Top 10 Sets at Weekend One of Austin City Limits 2025
Weekend one of Austin City Limits is completed, but we’re still beaming at an all-time high. Thousands of art and music lovers flocked to Zilker Park in Austin, TX, for three days of music, art, food, creativity, and more. What better way to unite than through music? It wouldn’t be a festival in Texas without a stampede of cowboy boots, trucker (and cowboy) hats, and, of course, plenty of good ol’ southern eats - ACL was beyond and for anyone that missed out on the magic - thank goodness weekend two is around the corner.
Atmosphere of ACL. Photo Credit: Pooneh Ghana for Austin City Limits Fest
With a stacked lineup including: Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Japanese Breakfast, Luke Combs, The Strokes, Empire of the Sun, Cage the Elephant, and more, the festival provided a masterclass in how to incorporate decades (and genres) of music under the score of one festival - beautifully. Whether you’re a country fan or more pop and indie, attendees just had to show up to ACL for them to show out. From the American Express stage to the BMI and Ladybird stage, eight stages offered plenty of space to see your favorite artists. Check out our favorite moments from the mainstream festival.
Friday, October 3rd:
Role Model:
The surprise guest appearances started on a high note. Role Model proved they knew ‘what dreams were made of,’ and brought out Hilary Duff, who danced and sang during their hit single, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” Duff, who hasn’t been in the music scene in a decade, recently announced her return to music. The Disney popstar recently signed a new record deal with Atlantic Records, per The Hollywood Reporter. I mean, ‘Why Not?’(see what we did there?!)
Cage the Elephant:
If you've gone to a festival in the past two or three years, chances are you've seen Cage the Elephant on the bill. Despite the contact addition to lineups, their ability to outshine the previous performance is at its peak. The amount of chaos, jumps, crowd interactions, and, of course, fire is unmatched. The set at ACL proved they've still got, and more! More than once, guitarist Brad Shultz climbed into the crowd to get up close and personal, full-on jumping into a mosh pit during “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.”
At one point, frontman Matt took a moment to thank the audience for showing a bit of gratitude and making space for their music. It was an electrifying set full of memorable moments as expected, but it never gets old. Unfortunately, their set overlapped with Empire of the Sun on the Miller Lite stage. Even though many fans were forced to split the time, both bands understood the assignment and had a very catered setlist to maximize the time.
King Princess:
Guests were in for a double dosage of greatness with King Princess. Many fell in love with them during their performance on Friday; however, on Saturday, PATRÓN Tequila, the world’s #1 super-premium tequila, continued its takeover of the iconic Austin City Limits music festival in Austin, with King Princess surprising festival goers with an incredible set at Hacienda PATRÓN, the brand's two-story experience space on the festival grounds.
A couple of hundred people were lucky to catch King Princess do a DJ set, turning the Hacienda PATRÓN into a high-energy club. King Princess and the many in the crowd celebrated the moment by sipping the signature PATRÓN Headliner Margarita, exclusive to the musical festival season.
Empire of The Sun:
There's always gonna be an overly packed set, and this year it was the rush of fans trying to see a bit of Empire of the Sun. The indie, electronic alternative band was welcomed with open arms as a rush of fans bolted from one stage to the other. Thanks to TikTok, the indie band has had a somewhat of a career revival with their hit single, "Walking on a Dream." The single definitely bridged the generational gap, which may have contributed to the oversized crowd taking in the magic.
Luke Combs:
What better way to pay homage to Texas than donning western wear and shotgunning a beer? Luke Combs appeared to be right at home while heading to Austin City Limits. “It feels like a honky tonk in here,” the ‘When it Rains it Pours’ singer told the crowd Friday night at the American Express stage. If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing Combs live, you know there isn’t a shortage of gratitude and vulnerability. The country crooner recalled his early days in the industry and connected with the audience through authenticity and optimism. Country music fan or not, his way to connect is the key to longevity spanning multiple genre-lovers - the band even gave the millennial-heavy crowd an ode to the good ol' days by incorporating a rendition of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.”
Saturday, October 4th:
RIIZE:
RIIZE made history as the first K-pop group to perform at Austin City Limits. Thousands of festival-goers rushed to the Beatbox stage to catch their energetic set. For an hour, fans enjoyed a show packed with dance breaks, catchy songs, and plenty of gratitude. Before wrapping up, the members said, “We were truly happy to be able to share RIIZE's music with you. Thanks to everyone enjoying it with us until the end, we received great energy and were able to finish the performance well. It feels like a memory we will never forget." RIIZE truly stood out. The excitement around the stage was impossible to miss and lasted well into the night. Hopefully, they’ll be back at ACL again.
