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Austin City Limits Announces New Season 52 Tapings

Austin City Limits is thrilled to announce a stellar slate of upcoming tapings for Season 52, featuring several highly-anticipated ACL debuts alongside a returning favorite. On May 19, breakout star and Dripping Springs native Ty Myers makes his ACL debut, performing hits and highlights from his newly released sophomore album Heavy On The Soul. Acclaimed singer-songwriter S.G. Goodman takes the ACL stage for the first time on May 26 with selections from her latest release Planting by the Signs. On June 9, Grammy-nominated R&B star Ari Lennox brings highlights from her acclaimed album Vacancy. Celebrated Colombian singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra, a Latin Grammy-winner and Grammy nominee, makes his ACL debut on June 22, with songs from his Milagro. And on July 2, bluegrass superstar Billy Strings returns for his second headlining ACL appearance with highlights from his 2026 Grammy-winning Bluegrass Album of the Year, Highway Prayers.


Hailed “the next face of Country music” by Rolling Stone and “a generational talent” by No Depression, singer-songwriter-guitarist Ty Myers is rapidly emerging as one of the genre’s most exciting new voices. Myers created a viral buzz with his debut, “Tie That Binds” in 2023, and his widely-acclaimed 2025 debut album The Select earned three RIAA certifications including his first Platinum hit with the Top 10-and-climbing Country radio single “Ends of the Earth.” His newly released sophomore album, Heavy On The Soul (RECORDS Nashville/Columbia), channels the Southern rock, soul, and blues that shaped his musical foundation, raised just outside Austin in Dripping Springs, where his family has operated a cattle ranch for more than six generations. Myers recorded the new album at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama—home to classic recordings by iconic artists including Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Produced by Brandon Hood, Heavy On The Soul features a top-tier lineup of session players, including guitarist Tom Bukovac (Glen Campbell, Vince Gill) and steel guitarist Bruce Bouton (George Strait, Emmylou Harris). Eleven of the album’s seventeen songs are written solely by Myers, marking a next chapter for the young artist with standout tracks including “Message to You,” “Leaving Carolina,” “Through a Screen,” “Come On Over, Baby,” along with “Two Trains,” featuring Marcus King. With more than 1.4 billion global streams to date—boasting over 20 million global streams per week—Myers continues to build remarkable momentum. His breakthrough single “Ends of the Earth” alone has surpassed 270 million global streams, while earlier hit “Drinkin’ Alone” earned Gold certification with more than 135 million streams. Myers has sparked heartthrob-level pandemonium on the road, generating enormous fan demand including the sold-out 73-date The Select Tour in 2025. He’s currently supporting Luke Combs on his stadium tour—and makes his Stagecoach debut in April — following previous opening runs with artists including Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowen, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, and Willie Nelson. Having just turned 18, Myers launches his aptly named The Legal Tour this summer, a major headlining run beginning June 11. He has been featured in Rolling Stone, the Austin American-Statesman, and the Los Angeles Times, named Billboard’s Country Rookie of the Month and included on its prestigious 21 Under 21 all-genre list. Myers has also earned “Artist to Watch” recognition from GRAMMY.com, Vevo, Pandora, Spotify, and Apple Music, which named him its Country Riser of the Month.

