All Photos © Steve Galli + Story by : Chloe Catajan

Willie Nelson

The fun didn’t stop after weekend one at Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL). The beloved fest returned to Zilker Park mid-October for a second round of performances from over a hundred artists. And while the first weekend brought anticipation and hype, the second followed up with its own share of surprises and standout moments—wrapping up another great festival season.

Most of the logistics remained the same – C3 Presents hosted local and global acts across seven sponsored stages. Acts like Blink-182, Pretty Lights, and Tyler, The Creator put on epic headlining sets at the Honda and American Express stages. And local and undercard favorites dominated the IHG Hotels & Resorts, Miller Lite, BMI, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and T-Mobile stages.

But this time around, some artists switched things up a bit. Blink-182 snuck in a snippet of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” during the SoCal trio’s performance of “Dammit.” Chappell Roan donned a new leather look custom made by Lacey Dalimonte. And Dua Lipa repped a Texas Longhorns jersey for part of her set.

The bill also featured more Texas representation, heavier and hybrid sounds, and some surprise guests.

For his 15th year at ACL, Steve Galli caught 109 different artists over both weekends. Here’s what his weekend two looked like, featuring the scenes and sets from Oct. 11 to 13.

Chappell Roan

Dua Lipa

Willie Nelson crashed some sets

Country music legend Willie Nelson made a couple of cameos during weekend two ahead of his own performance that week. Nelson was in town to headline the Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash in celebration of the music series’ milestone anniversary.

Nelson made his first surprise appearance at Chris Stapleton’s set on Friday, day one of the second weekend. The two country stars took the American Express stage and performed “Whiskey River” and “Bloody Mary Morning” together. The two sat front and center campfire song-style and got straight to business as the crowd cheered in sheer excitement.

Chris Stapleton and Willie Nelson

Nelson made a second appearance at Orville Peck’s Honda stage set on Sunday. Peck and his band welcomed the music legend onstage and proceeded to trade verses on a cover of Ned Sublette’s “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other.”

“This song is a special tune—it takes place in Texas, first of all, and it’s pretty amazing because it’s a song about gay cowboys,” Peck said as he introduced the cover.

Orville Peck and Willie Nelson

Sounds of the Lone Star State

Weekend Two’s lineup featured a notably larger selection of acts with Texas ties—Austin and beyond.

Leon Bridges, who has roots in Fort Worth, served feel-good soul at the American Express stage. Dressed in all white, the singer delivered his velvety croon as he moved and grooved across the floor. His band of seven provided harmonies and an easygoing flow on songs like “Texas Sun” and “Coming Home.” The former song, and the song “Mariella” are collaborations with Khruangbin, which Bridges performed with the band at its own ACL set on Weekend One.

Leon Bridges

Over at the IHG Hotels & Resorts stage, Arlington’s Mickey Guyton belted out gorgeous R&B melodies. Her powerhouse pipes were expertly and effortlessly delivered, as her live band turned in some smooth rhythms.

Mickey Guyton

Performances from Austinites covered a variety of genres, with Theo Lawrence and Bob Schneider representing the local country music scene. Lawrence stayed true to the classic sounds of the genre while Schneider delivered a unique blend that featured rap and rock sensibilities. WhooKilledKenny brought hip-hop to the BMI stage and The Moriah Sisters spread the spirit of gospel at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage.

Theo Lawrence

A spectrum of psych-rock vibes were well-represented by artists like Kalu & the Electric Joint, Molecular Steve, DAIISTAR, and Being Dead. Jon Muq and Hudson Ingram offered pop bliss and Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol served pure rock and roll.

DAIISTAR

More Texas-based performances came from Bay City’s That Mexican OT and Midland’s Braxton Keith. That Mexican OT’s Chicano rap was a hit at the T-Mobile stage, and Braxton Keith’s country serenades were perfect for a Saturday at the BMI stage.

That Mexican OT

Michigan connections

A couple Michiganders also took the ACL stages this year, with Grand Funk Railroad at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage and Petey at the IHG stage.