Doechii:
The hip-hop / pop artist has had quite the year. Earlier in the year, she was named Billboard Woman of the Year, quite an accolade. ACL festival-goers got a taste of just how the "Swamp Queen" gets down. Ripping (pun intended) through her energetic set, Doechii had fans jumping up and down, breaking a sweat from start to finish. The "Nissan Altima" singer did the absolute MOST during their 50ish-minute set and managed to run through a whopping 16 tracks. No filler needed, jumping from her EPs to one-offs like “Nosebleeds” and, of course, plenty from her Grammy Award-winning album Alligator Bites Never Heal. A minor wardrobe malfunction didn't stop the star from dancing, twerking, and headbanging throughout every square inch of the stage, ensuring no space went untouched. Throughout her performance, subtle nods to the south were sprinkled in - including a sample of Still Tippin, by Paul Wall.
Sabrina Carpenter:
Please please please let's relive this set for a moment.
In the midst of her 'Short n' Sweet Tour', Sabrina Carpenter graced the American Express stage during ACL. Raunchy props and all, the songstress made the most of her 75-minute set, which was full of raunchy props, sequins, and double entendres. Although the set was 75 minutes, festival-goers got an up-close sneak peek at what they can expect during her full performance on tour. The "Espresso" singer donned a sultry country-inspired outfit full of sequins, shimmer, and at one point white cowboy boots.
"I show love in weird ways. One of the ways I show my love is by gift-giving. That’s one of my languages, and I thought it’d be fun to give you guys a little gift tonight," the "Bed Chem" singer shared with the crowd before announcing the special guest of the evening. "Give you a little present because you all showed up and showed out for all of us," she continued, "Will you please make the most noise in the world for the incredible, one and only Shania Twain?" Twain, who headlined ACL in 2023, sang her 1998 hit, "That Don't Impress Me Much," alongside the pop songstress. Bringing such a legend
During Carpenter’s set, she also "arrested" Joe Keery for "being too hot." The "Manchild" drew one of the biggest crowds over the weekend - from start to finish, it was sheer perfection.
The Strokes:
The Strokes closed out Saturday evening on the Miller Lite stage at ACL. Not new to performing, the band brought a rather somber set that ripped through decades of their discography, proving this performance was catered to their fans over the years. Older singles such as “Welcome to Japan,” “Under Control,” and “Someday” were peak nostalgia.
Sunday, October 5th:
T-Pain:
You never realize just how many T-Pain songs you know until you see him live. The energetic set comprised all of the hits! Donning a full-on leather western saloon-style attire, T-Pain brought the energy we all needed to close out the festival on a high note. “If you are somewhere in the air conditioning and where life is comfortable, that is not the time to design your fucking outfit for ACL fest,” T-Pain shared to the crowd. “When your stylist says, ‘Are you sure you’re gonna be okay with leather?’ Do not fucking say ‘Yes, I should be okay.’
T-Pain didn't let the heat slow him down. In fact, this performance was a love letter to the early 2000s clubbing days, and this was the perfect crowd for it. From opening with the hit single, “Cyclone,” to continuing the discography with hits such as "Bartender,” “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper),” and “Buy U a Drank,” the rapper had one of the most memorable sets at ACL.
The Amex Lounge provided festival-goers with a comfy break from the heat in a retro-style lounge.
In addition to the megastar lineup, attendees were able to cool off in multiple spaces, such as the Coca-Cola refresher tent or the American Express Lounge, which provided card members with an exclusive cross-body bag that they can customize with Austin-themed charms (think bats, musical instruments, and the iconic flags). Additional activations include the market, which showcased top artisans from Austin (even snagged the most perfect vegan suede hat from Lost Valley).
Google Play Rewards Tour! Courtesy Photo
Google Play gave attendees the chance to win BIG by playing a game for points. Once every hour, guests had the chance to go head-to-head against seven other players for rewards such as a decorative pin, a gift card that can be utilized during ACL festival, and more.
From the most craveable eats to refreshing beverages to combat the Texas heat, ACL had it all. It may have been a scorcher all weekend, but that didn't stop festival-goers (or performers) from having the time of their lives. Weekend Two tickets are still available - don’t miss out!
