Things to Do in Austin in October: Events, Concerts, and More
September 30, 2026
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October is a great time to visit Austin. With the fall season beginning and the temperatures dropping, there are plenty of opportunities to get outside and take in everything the city has going on.
From ACL Fest to Formula 1, here are some events to add to your calendar if you’re planning a trip to Austin in October.
In this post:
ACL Fest, The Austin Film Festival, and Formula 1 are some of the major Austin events in October 2026.
18 Things to Do in Austin in October
1. Austin City Limits Music Festival
October 2–4 and October 9–11, 2026 | Zilker Park
Austin City Limits turns 25 this year, and the lineup reflects it. Six days, nine stages, and headliners that cover a serious range: Charli XCX, Lorde, Twenty One Pilots, Skrillex, and Kings of Leon. If you are visiting Austin for ACL, the Heywood Hotel is about two miles from Zilker Park and a short ride from every venue for the late night shows. Both weekends sell out, so tickets and rooms go early.
If a full weekend of music is too much for you, many artists are playing additional Official ACL Fest Nights shows at venues around town. You can find the full list of ACL Fest Nights shows here and see our picks below in our Austin Concerts roundup.
2. Austober Fest
October 3, 2026 | Scholz Garten
Austober Fest at Scholz Garten leans into the fun side of Oktoberfest: stein holding contest, sausage competition, live music, and bowling, all at the oldest beer garden in Texas. Tickets are $40.
3. Texas Conference for Women
October 5, 2026 | Moody Center
The Texas Conference for Women is one of the largest professional development events in the state. This year’s keynote lineup includes Kristen Bell, Hoda Kotb, and Olympic gold medalist Ilona Maher, alongside breakout sessions and one-on-one coaching. It draws thousands of women from across Texas every October and is worth planning a trip around.
Boggy Creek Farm is an Austin institution participating in Legacy Business Month.
4. Legacy Business Month
October 2026 | Multiple Austin Venues
Legacy Business Month is Preservation Austin’s annual October celebration of locally owned businesses that have been part of the city for 20 years or more. Pick up a passport, visit the featured spots, collect stamps, and enter to win prizes along the way.
This year’s list includes Juan in a Million, Boggy Creek Farm, Callahan’s General Store, Texas Chili Parlor, and a handful of other places that have been holding down their corners of Austin for decades. A great opportunity to support the businesses that have helped build the city to what it is today.
5. Legacy on a Plate
October 9–11, 2026 | Rosewood Park
Hosted by the Carver ATX Foundation, Legacy on a Plate is a three-day festival celebrating African Diaspora cuisine alongside live music and cultural storytelling. The event includes cultural programming, a food competition with a $5,000 grand prize, along with food and retail vendors from Black-owned businesses.
6. Austin Oktoberfest
October 10, 2026 | German-Texan Heritage Society
Austin Oktoberfest is one of the longest-running traditional Oktoberfest celebrations in Texas. Live music, authentic food, and pumpkin painting, put on by the German-Texan Heritage Society. This event has the feeling of a neighborhood gathering more than a party, which is exactly what makes it worth an afternoon.
7. Austin FC
October 10, 17, and 28, 2026 | Q2 Stadium
Austin FC has three home dates in October, right in the thick of the playoff push. Q2 Stadium is about 15 minutes from the Heywood, and the atmosphere at an Austin FC home game is one of the better ways to spend a fall evening in this city. Check the MLS schedule for kickoff times and grab tickets early.
Aaron Franklin’s Hot Luck Festival is back in October 2026.
8. Hot Luck Festival
October 16–17, 2026 | Multiple Venues
Hot Luck Festival started as Aaron Franklin’s vision for what a food and music festival could be, and it’s grown to become one of the city’s most anticipated events. This year’s chef roster includes Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria, Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis, and Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel of Birdie’s. The weekend includes live-fire cooking at Franklin Barbecue, live music by Mon Rovia at Mohawk, and an indoor-outdoor culinary party at Assembly Hall.
9. Austin Mediterranean Festival
October 16–18, 2026 | St. Elias Church
The Austin Mediterranean Festival draws live performances, food, and cultural programming representing Greece, Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine, and Eritrea. St. Elias Church is about a mile and a half from the Heywood, which makes it an easy walk or short ride on any of the three days.
10. Texas Longhorns Football
October 17, 24, and 31, 2026 | Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
Three home Saturdays in a row. When the Longhorns are at home, Austin runs on a spirited energy, and it’s worth leaning into. Darrell K Royal is about three miles from the Heywood. Tickets are available through the official UT Athletics site.