On the road to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “The Loco-Motion,” Grand Funk Railroad performed to a packed Tito’s stage crowd on Saturday, their rockstar chops in fine form. The Flint, Michigan four-piece were in high spirits as they performed songs like “Heartbreaker,” their famous Carole King cover, “I’m Your Captain” and even the National Anthem. Tim Cashion, Max Carl, and original members Mel Schacher and Don Brewer led the crowd through massive singalongs as they delivered their signature hard rock fuzz. And on “Some Kind of Wonderful,” Brewer left his drum kit to sing front and center.

Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad

Don Brewer, Mel Schacher, Max Carl and Mark Chatfield of Grand Funk Railroad

Royal Oak native Petey brought his distinct brand of electropop to his IHG set on Sunday. Instrumentally, his songs mixed in elements of indietronica, new wave, and vaporwave, creating an overall dreamy tone. But his vocals added a brashness reminiscent of modern midwest emo. Petey and his band were locked in, delivering some heavier arrangements on songs off 2022’s Lean Into Life and 2023’s USA.

Petey

Flying solo

ACL saw solo sets from Why Don’t We’s Daniel Seavey and Thrice’s Dustin Kensrue.

On top of being a member of boy band Why Don’t We, Daniel Seavey brought his many talents to the American Express stage on Sunday. He jumped around and danced as he delivered light and breezy feel-good melodies. He performed some songs on the guitar, and at one point, even played an electric cello. Highlights from his set included Seavey serenading his girlfriend on “The Older You Get” and a performance of unreleased song “Second Wind.”

Daniel Seavey

Thrice’s Dustin Kensrue traded in his post-hardcore tendencies for country during his set at the Miller Lite stage. He performed a handful of songs from 2024 album Desert Dreaming, which had its own tour earlier this year. Kensrue’s vocals sounded warm and matured with a hint of rasp, and went down clean like aged whisky. He and his band created a rich sound that carried some heavy emotions and vivid storytelling. The pedal steel and quieter riffs felt especially poignant.

Dustin Kensrue

Global grooves

From Australia to Europe, ACL celebrated sounds from around the globe with international acts and music inspired by different cultural identities.

Born and raised in Adelaide, Paul Kelly brought scenes of Australia to the American Express stage by way of his bluegrass and folk songs. He sounded sharp on the acoustic guitar, while his vocals were raw with poetic delivery.

Paul Kelly

Chinese Idol alum Emei performed a 19-song set at the BMI stage on Saturday. Her songs were lush with electronic, dance-pop beats, with many coming off 2023 EP Scatterbrain. Rocking long braids, a moto jacket, and knee-high converse, the Chinese-American singer delivered infection upbeat energy.

Emie

Ireland’s CMAT and Germany’s St. Lucia leaned into indie pop at their Friday performances. And Hermanos Gutiérrez from Switzerland played Saturday, mixing Latin and Western sounds into their set.

CMAT

Hermanos Gutierrez

Jean-Philip Grobler of St. Lucia

Heavy & hybrid

Variety was the name of the game this year, with sounds that leaned into heavy rock, heavy rap, and a hybrid mix of both plus more genres in between.

Jeezy hyped up the Friday crowd at IHG with a hard-hitting performance. The Atlanta rapper was strong and sharp with his delivery and had everyone with their hands up on songs like “Way Too Gone” and “Dey Know.” He and his DJ had the speakers shaking, intensifying the energy of the set.

Jeezy

Qveen Herby also brought a fiery set to the IHG stage that played into themes of transformation. In a red leather harness and black bubble skirt, the Nashville artist totally dominated with their brand of pop-rap and what they describe as “quirky, witchy shit.” On top of their vibrant rhythms and beats, their stage production was beautifully maximalist. The backdrop seemed to be in reference to the cover art of 2021 album A Woman. After performing “Rabbit Hole,” the artist stepped into a portable dressing room, while the backdrop visuals made it appear like they levitated high into the air. Qveen Herby then unveiled an outfit change, a pinstripe blazer, and proceeded to sing “Mission.”