Austin City Limits Music Festival announces 2022 lineup: Lil Nas X, The Chicks, Pink, SZA, more

Austin City Limits Music Festival on Tuesday announced the lineup for this year’s event, which is Oct. 7-9 and Oct. 14-16 in Texas' Zilker Park, and it’s another great year for fans of female talent.

Though 1990s rock bros the Red Hot Chili Peppers top the lineup, five of the top eight artists on the bill are female-fronted acts. Pop superstar P!nk will make her ACL Fest debut. Grammy-winning R&B star SZA and former Austinite/country music phenom Kacey Musgraves are set to perform this year. Texas country trio The Chicks and alt-rockers Paramore are also rocking the top of the bill, with America’s favorite gay cowboy/boundary-pushing rapper Lil Nas X and electronic artist Flume rounding out the headliners.

Other powerful women on the bill include “Heaux Tales” singer Jazmine Sullivan, Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen, rock act Japanese Breakfast and British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks. (Both Japanese Breakfast and Arlo Parks taped the "Austin City Limits" TV show this spring.)

It’s not all about the ladies. Dancehall deconstructor Diplo, electronic artist Zhu, roots-rockers Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, bluegrass artist Billy Strings and British forest spirit/electronic maestro James Blake are also at the top of the bill alongside Texas rapper Toby Nwigwe, Philly rock band The War on Drugs and Texasraised pop prince Conan Gray.

Some artists are only playing one weekend at ACL Fest

More acts to note: South by Southwest breakouts/"Silk Chiffon" band MUNA, hyperpop darling Slayyyter and pop sister act Aly & AJ will play Weekend 1. French pop-rock band Phoenix, pop-punk singer Yungblud, emo faves The Front Bottoms, buzzy Brits Wet Leg and imaginative hip-hop artist Princess Nokia will play Weekend 2. Dance-music duo Sofi Tukker, Miley's sis Noah Cyrus and indie-pop up-and-comers Magdalena Bay also are on the lineup for both weekends.

Reversing a trend from recent years, this year’s lineup is surprisingly light on hip-hop. Bia is on the bill and Lil Durk plays Weekend 1, but beyond that, you’ll have to do a pretty deep dive to find rap this year.

While Latinx representation on this bill is not as robust as we would like it to be, notable artists include R&B crooner Omar Apollo, Cuban funk sensation Cimafunk (Weekend 1), French-Cuban sister duo Ibeyi (Weekend 2), Miami-based R&B singer Sabrina Claudio and L.A. pop band the Marías.

A once-speculated lineup add the festival did not get was pop superstar Harry Styles, who announced last week that he will be playing five shows at the Moody Center across an eight-night span from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, just a few days before ACL Fest begins. Austin was one of five cities chosen for multi-night stands on his North American tour, along with New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Toronto.

ACL Fest ticket prices and how to purchase them

Three-day passes for the fest are on sale now via aclfestival.com. Prices start at $295 for general admission, with $600 “general admission plus” tickets also available, as well as $1,400 VIP and $4,750 platinum options. Three-day hotel packages start at $2,450. New this year: Fest-goers can buy tickets on layaway plans that start at $25 down.

General admission plus tickets for Weekend 1 are already sold out but remain available for Weekend 2. They include access to a private shaded lounge and air-conditioned restrooms, plus a full-service bar with free water and sodas. VIP passes feature access to two private lounges with food and beverages (including alcohol) included, as well as other amenities. Platinum tickets include access to the Platinum Lounge, which has an elevated viewpoint for the Lady Bird Stage, plus other perks.

The short answer: Yes. The children's area of the festival was absent last year as ACL Fest dealt with pandemic-related concerns. It's back for 2022, with details on musical performers and other activities coming soon.

The catch: ACL Fest used to be free for ages 10 and under, but that's changing this year. For 2022, children 8 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.