. If you don’t live close to that line, see CapMetro’s other routes on the website. The agency also has recommended transportation methods for this year’s festival.
Starting at 11:30 a.m., the festival offers a shuttle service from Walter Seaholm and Electric Drive, with drop off near the Barton Springs West festival entrance.
Scooters and bikes: Lime scooter drop-off locations include Azie Morton Road, Veterans Park Drive, Toomey Road and Barton Springs Road. If riding your own bike, park across the Mopac Pedestrian Bridge on Stratford Drive, or on Azie Morton near the Umlauf Sculpture Garden.
See the ACL Festival website for a transportation map.
