After debuting last year at Cosmic Saltillo, Cosmic Fest returns for its second year during SXSW, this time heading south to Cosmic Pickle Road for four days of free live music and a more neighborhood-style Austin music experience.

Cosmic Fest will showcase a curated lineup of local artists, DJs and bands performing throughout the weekend at Cosmic’s laid-back outdoor venue. Cosmic Fest is free and open to the public, with music starting Thursday evening and continuing through Sunday afternoon.

After debuting last year at Cosmic Saltillo, Cosmic Fest returns for its second year during SXSW, this time heading south to Cosmic Pickle Road for four days of free live music and a more neighborhood-style Austin music experience.

Cosmic Fest will showcase a curated lineup of local artists, DJs and bands performing throughout the weekend at Cosmic’s laid-back outdoor venue. Cosmic Fest is free and open to the public, with music starting Thursday evening and continuing through Sunday afternoon.

After debuting last year at Cosmic Saltillo, Cosmic Fest returns for its second year during SXSW, this time heading south to Cosmic Pickle Road for four days of free live music and a more neighborhood-style Austin music experience.

Cosmic Fest will showcase a curated lineup of local artists, DJs and bands performing throughout the weekend at Cosmic’s laid-back outdoor venue. Cosmic Fest is free and open to the public, with music starting Thursday evening and continuing through Sunday afternoon.

After debuting last year at Cosmic Saltillo, Cosmic Fest returns for its second year during SXSW, this time heading south to Cosmic Pickle Road for four days of free live music and a more neighborhood-style Austin music experience.

Cosmic Fest will showcase a curated lineup of local artists, DJs and bands performing throughout the weekend at Cosmic’s laid-back outdoor venue. Cosmic Fest is free and open to the public, with music starting Thursday evening and continuing through Sunday afternoon.

Moontower Comedy Festival will present An Evening with Albert Brooks on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Paramount Theatre, with comedian and actor Kevin Pollak serving as special guest host.

The event offers a live conversation and retrospective with Brooks, whose career spans stand-up comedy, film, television and animation. A pioneering voice in alternative comedy, Brooks rose to prominence in the late 1960s before writing, directing and starring in films including Real Life, Lost in America, Defending Your Life and Broadcast News, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. His acting credits also include Taxi Driver, Out of Sight and Drive, as well as voice work on The Simpsons and Finding Nemo.

The evening follows the release of Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, an HBO documentary directed by Rob Reiner, and comes as Brooks continues work on a television adaptation of his novel 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America.

Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show beginning at 7 p.m., at the Paramount Theatre.

The 26th annual Austin Dragon Boat Festival will take place April 25 at Festival Beach on Lady Bird Lake, continuing one of Central Texas’ longest-running cultural celebrations.

Hosted by The Lunar Foundation, this year’s free, all-ages event begins at 10 a.m. and will feature more than 30 teams and about 600 paddlers competing in traditional 40-foot dragon boats. The festival is expected to draw thousands of spectators.

Founded in 1999 by Amy Wong Mok, the event honors the ancient Chinese tradition of dragon boat racing while highlighting Austin’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities through cultural performances, an outdoor art gallery and an Asian market. Food vendors will also offer traditional dishes, including zongzi, a rice dumpling tied to the holiday’s origins.

The Austin Blues Festival will return April 25–26, 2026, bringing two days of live music to the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. Co-presented by Antone’s Nightclub and the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, the festival highlights blues, soul and genre-blending artists from across generations.

This year’s lineup includes Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, BADBADNOTGOOD, Eric Johnson, Larkin Poe, Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos, The War and Treaty, Chaparelle, Los Amigos Invisibles and more, along with second line parades throughout the park. Two-day passes go on sale Dec. 5, with ticket options ranging from general admission to VIP experiences, and a portion of proceeds benefiting the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy.

The Austin Blues Festival will return April 25–26, 2026, bringing two days of live music to the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. Co-presented by Antone’s Nightclub and the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, the festival highlights blues, soul and genre-blending artists from across generations.

This year’s lineup includes Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, BADBADNOTGOOD, Eric Johnson, Larkin Poe, Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos, The War and Treaty, Chaparelle, Los Amigos Invisibles and more, along with second line parades throughout the park. Two-day passes go on sale Dec. 5, with ticket options ranging from general admission to VIP experiences, and a portion of proceeds benefiting the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy.

The iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One returns to Austin on Saturday, May 2, bringing a stacked lineup of country hitmakers to Moody Center.

Now in its 13th year, the one-night festival will feature performances by Kane Brown, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Shaboozey, Dylan Scott, Russell Dickerson, Gretchen Wilson, Chase Matthew and Lauren Alaina.

The event will be hosted by Bobby Bones, iHeartMedia’s nationally syndicated country radio personality.