Enjoy jazz, blues, and gospel performances during the annual Eastside Kings Festival.
11. Eastside Kings Festival
October 17–18, 2026 | Multiple East Austin Venues
The Eastside Kings Festival brings together soul food, music, and classic cars across five venues in East Austin over a single weekend. Presented by the Eastside Kings Foundation, the mission is to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of African-American Blues, jazz, and gospel music. Wristbands are $30 per day and can be purchased at Antone’s Record Shop.
12. Austin Coffee Festival
October 17–18, 2026 | Palmer Events Center
If you’re a coffee enthusiast, this is the weekend for you. The Austin Coffee Festival pulls in the city’s best specialty roasters for two days of tastings and demos at Palmer Events Center. Tickets start at $25. If you want to explore on your own time, we have a full guide to East Austin coffee shops worth checking out.
Staying in Austin This October?The Heywood Hotel is a MICHELIN-rated boutique hotel at 1609 E. Cesar Chavez in East Austin. Two miles from Zilker Park, easy driving distance to COTA, and walking distance to dozens of East Austin restaurants and bars. Our team knows this city and is happy to help you plan around any event on this list. |
13. Formula 1 United States Grand Prix
October 22–25, 2026 | Circuit of the Americas
The Formula 1 United States Grand Prix is four days at COTA, and this year adds a new Thursday Grand PrixView experience starting at $20. Race weekend concerts feature Maroon 5, Post Malone, and Alesso. F1 weekend is the single busiest stretch of October in Austin, and rooms across the city fill well in advance of race day.
If you’ve already got your tickets, check out the Heywood Hotel concierge team’s guide to Formula 1 and our favorite restaurants and bars to visit while you’re here.
Victor Wembanyama meets Kevin Durant at Moody Center in October 2026.
14. San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets
October 23, 2026 | Moody Center
A rare chance to catch NBA basketball in Austin. Victor Wembanyama and the 2026 Western Conference Champion Spurs take on UT alum Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets at Moody Center, about two miles from the Heywood. It’s an early game in the regular season, and a homecoming for Durant on the campus where he played college ball.
15. AIA Austin Homes Tour
October 24–25, 2026 | Various Austin Neighborhoods
The AIA Austin Homes Tour opens a curated collection of architecturally designed private homes across the city for a self-guided weekend tour. Tickets start at $50. If you’re interested in design, architecture, or seeing some of Austin’s most impressive houses, this is a worthwhile way to spend a weekend afternoon.
Celebrate Día de los Muertos at the Viva la Vida Festival and Parade.
16. Viva la Vida — FREE
October 24, 2026 | 4th Street and Congress Avenue
Viva la Vida is Austin’s largest and longest-running Día de los Muertos celebration, organized by the Mexic-Arte Museum. The Grand Procession steps off at noon and the festival runs until 6 p.m. Free and open to the public, the festivities include hands-on art activities, traditional foods, local artists, retail booths, a low-rider exhibition, and live performances throughout the day.
17. Pumpkin Nights
Through October 2026 | Pioneer Farms, Austin
Taking place at Pioneer Farms, Pumpkin Nights is an immersive experience built around thousands of hand-carved pumpkins spread across nine themed lands. It runs through the end of October and is a fun, seasonal event for couples, groups, and anyone looking for an evening that feels different from a standard night out. Tickets are between $20 and $38 for adults, depending on the time you visit.
18. Austin Film Festival
October 29–November 5, 2026 | Downtown Austin Theaters
The 33rd Annual Austin Film Festival runs eight days across downtown theaters, with more than 30 feature films, 80-plus shorts, and what is recognized as the world’s largest screenwriters’ conference. If you work in film or television, or just take cinema seriously, AFF is worth planning around.
L7, Jack White, and Phoebe Bridgers play Austin in October 2026.
Austin Concerts in October 2026
There’s an incredible lineup of artists coming through Austin this month. Every show below is ticketed on its own, no festival wristband needed. One thing’s for sure: Austin lives up to its Live Music Capital of the World title in October!
If you’re splitting your time between the festival and the after-shows, start with our picks in our ACL Fest 2026 Guide.
- Riley Green: Cowboy As It Gets Tour 2026, October 1 at Moody Center
- Brandon Flowers (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 1 at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (venue change from Stubb’s due to weather)
- Damien Jurado w/ St. Yuma, October 2 at 29th Street Ballroom
- Grocery Bag (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 2 at Stubb’s Indoors. Local punk favorites Grocery Bag get the star treatment with an official ACL Night show after their set at the Fest.