S.G. Goodman returns from the Western Kentucky bottomlands with Planting by the Signs, her first release on her own Slough Water Records via Thirty Tigers. Recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the album takes its name from an ancient farming tradition still practiced in parts of the South, where the position of the moon as it moves through the signs of the zodiac determines the best time to plant crops and tend the land. By early 2023, Goodman’s star was rising faster than at any point since the release of her 2020 solo debut, Old Time Feeling. Following an extensive post-pandemic run opening for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, she was named Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2023 Americana Honors & Awards. Her audience grew even wider when fellow Kentucky native Tyler Childers recorded a moving cover of her song “Space and Time” for his 2023 album Rustin’ in the Rain, introducing Goodman’s songwriting to a new generation of listeners. The concept for Planting by the Signs emerged from Goodman’s rural Kentucky upbringing and her rediscovery of the practice while reading the classic Appalachian guide Foxfire. She remembered lessons from childhood—that planting a garden, weaning a baby, or even getting a haircut are best timed in accordance with the cycles of the moon. In revisiting the tradition, Goodman found a framework that stood in stark contrast to the fast-paced, technology-driven culture surrounding her, offering a lens through which to reflect on connection, balance, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Personal loss also shaped the album’s creation. In a two-week span in 2023, Goodman lost her beloved dog and longtime friend Mike Harmon—a mentor and father figure referenced in her early song “Red Bird Morning.” The grief left her searching for grounding and ultimately led to a renewed creative partnership with longtime collaborator and guitarist Matthew Rowan. Goodman, Rowan, and co-producer Drew Vandenberg decamped to the historic Nutt House in Sheffield, Alabama, where they began recording the album in fall 2024. Composed of eleven songs shaped by love, loss and reconciliation, Planting by the Signs showcases Goodman’s singular voice and her signature blend of vulnerable folk music and punchy rock ‘n roll, layered with chiming guitars, ethereal atmospherics, and her DIY ethos. Goodman explores timeless traditions while offering a powerful reminder of humanity’s enduring conection to nature—and to one another.

Ari Lennox is soul in its purest form—fearless, radiant, and singular. Hailing from Washington, D.C., the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter has built a career defined by emotional honesty, vocal excellence, and unwavering artistic integrity. Her latest album, Vacancy, recorded over three years and executive produced by longtime collaborator Elite, marks a confident new chapter in her artistry. The project finds Lennox embracing growth and self-assurance, upping the emotional depth and perspective that have defined her work. She steps fully into her “Soft Girl Era,” not as a reinvention, but as a refinement. Lennox co-wrote every track on the album, further cementing her reputation as a gifted songwriter with a distinctive artistic voice. The Guardian hails Vacancy “the R&B sophisticate’s loosest and most fun outing yet,” raving, “Lennox balances jazz-soaked tradition with flashes of unruly humor and a surefire viral hit.” Known for her powerhouse live performances, Lennox has captivated audiences from major festival stages to her sold-out 2023 headlining tour, which moved nearly 90,000 tickets worldwide. Recent highlights include multiple sold-out nights alongside Robert Glasper during his Blue Note residency in Los Angeles, and a featured performance at EBONY’s star-studded 80th Anniversary Power 100 Gala. Lennox first captured global attention with her 2019 debut Shea Butter Baby, a modern R&B classic which produced the platinum-certified title track and “BMO,” along with Gold-certified fan favorites “Whipped Cream” and “Up Late.” The album earned her a Grammy nomination and honors from the Soul Train Awards and NAACP Image Awards, firmly establishing her as one of the contemporary R&B’s most compelling voices. In 2021, she reached new heights with the chart-topping single “Pressure,” her first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Across each release—including her celebrated 2022 album age/sex/location, praised by Rolling Stone as an “R&B gem”—Lennox has distinguished herself as both a dynamic vocalist and a songwriter whose music resonates with clarity and truth.

