TV on the Radio, Pavement, Mastodon and More to Headline Levitation 2025 in Austin
Levitation reveals its full 2025 lineup and a new lakeside home at Palmer Events Center in downtown Austin
Returning Sept. 25–28, Levitation will launch a new downtown hub at the Palmer Events Center, marking its first centralized venue experience since 2015. Set on the edge of Town Lake with skyline views, the site offers both indoor and outdoor stages and upgraded amenities. It’s a format shift for the festival, which in recent years has unfolded entirely across downtown clubs—this time, Levitation blends the scale of a central venue with the energy of its late-night programming at iconic Austin venues.
“We’ve been searching for the right location to bring a multi-stage experience back to Levitation for years, and we found it right downtown,” said co-founder and festival director Rob Fitzpatrick. “The venue offers a huge upgrade in production overall with endless possibilities for the visual experience, and great amenities—air conditioning, nice bathrooms, ample parking, a giant shaded outdoor courtyard… All of that in a beautiful park in the heart of the city.”
Founded in 2008 as Austin Psych Fest by members of The Black Angels and friends, the festival—renamed Levitation in 2015—has evolved into a globally recognized celebration of psych rock, indie, punk, metal, electronic and other underground genres. Over the years, the music fest has hosted legendary lineups while remaining rooted in Austin’s alternative music scene.
Who is playing at Levitation this year?
The headliners this year include TV on the Radio, Pavement, Mastodon, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, along with a rare Texas appearance by reunited sludge-metal cult act Acid Bath. Also joining the bill are Blonde Redhead, Built to Spill, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, and festival co-founders The Black Angels.
Friday’s programming features Mastodon, Acid Bath, Blood Incantation, and Austin doom-metal veterans The Sword. Saturday highlights include TV on the Radio, the psychedelic grooves of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and dream pop icons Blonde Redhead. Sunday delivers a 1990s indie rock dream lineup with Pavement, Built to Spill, Destroyer, and The Black Angels.
RELATED: Austin Psych Fest Draws Fans for a Weekend of Psychedelia, Lights and Local Music Legends
The new home base and late-night shows
The Palmer Events Center’s 75,000-square-foot main hall will serve as the indoor stage, featuring 360-degree visuals and immersive lighting. An adjacent outdoor stage, framed by downtown and shaded by live oaks, adds a scenic layer to the experience. The new venue also allows for installations, a DJ stage, expanded poster show, vintage vendors, and a food truck court.
“Levitation 2025 brings back a larger multi-stage festival in the spirit of when it was held at the ranch—and just steps from where Fun Fun Fun Fest called home,” said Graham Williams, founder of Resound Presents, a co-producer of the event. “But this time we’re doing it at a venue that has everything we need—and with a roof over our head.”
Despite the move, the festival remains deeply tied to Austin’s downtown clubs. Night Show programming returns to venues like Mohawk, Stubb’s, Elysium, 13th Floor, and more, continuing Levitation’s tradition of intimate, late-night sets. The after-hours roster includes performances by Mdou Moctar, Sudan Archives, The Dandy Warhols, Boy Harsher, Drugdealer, PUP, and others.
Passes for Levitation 2025, including early bird tickets and individual night show access, are on sale now at their website.