Read up on all of the artists with an Austin connection at this year’s Austin City Limits Festival
Almost Heaven
WHAT: Austin-based indie-dance, post-punk duo Almost Heaven had a strong start to 2026 with a Free Week show and an EP release in January. Plus a trip to Australia and now a performance at ACL.
WHEN: Friday, October 9, 12:45-1:30 p.m.
WHERE: @ Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
Asleep At The Wheel
WHAT: This Western Swing outfit fronted by Ray Benson has played every single ACL Fest since 2002. Be a part of the tradition and catch them when they open Friday, October 2nd.
WHEN: Friday, October 2, 1:00-1:45 p.m.
WHERE: T-Mobile Stage
Bo Staloch
WHAT: Bo Staloch is an Austin-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter known for his introspective, storytelling-driven blend of alt-folk, Americana, and indie music.
WHEN: Friday, October 2 & Friday, October 9 @ 3:15-4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
Calder Allen
WHAT: Calder Allen is an Austin-born, fifth-generation Texan singer-songwriter known for his introspective, roots-driven blend of Americana and country music.
WHEN: Sunday, October 4 & Sunday, October 9 @ 3:15-4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
Coleman Jennings
WHAT: Born in Connecticut and raised in Texas from age seven, Coleman Jennings developed a songwriting craft rooted in the rich traditions of Texas music. Heavily shaped by iconic Texas troubadours like Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley, Jennings adopted an anti-establishment, poetic approach to storytelling. While finishing an English degree at the University of Texas in Austin, he honed his craft playing local venues and writing songs characterized by vivid imagery, historical dialect, and an old-soul Western sensibility. Central to his sound is an unmistakable, heavily vibrato-laden vocal delivery that evokes classic mid-century country and Western balladeers.
WHEN: Saturday, October 3, 3:30-4:15 p.m.
WHERE: BMI Stage
DJ Cassandra
WHAT: DJ Cassandra (Cassandra Shankman) is an Austin-based DJ, classically trained pianist, composer, and sound curator known for her high-energy, multi-genre sets and wide-ranging musical work.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin in composition and film studies, she blends classical training with modern electronic, dance, and roots sounds. Beyond her residencies and performances at major festivals like Austin City Limits and SXSW, she made history as the first woman to win Best DJ at the Austin Music Awards
WHEN: Saturday, October 3, 3:30-4:15 p.m.
WHERE: Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
Elijah Delgado
WHAT: Elijah Delgado is an Austin-based singer-songwriter known for crafting what he describes as “indie rock lullabies” — a textured blend of indie rock, indie folk, and pop that pairs atmospheric guitars, dynamic builds, and warm, emotive vocals.
Since breaking out with his 2021 debut EP When I Was On Cloud 9, Delgado has steadily become one of Austin’s standout rising voices, landing major local appearances including Blues on the Green, ACL Radio’s Drop-In series, and SXSW. His subsequent releases, including Wherever You Go, There You Are and Moonboy, showcase an evolving, cinematic sound marked by vulnerable songwriting and sweeping emotional range.
WHEN: Friday, October 2, 2:00-2:45 p.m.
WHERE: Snapchat Stage
Grocery Bag
WHAT: Grocery Bag is an Austin-based psych-garage rock four-piece formed in 2022, celebrated for their frenetic DIY energy, multi-instrumental versatility, and explosive live performances.
Fronted by vocalist Bella Martinez alongside Jimmy Mercado, Dillon Aitala, and Logan Kerman, the band quickly rose through Austin’s house show, co-op, and club circuits to earn slots at Levitation and support touring heavyweights like Osees and Frankie and the Witch Fingers. Their music—captured on their debut album Break You (2023) and subsequent releases like the Deadvolt EP—pairs fuzz-drenched guitars, driving rhythm sections, and dynamic tempo shifts with sharp, hook-heavy garage-punk attitude.
WHEN: Friday, October 2, 5:15-6:15 p.m.
WHERE: BMI Stage
Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective
WHAT: The Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective is a premier student musical ensemble from Austin’s historic HBCU, celebrated for their dynamic, soulful blend of jazz and R&B. Transcending the typical collegiate performance circuit, the group has become a recognized fixture in the local music scene, earning featured performances at major events like the Austin Blues Festival
WHEN: Sunday, October 11, 12:45-1:30 p.m
WHERE: Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
Jess Williamson
WHAT: Originally from Texas, Williamson first emerged out of Austin’s music scene and in 2022, she joined forces with Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield to form the acclaimed alt-country duo Plains, releasing the LP I Walked with You a Ways. She followed with her widely lauded 2023 solo release Time Ain’t Accidental, a sharp, modern country-folk record blending minimalist arrangements, drum machines, and excellent storytelling. Jess Williamson is set to release her new album, A Mile South of Heaven, on October 9th.
WHEN: Sunday, October 4, 2:00-2:45 p.m.
WHERE: Miller Lite Stage
Left Lucid
WHAT:
WHEN: Saturday, October 3, 12:45-1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Tito’s Handmade Vodka
lluvi
WHAT: Austin quartet lluvii, (say it with us: “U-V,”) breezes through coastal south-of-the-border psychedelia, primal rainforest-ready percussion, and incredibly intriguing indie art rock, all anchored by the idiosyncratic soft siren vocals of frontwoman Carol Gonzalez. For some, that may be enough range to call it a day there and stick to established formulas moving forward. But for lluvii, the journey of genres has only just begun.
WHEN: Saturday, October 10, 2:00-2:45 p.m.
WHERE: BeatBox Stage
Montclair
WHAT: Montclair is an Austin-based indie folk-rock band made up of four half-siblings — Casen, Anna, Jackson, and Clay. Born from shared curiosity and a love of making music together, the band is known for high-energy, crowd-engaging live shows. They have shared the stage with other rising Austin bands like Briscoe and Dayglow and are gearing up for the release of their debut album Heart is Alive.
WHEN: Saturday, October 10, 12:45-1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
NIGHT TRAVELER
WHAT: An Austin-based indie rock and alt-rock duo formed by Adam Fischer and Hunter Glaske, known for their cinematic, 1980s-inflected guitar soundscapes and evocative “late-night drive” songwriting
WHEN: Friday, October 2, 2:00-2:45 p.m.
WHERE: BeatBox Stage
The 4411
WHAT: The 4411 is an Austin-based alternative rock and indie-folk band formed by lifelong friends who draw inspiration from classic rock and early-2000s indie rock for nostalgia-driven songs with driving guitar hooks, soaring melodies, and raw, high-energy live shows.
WHEN: Friday, October 2, 12:45-1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Tito’s Handmade Vodka
The Moriah Sisters
WHAT: Formed in 1994 out of the Greater Mount Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in East Austin, the group was founded by sisters Janice Lee and Cynthia “Cece” Reliford. Over the years, they have become an Austin cultural fixture, best known as long-standing resident performers for the legendary Sunday Gospel Brunch at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q.
WHEN: Sunday, October 4, 12:45-1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Tito’s Handmade Vodka
