Much of the news coming out of Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2026 was about mud, but a little rain couldn’t ruin the whole parade.

While the wet conditions and delayed starts were the talk of the town this year, network writer Amber Heckler and contributor Natalie Grigson bravely forged ahead to bring Austinites their top non-headliner highlights of Weekend One.

Social media raved about Troye Sivan making a guest appearance during Charli XCX’s Friday performance, and about Steve Aoki throwing 10 cakes into the crowd. All the cakes were made by local bakery Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop. Some readers may have caught Lola Young interrupting her own show to help a couple in the crowd get engaged. Plus, news of headliners almost always makes its rounds, and there were many artist moments that may have flown under the radar.

Here are our top 10 non-headliner highlights from Weekend One of ACL Fest 2026, ordered by set time. Use these picks to plan your Weekend Two schedule, or to throw an impromptu concert from the comfort of your own (dry) home.

Friday

CMAT keeps it fun and flirty
Irish musician CMAT and her “very sexy CMAT band” were all rocking red-and-black outfits when they graced the American Express stage at 2:45 pm, including the guitarist she playfully dubbed “Skirt Cobain.” CMAT’s zeal radiated across the field, and it really came through as she got the audience dancing an Irish two-step while singing her breakthrough song, “I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!” Only Weekend One attendees will be blessed with this energetic set, complete with charming dances and a little mischievous cheek-showing, but there’s always YouTube to fall back on if you have FOMO. — Amber Heckler, network writer

Paris Paloma casts a spell
Paris Paloma's powerful voice seemed to fill the entire park as the singer, draped in a floating blue dress, alternated between witchy folk tunes and pointed politics. One song took aim at generative AI, calling it “soulless" and "pointless,” while “Good Boy” threw Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Andrew Tate under the bus. Paloma dedicated another song to art history-lovers and in “Heaven is a Fed Girl,” she took aim at today's unhealthy standards of beauty. “I am so sick of talking about my body,” she said before the song. By the time she played her closer, “Labour” — the viral, feminist anthem that launched her career on social media — the whole crowd was singing along. — Natalie Grigson, contributing writer

Amyl and the Sniffers keep Austin freaky
Australian pub-punk band Amyl and the Sniffers stormed the stage to Benny Benassi's “Satisfaction,” and kept that frenetic energy going until the end of the set. Frontwoman Amy Taylor bounced across the stage and into the audience in booty shorts and silvery fringe. Taylor didn't hold back any opinions, shouting out “all of the people in the audience who have had to get abortions illegally,” cursing the Trump administration, and calling for a free Palestine. Her parting words: “We've gotta keep it weird; we've gotta keep it freaky,” and “F*** ICE!” — NG

Leon Thomas’ voice put the crowd in a trance
Like many elder Gen Zers — or young millennials, depending on how one identifies — I had been introduced to Leon Thomas through the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious and followed his journey as a singer-songwriter since. However well I memorized his stripped down NPR Tiny Desk Concert, experiencing “Vibes Don’t Lie,” “Yes It Is,” and “Mutt” in person felt fresh and intimate. Fans seemed to melt as he played his electric guitar and serenaded the crowd. He also got behind the drums to showcase his multi-instrumentalist skills during “Party Favors” and “Sneak.” — AH

Saturday

Cure for Paranoia is just what the doctor ordered
Dallas hip-hop and soul collective Cure for Paranoia got the audience involved. Frontman Cameron McCloud had us look left and right: “Ain't nobody here looking at you the way you're looking at you.” Flanked by producers Jay Analog and Tomahawk Jonez, McCloud explained that the group’s name refers to music as a medication for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. From there, he rapped a mile a minute with lofty, thoughtful, and often topical lyrics, while his producers added live layers of complicated beats, backup vocals, and bass that rattled my bones. — NG

Suki Waterhouse makes ACL fall head over heels
“Welcome to Loveland, ACL,” Suki Waterhouse announced as she strutted the stage in a tiger-print leotard and structured ringmaster vest. “Are you ready to fall back in love?” Behind her, a towering disco-ball heart with a keyhole, pierced by golden arrows, sat beneath projected floral archways. It set the tone for a dreamy, '80s-tinged set of dark pop that felt like being love-drunk. Backed by two guitarists, a drummer, and a horn section, the British singer drew one of the biggest crowds all weekend and had everyone waving their arms. — NG

Young Miko sets the standard
I am always happy to see Latin representation in the festival lineup, and Young Miko's set proved how integral trap and reggaeton artists can be in setting an engaging tone for the day. The Puerto Rican rapper maintained such an intense focus during her mid-afternoon performance that I instantly forgot it had been shortened due to the day's late start. She truly dominated the stage while accompanied by a full band — something I wasn’t expecting as a casual listener — and I was enamored with her viscerally queer lyrics. There were several swoon-worthy moments when she joined her group of dancers for some fluid choreography. — AH

Sunday

Flight By Nothing holds a high note for the weekend
Austin band Flight By Nothing was a last-minute addition to the lineup, but they effortlessly mastered their debut ACL Fest performance. Lead singer Conner Redden had audience members jumping during the band's first song, “Welcome to the Void,” and kept the energy high as rain began to fall during the show. Keyboardist Huey Houston also sang two tracks, including “Too Bummed to Dance” — so they said, but I was doing it anyway. The guitarist’s dexterous solos and the bassist’s funky tones during “All Night” also added to a well-rounded set. The band won’t be returning for Weekend Two as they depart on a national tour. — AH

An early afternoon dedicated to grunge
Sometimes ACL sets seem to stack up in themes, and these two bands brought Nirvana-tinged grunge in different ways: Dexter and the Moonrocks coat their sound in a Western twang, whereas Villanelle rely on their Brit-rock roots. The London-based band warmed the crowd up with 90’s-style vocals from lead singer Gene Gallagher. Then “If you brought out any Ritalin now would be the time to eat some,” said vocalist James Tuffs before diving into “Ritalin.” If that is the type of chaotic vibe you need in your life, Texas band Dexter and the Moonrocks handily deliver. — AH

Parcels delivers golden hour groove
“We are Parcels, let's have some fun,” the Australian disco-funk five-piece announced Sunday evening. Under golden stage lights, with ‘70s getups and sounds to match, they traded sunny harmonies over bouncy, sun-soaked funk. I'd only known Parcels as a light, boppy, party band, so it was surprising when their sound veered into something more powerful, dramatic, and even Queen-like. In other moments, they morphed into long psychedelic guitar riffs, and then bounced back into the light, disco meets beach party vibe. In a word, the set was groovy. And in several, it was one of my favorites of the weekend. — NG