ACL Fest Weekend One: The Music, Mud, Memories and Best Moments
The TRIBEZA team shares their favorite highlights of the first weekend of Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026
Weekend one of Austin City Limits Music Festival 2026, will definitely go down as one for the memory books. Between the rain, cool temperatures, packed stages and fields determined to test everyone’s footwear, ACL Fest 2026 Weekend One was all about embracing the experience. With Friday’s relentless rain turning the festival grounds into a muddy adventure, it also gave the weekend its own personality — messy and memorable. By the end of the weekend, there was really a collective pride in surviving “ACL Mud Fest.”
Favorite Festival Moments
The Cooler Temperatures
For anyone who has attended ACL in recent years, festival weekends usually mean heat, humidity and trying to find shade, fans and plenty of water to keep cool. But this year, cooler-than-average temperatures made for a surprisingly comfortable air, and for the first time in our memory, the only sweating we did was from dancing.
The trade-off was plenty of rain, which transformed portions of Zilker Park into a muddy maze by the weekend. Festival crews responded by laying turf grass carpet across high-traffic areas, giving festivalgoers a steadier path through the grounds and making it easier to move between stages. While the mud may have added an unexpected element to the weekend, the cooler weather ultimately made for a festival that was easier to enjoy for hours at a time, proving that even a little mud couldn’t stop the magic of the festival and the unwavering positive energy pouring out of attendees to see their favorite musicians.
Party with Charli XCX
Charli XCX turned her Friday night headlining set into a full-scale club spectacle, tearing through hits from her new album, “Music, Fashion, Film,” and favorites from “Brat” with commanding vocals and a lingerie-clad performance. Cinematic camera work, black-and-white imagery and strobe effects echoed the new album’s artwork. With Lorde in town for her Saturday headlining set, “Girl, so confusing” seemed poised for a surprise appearance from the singer featured on its remix. Instead, Charli welcomed frequent collaborator Troye Sivan, who performed “Le Boy” and his new song, “Party.” After such a high-energy set, the night ended on a contemplative note. “No One Lasts Forever” played as David Cronenberg’s voice delivered the closing words: “They are dead, they are gone, no one lasts forever.” On the video screen, “oblivion is freedom” offered one final thought for the crowd to take home.
Local Love for DJ Cassandra
Day two got off to a delayed start, with the festival gates not opening until 2 p.m. — exactly when local favorite DJ Cassandra was scheduled to take the stage. But Austin showed up anyway. Friends, fans and supporters flocked to the Tito’s tent, quickly filling the space and turning the delayed start into a celebration of its own. Once Cassandra got going, the dancing was nonstop, and she added an unforgettable Austin touch by bringing Big Wy’s Brass Band to caravan through the crowd. It was one of those spontaneous festival moments that was such a fun experience.
Lorde Makes a Full-Circle Return to ACL Fest
Lorde returned to ACL Saturday night as a headliner, marking her first appearance at the festival since she was 17. The singer, who launched her latest tour in Austin and is finishing it in the city, noted from the stage how full circle the moment felt for her. Lorde’s career-spanning set opened with “Royals” and revisited fan favorites including “Buzzcut Season,” “Supercut” and “Green Light,” alongside songs from her latest era, including “What Was That,” “Favourite Daughter” and “David.” Lorde closed with “Ribs,” delivering a triumphant finale to her return to Zilker Park.
Audrey Hobert Brought the Energy
Audrey Hobert delivered the kind of performance that made it nearly impossible to stand still. She covered the stage from end to end with animated dancing and infectious energy, giving fans plenty to watch. The crowd knew the words to song after song, turning her set into a massive singalong. Plus, Hobert performed her breakout hit “Sue Me” twice. Getting to experience it all over again made her set one of the weekend’s standout moments.
The Luxury Experience, Mud and All
Amid the mud and mayhem of ACL Fest, the Tito’s tent remained one of the weekend’s places to be. Festivalgoers settled into ample seating with unlimited Tito’s cocktails in hand, including a particularly delicious espresso martini made with Tito’s Vodka, while screens projected the festival action and weekend football games. Free cowboy hats, playful activations and surprisingly nice bathrooms in spite of the mud, made the tent an easy place to linger between sets. Tito himself was also in attendance, adding to the energy of a space that felt like both an Austin institution and festival escape. In a weekend defined by mud, the Tito’s tent delivered the polished, celebratory experience we know and love.
Rain Check: Festival Style
This year, the weather had a say in the dress code. Rain boots, from bright colors to more understated styles, became a practical addition to festival looks, while waterproof layers, oversized outerwear and clever styling helped navigate the soggy grounds. The strongest looks were not necessarily the most elaborate, but the ones that adapted to the conditions without appearing entirely dictated by them. At ACL, the forecast became part of the fashion equation, and we were impressed by how quickly some attendees were able to pivot and wear something functional, yet chic.