Few artists in contemporary Latin music balance global pop ambition with emotional intimacy as effortlessly as Sebastián Yatra. The Latin Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated Colombian-American singer-songwriter has become one of the defining voices of modern Latin pop, blending romantic balladry, reggaeton rhythms, and melodic storytelling into songs that resonate with audiences worldwide. With more than 40 billion global streams and a vast international following, Yatra has built a career marked by sincerity, versatility, and an instinct for timeless pop songwriting. Born in Medellín and raised in Miami, Yatra broke through at just 19 with the 2013 hit “El Psicólogo,” quickly establishing himself as a rising star across Latin America. Global recognition soon followed with the smash single “Traicionera,” launching a string of hits and setting the stage for his 2018 debut album Mantra, which topped Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart and featured the acclaimed collaboration “Robarte un Beso” with Colombian icon Carlos Vives. Yatra’s sophomore album Fantasía (2019) showcased his gift for romantic pop songwriting and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Pop Album. In 2022, Yatra reached new creative heights with Dharma, a chart-topping album featuring collaborations with Daddy Yankee, Rauw Alejandro, and Aitana. The project earned him two Latin Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Song for the global hit “Tacones Rojos.” Yatra’s artistry has also extended beyond the recording studio. His performance of “Dos Oruguitas” from Disney blockbuster Encanto earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and made history as Yatra performed the Spanish-language song live at the Oscars. In 2024, he expanded into acting with a celebrated turn as Billy Flynn in the Broadway production of Chicago. A charismatic and magnetic artist, Yatra has landed on the covers of international editions of Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, ELLE and Rolling Stone. His fourth studio album Milagro (Miracle), delivered a trio of standouts—“Los Domingos,” “2AM,” and “La Pelirroja”—with each song designed to reflect a different emotional “miracle.” As an in-demand collaborator, Yatra continues to explore new musical terrain alongside acclaimed Latin artists in recent releases including, “Canción para Regresar,” “LA FKN VIBRA,” and “Cucaracheo,” reaffirming his place as one of Latin music’s most expansive and globally influential artists.

Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician Billy Strings returns to the ACL stage following another landmark year. His latest full-length album, Highway Prayers was recently named Best Bluegrass Album at the 2026 Grammy Awards, marking his second consecutive win in the category and third overall. Produced by Strings and Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Mac Miller, Aimee Mann) and released via Reprise Records, the album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s all-genre Top Album Sales chart, the first bluegrass album to achieve the feat in more than two decades. The record has drawn widespread acclaim, with GQ calling Strings “the hottest roots-music phenomenon in decades” and Pitchfork praising, “the bluegrass wunderkind expands his palette, exploring new textures and emotional registers while staying true to his beloved genre.” Following Highway Prayers, Strings released an exclusive Apple Music Nashville Sessions EP featuring reworked songs from the record as well as the surprise collaborative album Live at the Legion with bluegrass virtuoso Bryan Sutton. Recorded live at Nashville’s American Legion Post 82, the project captures the duo performing 20 traditional bluegrass and folk songs, including new renditions of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” and Doc Watson’s “Way Downtown.” Born in Michigan and now based in Nashville, Strings has emerged as the genre’s new superstar, blending bluegrass traditions with influences from rock, jazz and psychedelia. Since his 2017 debut, he has received numerous accolades, including Best Bluegrass Album at the 63rd, 67th and 68th Grammy Awards, Artist of the Year at the 2022 and 2023 Americana Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025, and Pollstar Awards’ Breakthrough Artist of the Pandemic in 2021 and Best New Headliner in 2022. An electrifying live performer, Strings is currently in the midst of an extensive headline arena tour throughout 2026 and will join Willie Nelson for his annual Fourth of July picnic this summer. He made his ACL debut in Season 47 (2021), and returned for the series’ 50th Anniversary celebration in 2024. ACL is thrilled to welcome him back to the stage


Want to be part of the audience? Information on how to obtain free passes will be posted one week prior to each taping. Follow @acltv on IG, Facebook and X for updates. Broadcast episodes will air and stream on PBS as part of Austin City Limits’ upcoming Season 52; previous seasons are available to stream online anytime or on the free PBS App.

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ACL Season 52 Taping Pass Giveaway: Miguel

*Update: Giveaway Now Closed* Austin City Limits kicks off Season 52 with Miguel on Thursday, March 19 at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admissionThese passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive. Read our helpful Know Before You Go guide for more information.


With a voice that transcends genres and generations, multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning artist Miguel emerged in the 2010’s as a trailblazer who expanded the boundaries of R&B, earning widespread acclaim and chart-topping hits. Los Angeles-raised, with Black and Latino roots, the singer-songwriter—born Miguel Jontel Pimentel—remains a magnetic performer and one of the most adventurous voices in contemporary R&B. His 2012 breakthrough Kaleidoscope Dream fused rock, soul, and psychedelia into a freewheeling sound, delivering the smash “Adorn,” a crossover hit that dominated culture and earned the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. A testament to the timeless appeal of his music, Miguel’s 2010 classic “Sure Thing” went viral more than a decade after its release, becoming a massive hit for a new generation. Now Miguel returns with CAOS, his fifth studio album and first new album in eight years. In a career defined by innovation and soul, CAOS stands as his most vulnerable and timely work to date. 