- Steve Aoki (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 2 at The Concourse Project (ages 18+)
- Bleachers (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 2 at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
- Finn Wolfhard (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 2 at Scoot Inn
- Villanelle (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 2 at 3TEN ACL Live
- Paloma Morphy (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 3 at 3TEN ACL Live
- Suki Waterhouse (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 4 at Emo’s Austin
- Saint Motel (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 5 at Scoot Inn
- Sara Bareilles: The Good Grief Tour, October 6 at Bass Concert Hall
- Jack White Live 2026, October 6 at Moody Amphitheater. Prepare for a loud, intense show that completely rocks this outdoor venue.
- Lola Young (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 6 at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
- Role Model Presents: Chuck On Tour, October 7 at Moody Amphitheater
- Foreigner: 50th Anniversary Tour, October 7 at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
- Kacey Musgraves: Middle of Nowhere Tour, October 7–8 at Moody Center
- The War on Drugs (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 8 at Fair Market
- Noga Erez (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 9 at Scoot Inn
- Don West (Official 2026 ACL Nights), October 10 at Antone’s Nightclub
- L7: The Last Hurrah Tour 2026, October 12 at Emo’s Austin. Pioneering grunge and punk band proved that women could play music just as loud and heavy as their male counterparts. Total respect.
- Gorillaz: The Mountain Tour, October 15 at Moody Center. The Mountain Tour is as much a visual show as a concert. It’s one of the most theatrical arena sets you’ll catch here all year.
- Bright Eyes, October 15 at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
- Modest Mouse w/ Caroline Rose, October 15 at ACL Live at The Moody Theater
- Ziggy Marley and Gov’t Mule, October 15 at Moody Amphitheater
- Foster the People: Good Mourning Sunshine Tour, October 16 at Moody Amphitheater
- Deer Tick, October 16 at Scoot Inn
- KUTX Presents: Devon Gilfillian, Time Will Tell Tour w/ Jon Muq, October 16 at Antone’s Nightclub
- Phoebe Bridgers: The Lost Tour, October 16 at Moody Center. One of the most respected songwriters of her generation, now headlining Moody Center during one of the busiest concert weeks of the year.
- Weezer: The Gathering, October 18 at Moody Center. The Gathering Tour leans into the catalog, which will make for a perfectly nostalgic night out.
- Hermanos Gutiérrez, October 18 at Moody Amphitheater
- Vince Staples: Cry Baby Tour, October 22 at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
- The Smashing Pumpkins: The Rats In A Cage Tour, October 25 at Moody Center. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was a wall of sound that captured an entire moment in music. If you were in college when it dropped, it was almost certainly the soundtrack to some of your major life moments.
- Pete Yorn: 25th Anniversary of musicforthemorningafter (Solo Acoustic), October 25 at Scoot Inn
- Sawyer Hill, October 27 at Scoot Inn
- Teddy Swims: The UGLY Tour, October 28 at Moody Center
- almost monday: THANK GOD IT’S ALMOST MONDAY, October 28 at Scoot Inn
Performing Arts in October 2026
- Gabriel Iglesias: The 1976 Tour, October 2 at Moody Center
- My Hero Academia In Concert, October 9 at Bass Concert Hall
- ATXplained Live, October 15 at Bass Concert Hall
- Batman in Concert, October 16–17 at Long Center
- Daniel Sloss: BITTER, October 26 at ACL Live at The Moody Theater
- Dave Chappelle: Karmageddon, October 26–27 at Moody Center
- The Goonies 40th Anniversary Screening + Q&A, October 28 at ACL Live at The Moody Theater
- Ali Wong Live, October 29 at Bass Concert Hall
- Austin Film Festival, October 29–November 5 at various locations
The Heywood Hotel is a MICHELIN-rated boutique hotel in East Austin.
Stay in the Heart of It All
East Austin puts you close to everything October has going on. The Heywood Hotel is a MICHELIN-rated boutique hotel on East Cesar Chavez St. We’re just one mile from downtown, two miles from Zilker Park and ACL Fest, easy driving distance to COTA, and walking distance to many of the best restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in Austin.
Planning a trip to Austin this October? Book your stay at the Heywood Hotel and our team will help you plan the rest.
Book Your October Stay at the Heywood HotelMICHELIN-rated and steps from East Austin’s best restaurants, bars, and event venues. Our concierge team knows this city and will help you make the most of your time here. |