ACL 2026 Turned Into a Mud Pit Dance Party

Rain Delays and Mud Boots

Nearly two inches of rain pounded Austin across opening weekend, turning Zilker Park's iconic Great Lawn into a massive mud pit and prompting a localized Flood Watch on Friday. The standing water forced festival organizers to delay Saturday's gate opening by two hours while grounds crews worked around the clock with industrial vacuums and specialized soil treatments.

Rain boots were the only sensible footwear, and anyone who skipped them wandered the grounds with shoes caked in muck.

Skrillex and The Chainsmokers Lead Friday

Friday saw Skrillex close the T-Mobile stage while Charli xcx closed the American Express stage across the park. The energy never relented for a second as Skrillex delivered a shapeshifting set, moving between his vintage growling dubstep and newer, more experimental bass music. His finale was a song-cycle of his biggest hits, blending 'Bangarang' with 'Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites' and the acapella of Benny Benassi's 'Cinema.'

Meanwhile, The Chainsmokers dropped 'Selfie' on the Snapchat stage. The set was brutally crowded and congested.

Saturday's Sun-Kissed Bass and TikTok Exodus

The Snapchat stage brought it's murph on Saturday, when the grounds became a sun-kissed dance party in the middle of the mud. As the sun went down, EDM.com Class of 2024 trio Levity threw down high-energy dubstep.

Lorde delivered a deeply emotive and impassioned set. Fresh off their record-breaking 'Inhale / Exhale World Tour,' RÜFÜS DU SOL closed out Saturday with a vintage performance. Once the band played 'Innerbloom,' nearly the entire crowd raised their phones. Once the clips were recorded and posted to TikTok, they turned around and left.

Austin City Limits continues next weekend with its second round of performances at Zilker Park.