“This is an album about searching for meaning as you try your best to process a world on fire,” raves Rolling Stone. Emerging from years marked by personal and global turbulence, Miguel offers his clearest vision yet, exploring grief, heartache, fatherhood, love, sex, and identity with striking candor. “The past eight years have been so unpredictable—and for lack of a better word, chaotic—in terms of having any kind of guarantees or semblance of normalcy,” he reflects. “Whether it’s a global pandemic or a new election, our beliefs overall have been challenged.” Miguel enlisted an A-list group of collaborators to help shape CAOS, including Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio; Ray Brady (b.k.a. RRReymundo), known for work with Kilo Kish, Santigold, and Vince Staples; and Grammy Award-winning producer Jeff Bhasker, whose credits span Harry Styles, Kanye West, and Lana Del Rey. Intentionally sequenced, the album unfolds as an emotional journey through the ebbs and flows of Miguel’s life. “El Pleito,” (“the fight”) draws deeply from his Mexican heritage, as Miguel sings in Spanish to address the immigrant experience, while “Angel’s Song” reflects on fatherhood and the hopes and fears he holds for his newborn son. Tracks such as “The Killing,” “RIP,” “New Martyrs,” and “Triggered” confront our current landscape of fear and violence, while the album’s closer, “COMMA/KARMA,” offers a searching meditation on peace amid the storm. Revealing and revelatory, CAOS marks a powerful return for Miguel—one that’s been a long time coming, and proves he’s back with purpose.

Miguel made a soaring ACL debut in Season 44 in 2018 and we’re thrilled to have him back on the ACL stage.

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Austin City Limits Partners with 2026 Luck Reunion for ACL Artist Lounge 

Austin and Luck, Texas—The renowned live music television series  Austin City Limits (ACL) will travel to Luck, Texas on March 19 for a first-ever collaboration with Luck Reunion, the annual gathering founded by Willie Nelson on his property each year. Two Texas institutions with a shared history and a deep commitment to showcasing trailblazing artists, ACL is proud to bring the spirit of Austin City Limits to Willie’s backyard. 

Rooted in a mutual passion for authentic, eclectic music, the collaboration strengthens ACL’s ties to the creative community while expanding its presence beyond Austin’s city limits. As part of the activation, ACL will debut the Austin City Limits Artist Lounge, a dedicated space offering the ACL experience exclusively to Luck Reunion artists. 

Willie Nelson on Austin City Limits. Photo by Scott Newton.

Our story began with Willie Nelson on the Austin City Limits stage in 1974, and that connection remains central to who we are. Luck Reunion carries that same independent, Texas-born spirit, making this partnership both natural and meaningful. Austin City Limits has always championed artists and preserved a stage for authentic music discovery. As a community-supported public media organization, we’re excited to bring that shared spirit to Luck this year,” Luis Patiño, president and CEO of Austin PBS, said.

Designed as an intimate artist hub, ACL Artist Lounge will be outfitted by Sheila Youngblood, owner and creator of Round Top, Texas’s esteemed creative retreat Rancho Pillow, whose signature aesthetic will transform the space into a welcoming, one-of-a-kind gathering place within the Luck artist area. Fondly known as “the house that Willie built,” ACL embraces the outpost’s nostalgic, lived-in feel—evoking a throwback living room and nodding to the many artists who have remarked that their earliest memories of Austin City Limits were formed watching performances around the family television set.

