ACL Fest 2026 Playlist: Heywood Hotel Staff Picks
September 9, 2026
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It’s ACL Fest’s 25th anniversary, and the 2026 lineup spans more than 100 acts across nine stages at Zilker Park. Rather than make you comb through it on your own, our team built one ACL 2026 playlist with our top picks of the artists we’re most looking forward to seeing.
The Austin City Limits Festival 2026 runs October 2–4 and October 9–11. Headliners include Charli xcx, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, and The xx, with Skrillex topping Weekend One and Kings of Leon closing Weekend Two. Below, you’ll find our full ACL Fest 2026 playlist, a few standouts from the ACL lineup 2026, and a note on the easiest place to stay in East Austin.
In this post:
What is the Austin City Limits Music Festival?
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual outdoor festival inspired by the long-running PBS series Austin City Limits. Since 2002 it has grown into one of Austin’s defining fall events, with nine stages across Zilker Park and six days of music spanning headliners, rising artists, local acts, and nearly every genre you can name.
Which Bands Should You See at ACL Fest 2026?
With more than 100 acts on the schedule, it pays to get familiar with the lineup before you show up. Set times overlap, stages are scattered across the park, and no one wants to spend half the day squinting at a schedule deciding where to go next.
We went through the full 2026 lineup and pulled the artists we’re most excited to see. The result is a playlist of around 40 acts, with plenty of variety and a few names you’ll want to add to your own list.
The Heywood Hotel ACL 2026 Spotify Playlist
We’ve collected our team’s ACL picks into one Spotify playlist so you can listen ahead of festival weekend and get to know the names you’ll be hearing at Zilker Park.
ACL Fest 2026 Playlist from Heywood Hotel
Who Do We Love?
Our ACL playlist comes from five Heywood team members — Julie, Dani, Kathy, Kayla, and Sam — who each approached the ACL lineup 2026 a little differently, with picks spanning Aussie punk, British indie, pop, electronic, hip hop, folk, R&B, and more.
Some of the artists we’re especially looking forward to include The xx, Geese, Amyl and the Sniffers, Hunx and His Punx, Bad Nerves, Suki Waterhouse, Turnstile, S.G. Goodman, The War on Drugs, Charli xcx, and Lorde.
ACL always does a strong job of highlighting local acts. A few of our favorites this year are Grocery Bag, DJ Cassandra, Calder Allen, Coleman Jennings, and Asleep at the Wheel.
There are just over 40 artists on the full playlist, so consider this a sampling. For the complete list — including set days and notes from each team member — read our ACL Fest 2026 staff picks and full festival guide →
Make the Heywood Your ACL Home BaseThree miles from Zilker Park, free parking, and a team that loves this festival. Every ACL reservation includes a welcome basket on arrival. |
Where is the Best Place to Stay for ACL?
East Austin makes a smart home base for ACL Fest. Zilker Park is three miles from the Heywood, and when you’re not at the festival, you’re within walking distance of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and live music on the East Side.
There’s no parking at Zilker Park during ACL Fest, so plan on a rideshare, shuttle, bike, or another way to get to the festival. At the Heywood, you can leave your car in your dedicated free parking space and head to the park from there.
Why Stay at the Heywood Hotel for ACL?
We’re a seven-room MICHELIN Key boutique hotel in East Austin, recognized as one of the city’s standout small hotels. Independent, woman-owned, and rooted in the neighborhood, our team of Austin locals is here to help you make the most of your time in the city.
Every room is individually designed with local art and textiles and comes with locally roasted Heywood Blend coffee, Zhi Tea, handcrafted chocolates, and salon-quality bath products. Each ACL reservation also includes a VIP welcome basket filled with local snacks, drinks, and other Austin-made favorites, a little taste of the city the moment you arrive.
Wondering where to eat before the festival, where to grab a drink after, or what to do with the one afternoon you’re not at Zilker? Our concierge team is happy to help. Every recommendation comes from people who know Austin well and have been to the places we suggest.
A Quiet Place to Come Home To
Some Heywood rooms have private patios or balconies, and Rooms 2, 4, and 6 have deep soaking tubs, perfect for the post-festival recovery part of the weekend.
We also offer discounts for stays of three or more nights and full-property rentals for groups who want all seven rooms to themselves. ACL is one of our favorite weekends of the year, and we love welcoming both first-time visitors and Austin regulars.
Attending ACL 2026? Make the Heywood Your Austin Home Base.Seven rooms, free parking, a welcome basket for every ACL guest, and a concierge team that knows this city well. Three miles from Zilker Park, in the heart of East Austin. |