Every October, Austin City Limits Music Festival brings together 450,000 people from across the country for two magical weekends in a row. These music fans flock to Zilker Park primarily to dress up, take selfies, get high and scream. Yet beyond the opportunity to see more than 130 bands in one setting, half the fun of this annual tradition is watching the other attendees. That’s especially true of this colorful character pack, which you’re bound to encounter in this ACL.

1 / The aging hipster who hates programming

This guy will tell you all about how this corporate sh*tshow has gone downhill since 2006 when ACL started pushing mainstream radio shit at the expense of classic underground genres like psychobilly, jug blues and tumbleweedcore .

2 / The Hula Hooper

Dressed in black, even hopping around Spoon’s set without any spatial awareness. Of course, Austin is currently under a burning ban, but they’ll be juggling fire sticks come nightfall.

3 / The father of 90s alternative rock

Always sporting a goatee and vintage cargo shorts, this humble dad accompanies his teenagers to see Conan Gray on the condition that he has time for himself.

4 / The traveling pack of teens with all the emotions

A massive youthful amoeba that grows and shrinks as quickly as acne. He pushes to the stage; he spills your beer; it cries through the port-a-potties. It’s a freight train full of feelings because Taylor watched SZA with April, who really likes Cooper, who went to Samia with Olivia, who’s actually in Brayden, who got lost after eating a candy whose he didn’t realize. this kind of gum.

5 / The really fucked up guy who doesn’t know who the bands are

He’s the one yelling “Fuck, yeah, Radiohead!” during Phoenix’s set.

6 / lawn chair people

They have staked out their territory and will camp there all weekend. If a foreigner crosses their sovereign territory to get to the food trucks, they will separate themselves from Zilker.

seven / The influencer

He’s smiling and Instagram-ready, dressed in a blue button-down shirt tucked into a crisp khaki and… Wait, it’s just Beto O’Rourke, here to remind everyone that he’s still a punk rocker.

8 / The Dehydrated Californian

They packed up expecting good weather for sweaters only to find that October in Texas is like August everywhere else. You’ll see them sipping frozen Ozarkas and recuperating from heatstroke on the grass while their BFF does an Instagram Live on “migas tacos.”

9 / The Van Life couple

From Bonnaroo to Burning Man, this adventurous couple takes their Mercedes Sprinter van across the country and explores their love of music, YouTube and threesomes. They are damn happy to tell their podcast subscribers about their latest antics, including the amazing BBQ sauces they’ve tried at the Barbecue.

ten / The guy who beats people

Whether he’s watching emo-rap or indie-pop that could put a baby to sleep, the goal of this shirtless UFC weekend throwback is to hit random drunks weary from the heat that will not defend themselves.

11 / The elderly couple

He’s 34, she’s 30. Sure, they’re a little out of touch and past their prime, but it’s super awesome that ACL is such a welcoming space that even our seniors can step out in the sun for a day. and enjoy Lil Nas X.

12 / The human keel

This Rainbow Bright came out of a fever dream of Katy Perry, although she was there for Carly Rae Jepsen. Cross it just once and you’ll be removing glitter from your hair for months.

13 / The guy who’s just there to see a DJ

He pays $300 to stand in line and listen to a full weekend of music he hates, but it’s worth it for the glorious 40 minutes he hears Purple Disco Machine.

14 / The Music Journalist

They have their entire ACL mapped in Google Sheets: five minutes at Diplo before running to check The Chicks for 15, followed by Paramore for 110 seconds. They have an iPhone in each hand and are dressed in a custom aero suit to move quickly between stages while telepathically tweeting live.

15 / The baby on a blanket

Why is this random baby just lying here on this jar leaf print blanket?

16 / The Bro-dal Party

These six former Phi Epsilon brothers came down to Bat City for Brad’s bachelor party. They all wear Springsteen bandanas and aren’t silent on crypto, even during Diplo’s set.

17 / The guy dressed as a giant pickle

The main thing about this guy is that he’s on MDMA.

18 / The Hard Seltzer Entrepreneur

This seller showcases the vanguard of musical culture with the rockiest Texas hard seltzer the world has ever seen, “Armadillo Acqua” – the only Cherry Berry Seltzer made from low carb rainwater that benefits armadillo habitats.

19 / The woman with many hats

You saw her yesterday in a leather cowboy hat and two hours ago in a lime green bucket hat. Now she wears a straw fedora with a peacock feather, then a mini top hat with steampunk goggles, then a tricorn pirate hat, then an entire bird’s nest of white-tailed hawks on her head. Too bad she can’t hear P!nk above the howl of her hawks.

20 / The ghost of Stevie Ray Vaughan

Not a lookalike. Actually the ghost of Stevie Ray Vaughan.