The lounge will feature a vintage television playing classic ACL episodes alongside retro living room touches, including an old-school phone. Artists are invited to leave a favorite Austin City Limits memory or share early birthday wishes for ACL patron saint Willie Nelson ahead of his 93rd birthday on April 29th. The space will serve as a lively destination for artist interviews and informal conversations, inviting performers to connect, chat, and trade stories steeped in the shared lore of Luck and ACL in a relaxed setting.

Originally created to spotlight authentic Texas music and capture Austin’s burgeoning Cosmic Cowboy and Outlaw Country scenes of the early 1970s, Austin City Limits shares a deep, longstanding bond with Willie Nelson. The program was born more than 50 years ago when Willie taped the now-legendary 1974 pilot episode—an event that became the cornerstone of what would grow into the longest-running music series in television history. Willie has appeared on Austin City Limits nineteen times—more than any other performer —and was inducted into the inaugural ACL Hall of Fame in 2014; he most recently returned in 2024 to celebrate the show’s 50th Anniversary milestone with a historic outdoor concert in Austin. As Willie recently told Billboard: “Austin City Limits and PBS were and are an essential part of education, understanding, curiosity and empathy, which are the essentials and building blocks of humanity.”

Luck Reunion and Austin City Limits will also team up for the first time on a limited-edition merchandise collaboration, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Austin PBS, home of Austin City Limits. The capsule collection will debut exclusively at Luck Reunion’s flagship store in Spicewood, TX, with additional availability to follow at Austin’s Hotel Magdalena and online via Luck Presents

Austin PBS will also be onsite at Luck with a booth in the LFF Garden offering attendees photo opportunities featuring backdrops from beloved PBS series, including Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross and Sesame Street. Festivalgoers are invited to stop by, take photos, and learn more about how to support public media.  

Austin City Limits continues to honor its roots while evolving alongside the artists and audiences it serves. This partnership brings that legacy full circle, uniting two Austin originals that personify music’s freewheeling spirit and share a common mission: championing both outliers and legends, celebrating the authentic sounds of Texas and beyond, and supporting the values of public media. Austin City Limits recently announced the initial tapings of its upcoming Season 52, with all-new episodes premiering on PBS later this year.

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Austin City Limits salutes the winners of the 2026 Grammy Awards

Austin City Limits extends a hearty congratulations to the winners of last night’s 2026 Grammy Awards. Co-produced by ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, the 68th annual ceremony honored a wide variety of popular and lauded artists from all walks of musical life, including several of our distinguished alumni from our most recent Season 51, now streaming on PBS.

Huge congratulations to shining star Leon Thomas, who took home two Grammy awards – Best R&B Album for Mutt and Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Vibes Don’t Lie.” Jazz vocalist Samara Joy won for Best Jazz Vocal Album with her latest album Portrait, and ACL TV fan favorite Jon Batiste’s Big Money won for Best Americana Album.

Jon Batiste on ACL TV, Season 51 – Photo by Scott Newton

We’d also like to extend congratulations to all ACL TV alumni who won at the 68th annual GRAMMY Awards:

  • Record of the Year: Kendrick Lamar & SZA: “Luther”
  • Song of the Year: Billie Eilish: “Wildflower”
  • Best Contemporary Country Album: Jelly Roll: Beautifully Broken
  • Best Rap Album: Kendrick Lamar: GNX
  • Best Rap Song: Kendrick Lamar: “TV Off” [ft. Lefty Gunplay]
  • Best Melodic Rap Performance: Kendrick Lamar & SZA: “Luther”
  • Best Rap Performance: Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T & Malice: “Chains & Whips”
  • Best Rock Song: Nine Inch Nails: “As Alive as You Need Me to Be”
  • Best Latin Pop Album: Natalia Lafourcade: Cancionera
  • Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano): Carín León: Palabra de To’s (Seca)
  • Best Musical Theater Album: Buena Vista Social Club
  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: Brandon Lake & Jelly Roll: “Hard Fought Hallelujah”
  • Best Bluegrass Album: Billy Strings: Highway Prayers
  • Best Americana Performance: Mavis Staples: “Godspeed”
  • Best Traditional Blues Album: Buddy Guy: Ain’t Done With the Blues
  • Best American Roots Performance: Mavis Staples: “Beautiful Strangers”
  • Best Country Duo/Group Performance: Shaboozey & Jelly Roll: “Amen”
  • Best Country Solo Performance: Chris Stapleton: “Bad as I Used to Be”
  • Best Country Song: Tyler Childers: “Bitin’ List,” songwriter
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ACL Mourns Loss of Mavericks Singer Raul Malo

We here at Austin City Limits are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Mavericks singer and songwriter Raul Malo. His family announced Tuesday morning he’d lost his battle with cancer. 

