ACL Fest schedule by day: Black Pumas vs. Megan Thee Stallion and more tough choices
Eric Webb
Austin City Limits Music Festival on Thursday made a big splash with its announcement that either proof of vaccination or a negative test result for COVID-19 will be required to enter the 2021 festival. But the fest also dropped something else fans were waiting for: the day-by-day schedule.
ACL Weekend 1 lineup
First, let's look at Weekend 1. On Friday, rapper turned pop-punk singer Machine Gun Kelly squares off against Jack Antonoff's indie-rock Bleachers project at 4 p.m., on the big Honda and Lady Bird stages, respectively.
The 5 p.m. block sees soulful singer Moses Sumney, country queen Tanya Tucker, super-producer Finneas and singer-songwriter Zella Day vie for fest-goers' attention.
At 6 p.m., the fest will have one of its hardest choices to make: rap phenom Megan Thee Stallion on the Honda stage, Austin sensations Black Pumas on the Lady Bird stage or a mysterious "surprise performance" on the intimate Tito's Handmade Vodka stage. (Who could it be?!)
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The night ends with pop star Miley Cyrus on the Honda stage and country icon George Strait on the Lady Bird stage, both starting at 8 p.m.
Notable Saturday conflicts include rock band Future Islands vs. breakout singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers at 4:20 p.m. (heh); indie faves Modest Mouse vs. hip-hop chart-topper Doja Cat at 6:20 p.m.; and internet-beloved rapper Jack Harlow, Austin indie-pop darling Dayglow and DJ Alison Wonderland squaring off at 7:20 p.m. For headliners, the dance-starters Rüfüs Du Sol start at 8:20 p.m. on the Honda stage, with superstar Billie Eilish starting her anticipated ACL Fest return at 8:30 p.m. on the Lady Bird stage.
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When you get to Sunday, you'll find rapper Polo G and dreamy indie-rockers Band of Horses facing off at 4:30 p.m.; reggaton singer Karol G and throwback rockers Greta Van Fleet duking it out at 6:30 p.m.; and Duran Duran headlining the Honda stage at 8:30 p.m., with young hip-hop auteur Tyler, the Creator starting at the same time on the Lady Bird stage. (Those acts replaced previously announced headliners Stevie Nicks and DaBaby, respectively.) There's also an impossible three-way traffic jam on Sunday at 7:30 — will you see R&B legend Erykah Badu, creative rapper Tierra Whack or guitar goddess St. Vincent? Good luck.
ACL Weekend 2 lineup
Some artists switch it up on Weekend 2. Country singer LeAnn Rimes takes Tucker's Friday slot, and Badu switches to 7 p.m. that day. Pop delight Remi Wolfe comes aboard at 3:20 on Saturday. Drag superstar/country-pop singer Trixie Mattel comes to Zilker at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. The aforementioned Sunday sunset traffic jam also looks different on Weekend 2: electronic artist Madeon takes Badu's slot on the Miller Lite Stage, and recent "Austin City Limits" standoutJon Batiste replaces St. Vincent on the T-Mobile stage.
There also are some new names to be found, and familiar ones nowhere to be seen on the schedule: "Lunay, Frances Forever, Shooks, and Cautious Clay have been added to the lineup. Goth Babe and Omar Apollo will no longer be joining us this year," according to ACL Fest on Instagram.
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Of course, that's all as of now. As the ACL Fest website notes, the schedule is subject to change "without notice." Explore all the day-by-day time slots for the fest, Oct. 1-3 and 8-10, at aclfestival.com/schedule.
Austin Kiddie Limits takes a pause in 2021
One more note: You'll notice that the children-geared Austin Kiddie Limits stage is not on the schedule. The fest sent this message in an email: "Our beloved Austin Kiddie Limits will take a pause in 2021 and will return next year. ACL Fest still welcomes music fans of all ages, including kids. Children 10 and younger will be admitted free of charge with a ticket-holding adult. All attendees, including children, must bring a printed copy of a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within 72 hours (3 days) of attending ACL Festival."
