UPDATE: On June 18, The Red River Cultural District announced the full lineup for Hot Summer Nights. Find it added below.

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After just two days of comedown from Austin's Hot Luck festival, local music fans have a new set of shows to start lining up for. The Red River Cultural District (RRCD) has announced that Hot Summer Nights is returning from July 18-20 at more than 20 venues.

Although the market for big-name performers from around the world certainly exists in Austin, what sets us apart is our legendary local music scene. This annual festival — along with its winter sibling, Free Week — celebrates that scene while investing directly back into it. Hot Summer Nights shows are technically free, but attendees are encouraged to leave a donation.

Originally designed to give an economic boost to the area, this pay-what-you-want festival uses those funds as well as sponsor dollars to pay artists and venues. Venues also make and donate funds through food and beverage sales, including some specials just for the festival.

It's mutually beneficial for the Austin public, too, who get to see new bands with little to no financial commitment, and hop around different venues, getting to know the area better.

According to the announcement, more than 100 artists will play across about a mile of Red River Street, likely home to Austin's most concentrated group of music venues. (Has anyone done the math?) This year, participating venues include:

• Cheer Up Charlies
• Chess Club
• Elysium
• Empire Control Room & Garage
• Flamingo Cantina
• Mala Vida
• Mohawk
• Stubb's Bar-B-Q
• Swan Dive
• The 13th Floor
• Valhalla

In addition to programming free festivals, RRCD's local live music advocacy extends to organizing a daily calendar of area events, and organizing grants and health resources. In 2024 it brought some of these issues to the Austin City Council to request aid funding; The Council passed a resolution, but the nonprofit says the body has not followed up on its promise. RRCD is asking for public support, including calls to City Council, in the hopes of moving the process forward.

The following 125+ artists will be performing:

• Al West
• Alexalone
• Ampersand
• Artless Jab
• Arya
• Banged Out
• BB Ding & Hexxxgf
• Beyond State Power
• Blind Girls
• Borzoibs
• Bubba Lucky
• Bulletsbetweentongues
• Chancla Fight Club
• Chakeeta B
• Chronic Avoider
• Club Coma
• Creekbed Carter Hogan
• Crocodile Tears
• Daniel Fears
• Daphne Tunes
• David Shabani
• Daymares
• Deadtramps
• Deezie Brown
• Dgma
• DJ Beaujolais
• DJ Mogul
• DJ Napalm
• DJ Sinsekt
• DJ Vanessa Burden
• DJ Vee Vee
• Don't Get Lemon
• Dorthy's
• dottie
• Dragonnqueen
• Drenk Uncle
• Easy Compadre
• Eating Venus
• El Roberto Fabre
• Exotic Fruitica
• Ez Band
• Fak3 5miles
• Fifi Knifefight
• Figure Factor
• Fineti Guess
• Foxtales
• Ghost Wolves
• Glass Mansions
• Good
• Gran Moreno
• Gummy Fang
• Hacienda
• Half Dream
• Hey Cowboy!
• Holy Wire
• Houses We Die In
• Islands of Pear
• J'cuuzi
• Jennifer Foster & The Audacity
• J Mill
• Kind Keith
• Kung Fu Sound System
• Las Chicas 512
• Llama Tiva
• Lluvii
• Lodri
• Lorelei K
• Los Desechos
• Los Kemet
• Los Kurados
• Loteria
• Mal a Vista
• Mia Antifa
• Micah Shalom
• Middle Satire
• The Midnight Stroll
• Might Be Magic
• Misfortune Teller
• Moody Banks
• Msgold
• Munster Mash
• Naalah
• Narrow Haunts
• Never Rest
• Next of Kin
• Night Ritualz
• The Nimbus
• Norman Ba$e
• Not Safe For Who?
• Nova
• Odd Advantage
• Other Vessels
• Ourbluewouns
• The Past Lives
• Perreo Club
• Pete Legasey
• Pfisters
• Phonefoot
• Porcelain
• Proun
• Queen Serene
• Rat King Cole
• Retro Cowgirl
• Robert Parker Jr.
• Sinema
• Soularreal
• Space Goonz
• Speak Slow
• Stalefish
• Starflake
• Street Peach
• Sunspite
• Suxxy Puxxy
• Tangelo
• Thirst For Love
• The Tiarras
• Tied Up
• Tokyo Vinyl
• Touch Girl Apple Blossom
• Turito
• Turtle Pond
• TV's Daniel
• Valice
• Vestite
• Vision Arcade
• Votive

The new release notes that the lineup is subject to change.

"Hot Summer Nights has become a must-attend event for music lovers, locals, and visitors to Austin," says interim executive director Nicole Klepadlo in an email to CultureMap, accompanying the lineup announcement. "Red River is thrilled to announce several festival highlights, showcasing tremendous growth with more artists, more music, more businesses, and more venues. This expansion significantly impacts our culture and economy, attracting visitors and creating opportunities for local businesses, musicians, and creatives. We want folks to come down, experience the Red River Cultural District and have a great time this summer."

Stay tuned at redriverculturaldistrict.org or via social media for more information as it becomes available.