float or settle
Lil Wayne and local bands float through 2 outdoorsy Austin-area music festivals in 2024
Float Fest and Old Settler's Music Festival have made changes, but are trying to stick to their outside roots.
Austin's festival season is getting a head start with two popular music festivals revealing their lineups and dates in the spring and fall of 2024: Austin's vibrant Float Fest and the long-running Old Settler's Music Festival.
Float Fest is pulling out all the stops to make its 2024 festival the talk of the year. Rap legend Lil Wayne, singer Jessie Murph, and Australian sensation The Kid Laroi will headline the September 7 show at Circuit of the Americas’ Germania Insurance Amphitheater. Other can't-miss artists that will perform at the festival include Anella Herim, Preston Wayne, Sadie Rose Van, and DJ Blackbeard.
Float Fest has had an understandably tumultuous organizing history thanks to the difficulties of securing a venue where attendees can actually float nearby. This year, it's abandoned the connection almost completely, offering instead an out-of-town option for the floating portion for a nominal add-on fee.
The festival is offering discounted off-site floating passes through San Marcos-based Texas State Tubes via a $20 add-on pass that can be redeemed between September 5-15, 2024. Festival attendees who purchase the add-on pass are responsible for their own transportation to and from the tubing site.
General admission tickets to Float Fest begin at $49 per person, and pit tickets start at $249 per person. VIP upgrades are available for all ticket types for an additional $99, which provide early entry to the pit or lawn, VIP lounge access, and access to exclusive bars and vendors. VIP packages also include a merch pack with a drawstring backpack, poster, and water bottle. The public on sale will begin at 10 am on Thursday, March 21, via Ticketmaster.
For those looking for a festival with a locally focused atmosphere, the Old Settler's Music Festival is bringing back its Spring Pickin' Party from May 9-12 at its concert grounds in Dale, Texas — about 50 miles southeast of Austin. The 37th annual Americana extravaganza is returning after being postponed in 2023 due to "continued costs and continued pandemic fallout," according to a release.
“We are grateful for the support that enables the Old Settler’s Music Festival to survive and thrive,” said festival executive director Diana Harrell. “We are overjoyed to bring our 37th annual music festival to life and invite all our old friends and all newcomers to join us in celebration of Americana music.”
This year's events will be a smaller version in comparison to those in years past, but will still be packed with local bands, workshops, and more. The festival's artist lineup and vendor applications will be shared soon, the release says.
"This year’s festival focuses on getting back to our roots through intimate performances and immersive experiences, like the campfire pickin’ circles that made us a household favorite for decades," said Harrell.
Early bird three-day admission tickets are currently on sale for $150 through April 1, and vehicle campground passes begin at $150. Tickets can be purchased via oldsettlersmusicfest.org.
