Arts

SXSW, ACL Fest and More Austin Festivals Announce Major Updates

Discover the latest on Austin’s biggest festivals, with new lineups, schedules, speakers and programming updates

By Cassie Butterfield
August 20, 2026

SXSW Film & TV headliners, major premieres, screenings and red carpets will move to ACL Live at the Moody Theater in 2027 while the Paramount Theatre undergoes restoration. (Photo by Melissa Bordeau Mark)

A new wave of announcements is filling in the details for some of the city’s biggest annual events, and the updates cover just about every corner of Austin culture.

Fantastic Fest has revealed its 2026 film lineup, the Texas Tribune Festival has announced its full speaker lineup, Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival has released its daily schedule and late-night lineup, and South by Southwest (SXSW) has announced new programming and venue changes for 2027.

Here’s what to know about the latest festival news around Austin.

A still from Prime Video’s “Carrie,” Mike Flanagan’s new series adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, which will make its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin. (Courtesy of Fantastic Fest)

Fantastic Fest unveils its film lineup

Fantastic Fest has announced its 2026 lineup, featuring 35 world premieres, 21 international and North American premieres and 14 U.S. premieres during the festival’s Sept. 17-24 run at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

The festival will open with the world premiere of Mike P. Nelson’s creature feature “Beware Boiúna,” along with a gala screening of filmmaker Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil.” “The Swallow,” a survival horror film from directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer starring Grace Van Dien, will close the festival.

Other films and series on the lineup include the U.S. premiere of Mike Flanagan’s new “Carrie” series, “Victorian Psycho,” “Bloody Tennis,” “The Cycle,” “River” and “Wild Horse Nine.”

Fantastic Fest will also honor director Walter Hill with an award recognizing his contributions to genre film, followed by a screening of his 1987 neo-Western action thriller “Extreme Prejudice.”

Festivalgoers on Open Congress during The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, TX. (Photo by Stephen Spillman)

Raphael Warnock, Gina Hinojosa and more join Texas Tribune Festival

The Texas Tribune Festival has announced its full 2026 speaker lineup ahead of its return to downtown Austin Sept. 24-26, with more than 250 speakers and more than 100 sessions planned across the three-day event.

Among this year’s featured speakers are U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.; Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt; labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta; author Ibram X. Kendi; and former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, is also scheduled to appear.

Other speakers include journalist and author Maggie Haberman, Harvard professor and author Imani Perry, former White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove and U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin.

The festival’s more than 100 sessions will cover politics, education, artificial intelligence, energy and other issues affecting Texas and the country through live interviews and panel discussions at venues across downtown Austin.

Austin City Limits Music Festival. (Photo by Taylor Regulski)

ACL Fest releases daily schedule and late-night lineup

ACL Fest has released its 2026 daily schedule and ACL Fest Nights lineup ahead of the festival’s Oct. 2-4 and Oct. 9-11 weekends at Zilker Park.

The daily schedule gives festivalgoers their first look at when and where more than 100 artists will perform across nine stages during the two weekends.

Outside Zilker Park, ACL Fest Nights will bring festival artists to music venues around Austin before, between and after the festival weekends. Brandon Flowers, Bleachers, Parcels, Lola Young, Suki Waterhouse, The Chainsmokers and Fcukers are among the artists scheduled for late-night performances.

Tickets for ACL Fest Nights go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21.

Sean Fennessey and Steven Spielberg at SXSW. (Photo by Cassie Butterfield) — Sean Fennessy chats with director Steven Spielberg during a keynote conversation at the SXSW Conference & Festivals on March 13, 2026, at the Hilton Austin in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Cassie Butterfield)

SXSW announces Podcast Festival, venue changes and locals perks for 2027

SXSW has announced several changes for its 2027 festival, including a new Podcast Festival, new downtown locations for music and film programming and a program offering perks to Austin residents. The festival will take place March 15-21, with SXSW EDU running March 13-16. The new Podcast Festival, scheduled for March 17-20, will be open to all badgeholders.

Several existing programs are also moving. The Music Clubhouse will relocate to the Thompson Austin, while Music Conference programming will take place at the Thompson and Westin hotels. Major Film & TV Festival premieres, screenings and red carpets will temporarily move to ACL Live at the Moody Theater while the Paramount Theatre undergoes restoration. Film & TV programming is expected to return to the Paramount in 2028.

SXSW and SXSW EDU are also introducing the 512 Club for badgeholders with Austin ZIP codes. The first announced perk is a downtown lounge where local attendees can work, meet or take a break during the festival. An application-only CxO Badge for executives and founders will also debut, with rates starting at $6,095.