Skip to Content

Austin City Limits Adds Bleachers, Lola Young and More to Record-Breaking Season 52

Five new tapings join a Season 52 lineup where, for the first time, every artist gets a full-hour episode

Lola Young of Lola Young at Rolling Stone's Future of Music Showcase: Lola Young Night held at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Salihah Saadiq for Rolling Stone)
Lola Young of Lola Young at Rolling Stone's Future of Music Showcase: Lola Young Night held at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Salihah Saadiq for Rolling Stone)

Season 52 of “Austin City Limits” is getting five more first-time performers. Bella Kay, Arturo Sandoval, Jesse Welles, Lola Young and Bleachers will tape episodes at ACL Live at the Moody Theater this fall, joining a lineup that already includes Olivia Rodrigo, Billy Strings, Miguel, Ari Lennox and The Red Clay Strays.

The season will feature 18 episodes, but the bigger change is the format: For the first time in the series’ more than 50-year history, every featured artist will receive a full-hour broadcast episode rather than sharing the hour with another performer.

Season 52 premieres Sept. 4 on PBS.

“Austin City Limits” announced five new Season 52 tapings.
“Austin City Limits” announced five new Season 52 tapings. (Courtesy of Austin City Limits)

Who’s performing

Houston native Bella Kay, 20, will make her ACL debut Sept. 22 after a breakout year that included a Billboard Hot 100 hit with “iloveitiloveitiloveit,” a Lollapalooza appearance and the July release of her debut album, “My Reckless Abandon.”

Cuban American jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval brings a decades-spanning career to the stage Sept. 25. The Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and 2024 Kennedy Center honoree joined Karol G at Coachella this spring and released his latest album, “SANGÚ,” in May.

Jesse Welles has built a following through stripped-down songs confronting war, health care, immigration and economic inequality. The Arkansas singer-songwriter, who earned four Grammy nominations in 2026, will tape Oct. 8 following the June release of “Masks Off.”

Lola Young’s Oct. 9 debut follows the international success of “Messy,” which reached No. 1 in the U.K. and won best pop solo performance at the 2026 Grammys. The South London singer-songwriter released her third album, “I’m Only F**king Myself,” last year.

Bleachers will make its first ACL appearance Oct. 11. Led by Jack Antonoff, the band released its fifth album, “everyone for ten minutes,” in May, while Antonoff won three Grammys this year for his work with Kendrick Lamar.

A bigger season for ‘Austin City Limits’

The fall additions cap a season that has already brought a wide range of artists to ACL Live at the Moody Theater.

Miguel opened the Season 52 tapings in March, followed by Ryan Bingham, The Red Clay Strays, Carlos Vives, Ty Myers, S.G. Goodman, Ari Lennox, Sebastián Yatra, Billy Strings, Sienna Spiro and Olivia Rodrigo. The show also taped its ACL Hall of Fame Honors with Brandi Carlile and special guest Bonnie Raitt in July.

Maggie Rose joins that list Monday, Aug. 24, with a taping that will also be live-streamed at 8 p.m. Central on the “Austin City Limits” YouTube channel. The Nashville singer-songwriter is expected to perform songs from her new album, “Half Moon,” along with selections from her Grammy-nominated “No One Gets Out Alive.”

For those hoping to see a taping in person, “Austin City Limits” generally announces pass giveaways on its social media accounts about a week before each performance. Tapings are held at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in downtown Austin.

RELATED: 5 Can’t-Miss Theatre and Dance Productions to See in Austin This Season