Weekend Event Guide

Here are the top 7 things to do in Austin this weekend

Film and music and neighborhood hangs are all the entertainment you’ll need for the next few days. Experience the triumphant return of First Thursdays on Rainey Street, or check out the city’s music scene through a cinematic lens at AFS Cinema. Check out the top seven things to do in Austin this weekend. For a complete list of events, click over to our calendar.

Thursday, August 6

First Thursdays on Rainey Street
The longtime beloved First Thursday neighborhood series returns to the Rainey Street District. This month’s highlights include a First Thursday Social at Hotel Van Zandt; disco-inspired parties at Bar Hacienda, Bar Fino, Augustine’s, and Rainey House; and various drink and food specials at spots including Bungalow, Electric Shuffle, and Victory Lap. Programming and specials vary monthly.

Sound Unseen Austin Film + Music Festival
Music-driven film and artists are showcased at the return of the Sound Unseen Austin Film + Music Festival. Attendees to the four-day events at AFS Cinema will have the chance to screen a variety of documentaries, narrative features, music videos, and short films that explore the many facets of music culturally. Highlights include a screening of Barbara Kopple's Shut Up & Sing featuring The Chicks and a film about Austin-based punk band, Meat Joy, which features Emmy-nominated actor John Hawkes and queer music icon Gretchen Phillips. More details are available on the festival website.

Photo by Lindsey Blane

Simple Plan plays live at Moody Amphitheater on August 7.

Austin City Limits Live presents Masego in concert
Music artist Masego stops in Austin as part of his Fix Your Face tour. The Jamaican American singer is known for his TrapHouseJazz sound and top songs such as “Navajo” and “Mystery Lady” featuring Don Toliver. Get ticket information on AXS.

Friday, August 7

Moody Amphitheater presents Simple Plan in concert
Pop punk band Simple Plan performs live at Moody Amphitheater. The Canadian group will continue its 25th-anniversary tour run with a stop in Austin for fans old and new. The setlist will include chart-topping hits like “Welcome to My Life” and “I’m Just a Kid.” Get seating details on Ticketmaster.

Saturday, August 8

Doodles Productions presents Pop Cats Austin
Local feline favorite event Pop Cats Austin is back. Visitors to the two-day event will experience a Cat Art Museum, a Punk Cats Cattoo Parlor, exclusive workshops, artistically designed cat-inspired environments, and more. Adoptions and pet supply vendors will also be available on site. Cat family members are welcome to attend. Tickets are available now.

Jimmy Eat Brisket presents Brisketfest
The Far Out Lounge & Stage hosts an evening of live music from Jimmy Eat Brisket and more sounds from the 2000s era of emo, pop-punk, and alt-rock. Visitors will also enjoy performances by Wicklow, Lucyspin, Lore, Hounding, and more. Additional Brisketfest highlights include artists, tattoos, pop-up vendors, brisket trucks, and a special afterparty for those who want to stay out late. Get your festival pass on Ticket Tailor.

Sunday, August 9

Germania Insurance Amphitheater presents Kesha in concert
Pop star Kesha performs live for Austin fans as part of her Freedom Tour. The “TiK ToK” and “Timber” singer rose to fame in 2009 and has since released six studio albums. She will perform a selection of music in support of her 2026 album, . (Period). Get more details on Ticketmaster.

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Austin icon Ethan Hawke narrates documentary sequel about Texas rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

One Austin film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born an Austinite and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

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