An extraordinary singer and songwriter, the sixty-year-old Florida native and his band nudged country music into new realms, incorporating Latin music, sixties folk rock, traditional pop, and more into songs like “All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down,” “What a Crying Shame,” “There Goes My Heart,” and “Dance the Night Away.” The band made 12 studio albums which earned them numerous accolades from the Academy of Country Music (ACM), the Country Music Association (CMA) as well as a GRAMMY Award. In 2015, they won an Americana Music Award for duo/group of the year. Malo’s soaring, powerful voice anchored every song, and led him to conduct a prolific solo career alongside that of his beloved band. He was a frequent artist-in-residence in Austin, working with country musicians Whitney Rose and Rick Trevino. For Trevino, Malo wrote the hit “In My Dreams.”

Malo appeared on Austin City Limits with The Mavericks three times (1995, 2000 and 2020), including a stunning Season 46 taping in support of their album En Español, the first album ever to debut at the top of both the Latin Pop and Folk-Americana charts. The taping had no audience due to the ongoing pandemic. Well, not a public audience – our crew and producers couldn’t help but clap and cheer after every song due to the high energy performance, with Malo in top form as singer and frontman. Malo also joined us as a featured solo artist on our 2017 Hall of Fame celebration in tribute to Roy Orbison, whose catalog seems particularly suited to Malo’s powerfully smooth vocals. His final appearance was leading the Mavericks through a powerhouse performance of “All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down” for our half-century celebration Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years.

Raul Malo – ACL Season 46; Photo by Scott Newton

“Raul was a force on stage with the voice of both an angel and a tiger,” Austin City Limits executive producer Terry Lickona told Billboard. “The Mavericks first appeared on ACL 30 years ago, did one of our only pandemic shows — without an audience — and kicked off our 50th anniversary special last year.”

Raul Malo’s exuberant onstage energy and remarkable talent earned him a spot in our firmament of ACL favorites. He was also a kind and uplifting human being and will be greatly missed by all of us here at ACL

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Season 51 Returns January 17 with All-New Episodes

Trailblazing live music series Austin City Limits (ACL) unveils the second half of its Season 51, announcing five new episodes beginning in January 2026 to round out the acclaimed program’s thirteen-episode run. As a special treat for fans, ACL also presents a bonus mid-season installment featuring freshly minted triple 2026 Grammy nominee Jon Batiste in a sensational new hour premiering December 13, 2025 at 7pm CT/8pm ET

ACL ushers in the new year with a standout slate of broadcast episodes showcasing best-in-class performances from returning favorites and highly-anticipated debuts by some of today’s most talked-about acts: Jon Batiste, Leon Thomas, Marcus King Band, Queens of the Stone Age, Reneé Rapp, Thee Sacred Souls and Wyatt Flores. Season 51’s second half premieres Saturday, January 17 at 7pm CT/8pm ET. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) with full episodes available to stream at pbs.org/austincitylimits and on the free PBS App.

Following its milestone 50th Anniversary in 2024, Austin City Limits continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music series in television history, offering viewers a front-row seat to iconic performances for more than five decades. Produced by Austin PBS, the series is recorded live at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live, in Austin, Texas, and remains a pillar of public media, presenting stellar live music across all genres of popular music.

