ACL Fest Weekend Two opens Friday, Oct. 9, at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, and the forecast is the opposite of Weekend One: dry, with highs near 91°F instead of a 75% rain scare. According to ATX Things' read of the Open-Meteo forecast pulled Oct. 7, Friday afternoon peaks around 91°F with a 5% rain chance, and the festival's own rules say what helps with that heat (a misting fan, an empty water bottle) and what gets turned away (umbrellas, shade chairs, aerosol sunscreen).
AI illustration, not a photo from the festival.
What will the weather actually be at ACL Weekend Two?
Hot, dry and steady. Hourly forecast for Zilker Park from Open-Meteo, pulled Oct. 7 and subject to change:
| Day | 3 PM | 6 PM | 8 PM (headliners) | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct. 9 | 91°F | 89°F | 84°F | 0–14% |
| Sat, Oct. 10 | 91°F | 89°F | 84°F | 0–1% |
| Sun, Oct. 11 | 88°F | 87°F | 84°F | 0–1% |
The heat matters more than the numbers suggest. Gates run noon to 10 p.m. all three days, so the forecast peak, mid-afternoon, lands while you are standing in an open field. Weekend One opened under a rain forecast, which we covered in Your Actual Oct. 2–4 Plan. Weekend Two flips it.
What heat gear can you bring into ACL Fest?
This is the list that changes your day. All of it comes from the festival's own "allowed and prohibited" page, which says the list is subject to change and that security has the final call.
Allowed:
- Empty reusable water bottles and hydration packs (empty at the gate, then fill up inside)
- Personal misting fans with a bottle no larger than 1.5 liters, empty on entry
- Sunscreen in non-aerosol containers, 3.4 ounces or less
- Hand sanitizer, 3.4 ounces or less
- Portable battery packs
- Blankets, sheets and towels
- Chairs, except inflatables and any chair with a shade structure
Not allowed:
- Umbrellas
- Tents, canopies or shade structures of any kind
- Aerosol sunscreen (spray cans of any kind)
- Coolers
- Outside food or drink, including alcohol
- Glass, inflatables, hammocks
Spray sunscreen is the one people forget. Aerosol containers are on the prohibited list, so a can of SPF mist in your bag means a trip back to the car or a trash can at the gate. Buy the lotion or stick.
AI illustration. The festival lists personal misting fans as allowed if the bottle is 1.5 liters or smaller and empty at entry.
The festival's ticket page lists free water refill stations on the grounds. I have not walked the grounds this year, so I can't tell you where they are or how long the lines run at 4 p.m. Check the map in the official app.
What is the ACL Fest bag policy?
It is stricter than most people remember, and all bags are searched before entry. Per the festival:
- Small clutches and fanny packs 6" x 9" or smaller do not need to be clear, but can have no more than one pocket.
- Anything larger must be clear and no bigger than 12" x 6" x 12".
- Hydration packs are allowed, do not need to be clear, and must be empty, with no more than two main compartments and one smaller one.
The festival's own advice is to leave the bag at home for the fastest entry. After you go in, you can leave and come back twice, scanning your wristband and going through security each time. That second part is useful in 91° heat: if you need an hour in air conditioning, you have the passes to do it.
How do you get to Zilker Park for ACL?
Not by parking nearby. The festival says there is no parking at Zilker Park or in the surrounding neighborhoods for the event. Its options:
- Festival shuttle. Boards at Sand Beach Park, at Walter Seaholm Drive and Electric Drive downtown, and drops at the Barton Springs West entrance. Shuttles start at 11:30 a.m. each day and return to the same spot.
- Paid garages. LAZ Parking runs the Barton Oaks and 1221 MoPac garages, reserved ahead of time. Austin High School sells parking at 1715 W. Cesar Chavez St.
- CapMetro. The festival points to MetroRapid Route 803 and other routes near the park.
- Bike or walk. Bike parking is on Stratford Drive after the MoPac pedestrian bridge and on Azie Morton Road across from the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail leads to the grounds.
- Lyft. Type "Austin City Limits Music Festival" or "Zilker Park" as your destination and the app picks the drop-off. Pickup spots on the way out include Austin High School, 2525 Wallingwood and W. Riverside Drive.
There are three entrances: East Barton Springs, West Barton Springs and Lady Bird.
AI illustration of the trail approach, not a photograph of a specific spot.
Walking in from the hike-and-bike trail puts you in the heat before you even reach security. Arriving earlier than the 3 p.m. peak, or catching the 11:30 a.m. shuttle and going straight in at noon, buys you the cooler part of the afternoon for the walk.
I did not run drive or walk times for this piece. We don't have a Google Directions key for this run, and a guess would be worse than no number.
Can you still get tickets for Weekend Two?
As of the festival's ticket page this morning (Oct. 7), Friday and Saturday one-day general admission were waitlist only, and Sunday tickets were still on sale. The page lists one-day general admission "starting at $170" in Tier 1 and says the Y'all Access package is sold out. Prices and availability move fast on a page like this, so check it before you plan around it. We covered the Sunday situation earlier in ACL Fest 2026 Is Nearly Sold Out.
What is the Friday headliner clash?
Kings of Leon, who play Weekend Two on Friday only, and Charli xcx both close the night on the two main stages. Third-party listings (OnesToWatch, published Sept. 18) put Kings of Leon at 8:15 p.m. on the T-Mobile Stage and Charli xcx at about 8:40 p.m. on the American Express Stage, so you cannot see both in full. Treat those times as unconfirmed and check the official schedule in the app before you commit to a side of the park.
What locals should know
- It is hot until dark. The table above shows 84°F at 8 p.m., a drop of 7 to 8 degrees from 3 p.m. That is the window to move toward the main stages.
- The festival is cashless. Activate your wristband before you go (the festival's guide has the link).
- Smoking and vaping are banned in all Austin parks, including Zilker.
- ACL's own guide says the festival, with Austin Parks Foundation, has generated more than $79 million for Zilker and other city parks since 2006.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring a water bottle to ACL Fest?
Yes, as long as it is empty at the gate. Reusable plastic or aluminum bottles are allowed, and glass is not. The festival lists free water refill stations inside.
Are umbrellas allowed at ACL Fest?
No. Umbrellas, tents, canopies and chairs with shade structures are all on the prohibited list, so plan on a hat and sunscreen rather than a portable shade source.
Can I leave ACL Fest and come back in?
Yes. After your first entry each day you can leave and return two more times, scanning your wristband and passing security each time.
What time do the ACL Fest gates open?
Noon on Friday, Oct. 9, Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11, with gates closing at 10 p.m. The festival shuttle from Sand Beach Park starts at 11:30 a.m.
Where can I park for ACL Fest?
There is no parking at Zilker Park or in the neighborhoods around it. The festival sells reserved parking at the Barton Oaks and 1221 MoPac garages and at Austin High School.
Sources: ACL Fest hours, allowed-items, bag-policy, re-entry and getting-here pages (support.aclfestival.com and aclfestival.com/guide, read Oct. 7, 2026); ACL ticket page (Oct. 7); Open-Meteo hourly forecast for Zilker Park (Oct. 7); OnesToWatch Weekend Two guide (Sept. 18). ATX Things has not been to the grounds for Weekend Two. This desk publishes twice a day on what is open and happening in Austin: follow @austintexasthings.
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