No festival starts out massive with fantastic sights. ACL started out small, and it looked pretty kitschy. This just screams '90s, but it was actually in 2005. By this time, the event coordinators knew what to expect, but did they know it would become as massive as it has?
In 2005, ACL pulled names like Deadboy and the Elephantmen, The Double, The Textiles, and more. Compare that to 2021, when it managed to schedule Billie Eilish, Twenty-One Pilots, Willie Nelson, Radiohead, and even Paul McCartney. What a glowup!
Austin City Limits didn't start out huge, but look at it now! It's getting massive names, and thousands of people from all over flock so they can join in on the fun.
While some concerts are in the middle of nowhere like Burning Man, ACL is smack-dab in Austin. Tons of great places to go if you need a break from the crowds.
ACL isn't anything like Burning Man. For one, there's a lot less space. People are packed in like sardines, but it gives everyone a chance to really get to know each other. You kind of half to at this point, right? It looks a tad claustrophobic, though.
This image was taken in 2016. By now, hundreds of thousands of people began to attend. On average, 450,000 people attend ACL every year. It goes from 10 AM to 10 PM, and you honestly don't have to leave (until you're forced to come 10 PM).
The lights are so bright at ACL that they'll probably blind you. Okay, they probably aren't that crazy, but they're super bright. No one puts on a better show than dance and electronica bands. DJs know what people want, and they give it to their audiences in droves.
This is Harley Edward Streten, who is better known by his stage name Flume. He's from Australia, meaning artists come from all over the world to ACL. It makes sense after you attend and hang out with the crowds, though.
Billie Eilish is famous for bouncing around during her shoes, and not even a sprained ankle will stop her from giving Austin everything she's got. Turns out, before one of her shows, she fell down a flight of stairs! Most of us would cancel, but not this girl.
She took the stage and even jumped around like she didn't even have an injury. Billie might be young, but she clearly loves her fans more than anything out there.
The nightlife in Austin is never better than when ACL is going on. Not only can people attend the amazing concerts, which the biggest names happen a little later in the day, but there are tons of clubs and bars nearby.
ACL gives fans a chance to listen to music under the stars. I mean, look at that! It's beautiful! Where else would you see such an amazing view of both the city's glittery lights and the glitzy stars in the sky?
Did you even go to a music festival if you didn't snap a crap-ton of pictures while you were there? Naturally, ACL created some perfect little backdrops and frames for people to do whatever they want.
The sky is the limit! We're a little impressed with how high she jumped, honestly. That doesn't look like an easy pose, but she's pulling it off effortlessly.
The goal of ACL is to give "viewers unparalleled access to featured artists in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances." Think MTV if they actually kept showing music instead of...whatever the execs decided to do.
This taping was Parker McCallum, a country singer-songwriter. This goes to show that ACL pulls talent from all over no matter the genre — pop, rock, country, dance, electrica, it doesn't matter! It's all welcome at ACL.
If this picture looks old, it's because it is. It's from 2009! It's hard to believe that ACL has been going on since 2002. These kids look like they're from 2009, too.
That combed-over scene hair and the dozens of bracelets on one arm kinda give it away. Well, that and the fact some of those guys look like Fred Durst is their idol.
You may not have heard of Sylvan Duo, but they certainly pulled a crowd at ACL. The group recently were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic album following their release of What Now.
The lights were crazy, and they rocked the crowd hard. This performance was actually taped for the TV program which preceded the actual music festival. Turns out, if you go to ACL, you may end up on TV.
