Austin's joint food and music festival Hot Luck has announced its 2025 events lineup. The seventh edition of the festival founded in part by Franklin Barbecue's celebrity pitmaster Aaron Franklin takes place Memorial Day Weekend, May 22-25.

Year after year, Hot Luck manages to be one of Austin's busiest yet most laid-back festivals. In fact, other than practiced foodies and dedicated local music fans, many people don't even realize it's going on around them. The food is the big draw, and this lineup reflects that.

First up is the Whole Enchilada Kick-off Party, deriving its name from the all-access pass that includes all the events, both music and food. This event on May 22 is described in a press release as "private party featuring cheffy snacks and drinks at Franklin Barbecue."

Next, on May 23, is Nite Moves, where chefs will create their own twists on the world's best street foods. This one takes place at Assembly Hall, an artsy events venue on East 7th Street, back-to-back with the East Austin Hotel.

The main event, Al Fuego, happens on May 24. This is when a big group of chefs come together for an outdoor "potluck," so to speak, each bringing signature bites to serve at their own tasting booths. These tend to be very barbecue-focused, but there are all kinds of interesting flavors to explore. In 2025 it's happening at Jester King Brewery.

Finally things wrap up at Camp Sunnyside, the "campfire brunch" that mirrors Al Fuego, but with more breakfast-ready foods. It's previously been at the Wild Onion Ranch, which is beautiful but quite a hike for most Austinites. It was also sweltering in 2024, so its relocation to Fair Market should make things easier on a lot of attendees.

These events can be sold separately, as can the live music events when they're announced. Tickets for individual events have not been released yet, but the Whole Enchilada pass is "highly recommended" and available for a discount as of February 3. A Whole Enchilada pass is $525.99 including processing fees.

Ticket sales will benefit the Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit for food and beverage workers. Beneficiaries can apply for help with mental health and emergencies like accidents, unforeseen expenses, or being the victim of a crime. Southern Smoke was founded by Houston chef Chris Shepherd.

More information is coming soon about chef and music lineups. Until then, check out our coverage from last year to get an idea of what's in store.