Austin’s 10 Most Exciting and Unmissable Festivals

Austin has a well-earned reputation as a hotspot for lively, engaging festivals. Whether it’s live music, films, books, outdoor recreation, or food, the city offers festivals to match nearly every interest. These ten annual festivals are among Austin’s most popular, so mark the calendar and plan for these can’t-miss events.

SXSW

What: An internationally famous conference and festival that combines tech, music, film and more.

Where: Venues throughout Downtown Austin

When: March 7-15, 2025

When the phrase “Austin festivals” comes up, South by Southwest is usually the first event that comes to mind. Since 1987, this tech, music, and media conference has defined innovation, professional networking, and creative exhibitions in Austin. Each March, power players from across the globe flock to the city to connect, watch independent films, experience performances by cutting-edge artists, hear inspiring speakers from leading industries, and preview exciting tech products and services. Keep an eye on Instagram for open-admission events and activations to join in on the SXSW excitement.

ABC Kite Fest

What: A playful spring event in Zilker Park that involves kite flying, competitions, and kid-friendly live music. 

Where: Zilker Park

When: April 5, 2025

For those seeking an active, outdoorsy event that appeals equally to kids and grownups, the ABC Kite Fest offers an ideal outing. Hosted annually at Zilker Park, this free festival celebrates the colorful world of kites through flying exhibitions, design competitions, races, and various kite-themed activities. Children can enjoy moon bounces and arts-and-crafts stations when taking a break from kite flying, and even pets are welcome to join the fun with a dog obstacle course and open lawns for running and exploring.

Eeyore’s Birthday Party

What: A quirky and bohemian festival that celebrates music, community and all that “keeps Austin weird.” 

Where: Pease District Park

When: April 26, 2025

Part birthday celebration, part jam session, part art exhibition, part family-friendly gathering and part psychedelic adventure, Eeyore’s Birthday Party manages to cover a lot of territory as a very Austin event. Every year, the Friends of the Forest non-profit group organizes this outdoor festival in Pease District Park that welcomes Austinites from all walks of life to spread out picnic blankets, dress in their most creative get-ups, strum guitars and play bongos, and appreciate the laidback community-forward vibes. It’s a truly unique, only-in-Austin happening, and it’s something that every Austinite should experience at least once.

Pecan Street Festival

What: An arts-and-crafts-focused festival in Downtown Austin with live music from local acts, food vendors and kid-friendly activities.

Where: Sixth Street Historic District

When: May 3-4, 2025

Sixth Street’s current reputation as a hotspot for partying and bar-hopping makes it easy to forget that this pocket of downtown has plenty of historical value. The Pecan Street Association is determined to remind Austinites of Sixth Street’s structural beauty and importance to the story of Austin, so they’ve been hosting an annual neighborhood festival that emphasizes art, music and creativity for 50 years. 

Hot Luck

What: The ultimate Austin barbecue festival, plus plenty of cocktails and live music. 

Where: Downtown Austin and East Austin

When: May 22-25, 2025

The brainchild of Franklin Barbecue maestro Aaron Franklin, Hot Luck has become a must-do Memorial Day Weekend activity for Austin gourmands in just a few short years. Hot Luck brings together chefs and pitmasters from all over the country to show off their smoking skills, and attendees get to reap the benefits by sampling all of the flavorful bites. Combined with lively music performances and refreshing drinks, Hot Luck offers an ideal kickoff to the summer season.

Fantastic Fest

What: A “genre film” festival that highlights horror, sci-fi and fantasy movies, sponsored by Alamo Drafthouse.

Where: Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

When: September 18-25, 2025

Fans of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action, and cult films know that Austin is the place to be in mid-September because that’s when Fantastic Fest launches in the Lone Star Capital. This yearly film festival takes over Alamo Drafthouse’s South Lamar location, with every screen showing a new film that fits into one of the aforementioned genres. In addition to showing small-run movies that will be hard to find elsewhere, Fantastic Fest has also premiered some big-deal films like “Zombieland” and “There Will Be Blood” over the years. Q&As with filmmakers like Tim Burton and Paul Thomas Anderson have also been part of the festival in the past, so film enthusiasts regularly flock to Fantastic Fest to see what’s happening.

Levitation

What: A psych rock and EDM festival hosting shows throughout Downtown Austin and East Austin every autumn. 

Where: Downtown Austin and East Austin venues

When: September 25-28, 2025

Music aficionados who love to discover new independent artists and lose themselves in unexpected beats view Levitation as the Austin festival to end them all. This event spans numerous music venues throughout Downtown and East Austin and invites fans of psych rock, EDM, punk, metal and other genres to dance, dance, dance!

Austin City Limits Music Festival

What: Austin’s biggest music festival showcases iconic legacy musicians, current chart-toppers and indie acts.

Where: Zilker Park

When: October 3-5 and October 10-12, 2025

The first two weekends in October represent some of the busiest times for Austin tourism, because that’s when Austin City Limits lands in Zilker Park. This legendary music festival counts among the most significant and highly attended in the United States, and recent years have seen mega-stars like Chappell Roan, Dua Lipa, Tyler the Creator, Foo Fighters, Kasey Musgraves and many more as headliners. 

Austin Food & Wine Festival

What: A culinary adventure at Auditorium Shores with chef demos, plenty of tasty bites, wines and spirits from all over the country, and a lively crowd ready to eat, drink, and be merry.

Where: Auditorium Shores

When: Early November 2025

Austin foodies always make a beeline for Auditorium Shores in early November, as this downtown park is the headquarters for Austin Food & Wine Festival. As its name suggests, this event offers attendees a taste of Austin’s best restaurants, but chefs from all over Texas (and even from beyond the Lone Star State) also gravitate to Austin Food & Wine to serve up their signature bites. In addition to plenty of culinary samples, Austin Food & Wine provides guests with wine, beer and cocktails, a DJ spinning energetic tunes all day and a wide array of chef demos, wine tasting seminars and other fun and educational happenings. 

Texas Book Festival

What: A top-rated literary festival in Downtown Austin that welcomes authors and readers alike to enjoy presentations, panels, seminars, book signings, and more.

Where: Near the Texas State Capitol, Downtown Austin

When: November 8-9, 2025

The national literati descend on Austin every fall to participate in the Texas Book Festival, a highly respected event for book lovers and authors to share their love of reading. Writers host book signings, attendees can sit in on topical panels and workshops, chefs with new books to promote lead cooking demonstrations, and readers have the chance to discover new books and writers not just from Texas, but from all over the world.