Seven-time Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and composer Jon Batiste returns to the ACL stage for the first time since his electrifying 2021 Season 47 debut. Riding high with a trio of 2026 Grammy nominations for his latest album Big Money, the New Orleans native—an exuberant ambassador of jazz, blues, roots and soul—delivers a joyful, high-energy performance featuring selections from the Grammy-nominated release, which earned nods for Best Americana Album, Best Americana Song and Best American Roots Performance. Batiste, backed by a 14-piece band including legendary players, guitarist Nick Waterhouse, drummer Steve Jordan and percussionist Pedrito Martinez, is joined by special guest, soul/R&B favorite Andra Day for a song, making for an unforgettable Season 51 hour.

Rock titans Queens of the Stone Age take the ACL stage anew for the first time in a decade with a performance unlike anything in the show’s 50-plus-year history. In a rare television appearance, Josh Homme & Co. showcase their innovative opus Alive in the Catacombs—conceived and recorded in the ancient tombs beneath Paris—delivering an epic, three-act, full-hour master class in music and mood, accompanied by a nine-piece orchestra.

ACL is also thrilled to spotlight six-time 2026 Grammy nominee and R&B innovator Leon Thomas in a full-hour Season 51 finale. Dubbed “R&B’s hottest rock star,” Thomas leads the pack as one of 2026’s top Grammy contenders, including the prestigious Album of the Year and Best New Artist. This chart-topping dynamo—already a Grammy-winning songwriter—brings highlights from his acclaimed Album of the Year-nominated MUTT and new EP PHOLKS in a magnetic ACL debut, which features a special appearance by Ty Dolla $ign.

Reneé Rapp on ACL TV; photo by Scott Newton

Season 51 introduces multiple fan-favorite acts in revelatory ACL debuts. Pop phenom Reneé Rapp delivers chart-toppers and kiss-off anthems from her LP BITE ME in a double-bill with acclaimed modern soul trio Thee Sacred Souls, who shine with sweet-soul highlights from their critically lauded sophomore album Got A Story To Tell. One of music’s most electrifying live acts, South Carolina’s Marcus King Band, make their long-awaited ACL premiere with a scorching performance of blistering guitar, rockin’ fan faves, and new tracks from their latest LP Darling Blue. Sharing the hour is breakout Red Dirt country singer-songwriter Wyatt Flores, in an impressive first visit to the ACL stage, bringing gems from his standout release Welcome to the Plains.

“As we roll out five new episodes, representing at least that many different genres, ACL proves itself once again to be the home for music discovery and a showcase for a new generation of deserving talent,” said longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “For 50 years, our stage has hosted past, present and future legends, and these new episodes lean into the future more than ever.”

Season 51 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

  • December 13, 2025 Jon Batiste
  • January 17, 2026 Reneé Rapp | Thee Sacred Souls
  • January 24, 2026 Marcus King Band | Wyatt Flores
  • January 31, 2026 Queens of the Stone Age
  • February 7, 2026 Leon Thomas

Season 51 premiered in October 2025 with standout sets from numerous 2026 Grammy nominees, including 10x Grammy-winning artist and producer FINNEAS, LA breakout band the Marías, country superstar Kelsea Ballerini, country & western maverick Charley Crockett, country singer-songwriter Cam, and 5x Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy; along with acclaimed debut performances from chart-topper Role Model, and rising singer-songwriters Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman

ACL also welcomed rock legends My Morning Jacket into the 11th Annual ACL Hall of Fame, celebrated by Oscar-winning filmmaker Cameron Crowe, with the band returning to the ACL stage for the first time in over a decade to deliver a powerhouse performance in the commemorative hour. ACL additionally honored the 50-year legacy of iconic Austin blues club Antone’s with Austin City Limits Celebrates Antone’s & the Blues, a supercharged, all-star salute, and a genre integral to the series’ own history. Fan-favorite encore episodes will continue to air through the end of 2025.

Watch live, stream online, or download the PBS App.  Visit acltv.com for updates on live streams, future tapings and episode schedules, or follow @acltv on Facebook, X/Twitter, IG and TikTok. Fans can also explore the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes content, and full-length artist interviews. Learn more about Austin City Limits, its programming and its history at acltv.com.