Article Contributed by Nick Gumas
Published on 2026-11-03
Despite the Austin City Limits ground crew’s best efforts, mud pits throughout Zilker park continued to obstruct fans as they walked from stage to stage, and it was not uncommon to see an abandoned pair of shoes stuck in the flooded soil from time to time. However, this minor hindrance proved a small issue for the tens of thousands who showed up early and stayed throughout the evening for a lineup featuring artists at every stage of their creative journey.
Although the rain continued to come down pour, fans largely saw this as a small obstacle to overcome, packing the T-Mobile stage in the early hours for rising country performer Stella Lefty. Chants of the artist’s name came from fans at the barricade in the minutes before what was arguably the biggest performance of her career to date. Her demeanor indicative of a humble approach to her stardom with little expressions of ego, she came onstage with an infectious smile that hardly left her face during her all too brief showcase.
A morning that continued to feature indie pop acts at their earliest stages, Toledo-born vocalist Britton astounded fans on the Snapchat stage with a performance that highlighted her intense vocal and stylistic proclivities. Minor mechanical snafus briefly derailed the artist’s first few songs as technicians rushed several microphones into her hands, one after another, before eventually finding one that consistently worked, but proved a small footnote in an electrifying set that featured hits like “To My Younger Self” and “Bones of You.”
Injecting some mid day energy into the lineup on the Miller Light stage, Los Angeles pop act Saint Motel brought a rousing sense of vitality to the day’s afternoon. Showcasing the group’s vast discography from the opening moments, they began their set with arguably their most recognizable composition, their 2014 hit “My Type.” Building on this energy, frontman A. J. Jackson enthusiastically jumped down to the crowd at several points, singing directly to the audience intermittently throughout the performance. The group’s trademark horn-driven sound seemingly invigorated attendees throughout the final hours of the weekend, helping to end the weekend on a high note.
Completing the evening with a nostalgic nod to one of the most grounding acts of the early 2000s, English indie pop legacy act The xx made their much anticipated return to the Austin stages to end the weekend with a performance that proved nothing short of transformative. Starting the night with their 2009 single “Crystalized,” the first act of the set embodied a softer and more meditative style of play before transitioning to a more upbeat and energetic tone in the later evening. Excited to showcase work the members had worked on in the years of their eight year touring hiatus, the group played a select assortment of solo work from the artists’ individual imaginations including Romy Madley Croft’s “Enjoy Your Life,” Jamie xx’s “Loud Places,” and Oliver Sim’s “GMT.”
