With thousands of events to choose from at South by Southwest (SXSW) — not to mention all the unofficial ones, too — attendees appreciate having one series that goes on their must-see list year after year. For many, it's the SXSW Community Concerts at Lady Bird Lake, which from March 7-15 welcomes Sir Woman, Geto Gala, Pedal Steel Noah, Lesly Reynaga, and more.

This free concert series is popular because of the outdoor concert environment, large capacity, and how easy it is to track; instead of keeping track of several venues' plans on social media, the lineup is all there on the SXSW website. Even better, it's family friendly (with the odd expletive thrown in).

Of course, the curators also deserve a nod for consistently delivering interesting lineups featuring respected local performers as well as visitors.

The full 2025 lineup for community concerts is:

• Sir Woman
• Teo Glacier
• Flor
• Magna
• Geto Gala
• Lesly Reynaga
• Pedal Steel Noah
• Holy Fuck
• Yndling
• Daniela Pes
• Bakers Eddy
• Sunna Margrét
• Paula Prieto
• Andr
• The Courettes
• Tia Ray
• Luv
• Madeleine
• Sam Ryder
• Heal
• Soda Blonde

Genres range from Sir Woman's jazzy funk to the hip-hop of Geto Gala, the retro rock of The Courettes, and the gentle Afro-Brazilian R&B of Flor. Soul and neosoul are especially well represented across this lineup.

This series is supported by public radio station KUTX, cultural representation nonprofit EQ Austin, and the newly created City of Austin Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment.

Since this is a popular event, attendees should arrive as early as possible to ensure their ideal viewing space. They can pass the time with a picnic — external food is allowed, but there will also be some local food trucks — or a cold beverage from the Beer Garden. Tips on getting there, including shuttle information, are available at sxsw.com.

For more free events at SXSW, both official and unofficial, check out our 2025 list. Another list of music events is coming soon.