February 23, 2026 – Austin City Limits (ACL) is proud to announce the initial tapings for its upcoming Season 52, spotlighting a dynamic slate of acclaimed and award-winning artists: Grammy Award-winner Miguel—who made an unforgettable ACL debut in Season 44 (2018)—returns to the ACL stage on March 19 in support of his latest album, CAOS.
ACL also welcomes a trio of acts making highly anticipated series debuts. The Oscar- and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham takes the stage on April 21 to preview new songs from his upcoming album They Call Us The Lucky Ones, joined by The Texas Gentlemen. On April 27, reigning CMA Awards Vocal Group of the Year and ACM Awards New Group of the Year, Southern rock standouts The Red Clay Strays bring swagger and arena-sized sound to the ACL stage with songs from their album Made by These Moments. Rounding out the initial tapings, celebrated Colombian superstar Carlos Vives delivers his big band and a career-spanning catalog of hits to Austin City Limits on May 5.
“Season 52 marks an unprecedented new chapter in Austin City Limits’ 50-plus-year history,” says Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “We’re expanding our new season by adding five additional episodes, and for the first time, every artist will have their own full-hour program, deepening our commitment to presenting live music in its fullest form.” At a moment when national platforms for live music on television are rapidly disappearing, the role of Austin City Limits and public media has never been more vital. As late-night shows scale back or shutter entirely, artists are losing critical opportunities to reach new audiences, making discovery increasingly elusive—especially for emerging artists. Against this backdrop, the ACL stage remains a rare and essential platform, offering artists the creative freedom to deliver full-set, uncompromised performances and giving music fans everywhere a front-row seat to experience live music’s finest.
As an added highlight of the upcoming Season 52, the series’ studio home, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, will debut a large-scale mural installation, inviting show attendees to walk through Austin City Limits history as they enter. The immersive display features nearly two decades of iconic ACL taping posters, serving as a visual tribute to the artists and moments that have shaped the live music institution’s enduring legacy.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
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.
Texas musician Ryan Bingham is a Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe, and Critics’ Choice Award-winning singer-songwriter and actor whose raw, world-weary voice and evocative storytelling have made him one of the most distinctive artists of his generation. From his early years as a drifter and bull rider to penning the Academy Award-winning song “The Weary Kind” for the film Crazy Heart, Bingham has built a career defined by authenticity and artistic independence. His music—spanning folk, blues, country, and rock—reflects a life fully lived, blending grit, vulnerability, and resilience in equal measure. His first full-length project since 2019, They Call Us The Lucky Ones, is set for release on May 15; the record marks his seventh studio album since his seminal debut, 2007’s Mescalito. They Call Us The Lucky Ones is his first with The Texas Gentlemen, the all-star collective of players from the Lone Star State. Of the namesake track “Ballad of The Texas Gentlemen,” Bingham shares, “After years of being out on my own and playing shows on and off with The Texas Gentlemen, I realized somewhere along the way I was part of a band again without really planning it. ‘Ballad of The Texas Gentlemen’ really came out of that moment – just being back out on the road with people you trust and remembering why you fell in love with playing music in the first place.” Across the album’s 10 tracks, including “The Lucky Ones” and “Americana,” Bingham reflects on the highs and lows of an artist’s life on the road and his newfound sense of joy and hope, all framed by the unique genre-defying sound he and the band create together. “This album was probably the most fun I’ve had making a record,” Bingham reflects. “I’ve always loved records that feel loose and live and gritty with a bit of soul, where the imperfections from the moment are left in. Working with musicians as talented as The Texas Gentlemen really let us lean into that in a way I hadn’t experienced before. There was an unspoken understanding between us about what each song needed, so we tracked most of it live with minimal overdubs, just playing and letting the feel lead. It finally felt like I was capturing these songs the way I always heard them in my head. We can’t wait to get out on the road and share them with fans.” In celebration of the new music, Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen will embark on their extensive “Still Gettin’ Away With It Tour” this spring. In addition to his acclaimed music career, Bingham starred as fan-favorite “Walker” on Paramount’s record-breaking series Yellowstone.
A road-tested band that have carved their own lane musically, The Red Clay Strays are Brandon Coleman (lead vocals, guitar, keys), Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), and Sevans Henderson (keys). Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, the Strays formed in 2016 and rocketed from club gigs to major stages on the strength of electrifying live shows and a soaring Southern rock sound. The Strays’ 2022 debut album, Moment of Truth, delivered the breakout single, “Wondering Why,” which propelled the band into the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart and inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. In 2024, the group signed to RCA Records and released their critically acclaimed sophomore album, Made by These Moments. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), the album is filled with the band’s signature genre-blending sound, as they meld electric rock and roll with Southern soul. Rolling Stone hails the Strays “a blistering rock & roll band, one well on its way to revitalizing a certain brand of muscular Southern rock,” and Pollstar raves, “Their music is a familiar, yet fresh, energetic take on Southern rootsy rock music infused with hard rock energy.” Made by These Moments marked the band’s first entry into the Billboard 200 and debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart, earning the ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ Award at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards, their first Billboard Music Award win for Top Country Group, and the 2025 ACM Award win for New Duo or Group of the Year. They have also garnered consecutive CMA Award nominations for Vocal Group of the Year for 2024 and 2025, taking home the award at the 59th Annual CMA Awards. The band released their first live album, Live At The Ryman, recorded during their three-night stint at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville as part of their sold-out 2024 These Moments Tour. The group recently wrapped the North American and European legs of their sold-out global Get Right Tour, making notable stops at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, two nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and three nights at The Amphitheater at the Wharf in their home state of Alabama. In 2026, the band will perform at Stagecoach, Madison Square Garden, and two nights at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
With a career spanning more than three decades, two GRAMMY® Awards and 18 Latin GRAMMY® Awards, Carlos Vives stands as one of the most important figures in Spanish-language music and a pioneer of a new Latin American sound. Deeply connected to his Colombian roots, Vives drew from traditional vallenato to create a distinctive, modern, tropical style he famously dubbed “El rock de mi pueblo” (“The Rock of My People”)—allowing the vallenato spirit to transcend borders, languages, and cultures. In 1993, he founded his band La Provincia and the label Gaira Música Local, conceived as a tribute to rural and mestizo musicians of the Colombian Caribbean and as a creative laboratory for new talent. In subsequent years, Vives has cemented his status as one of the most influential cultural icons in Latin music. With more than 10 billion digital streams and 20 million albums sold worldwide, Vives has become an ambassador for Colombian music through iconic songs including “La Gota Fría,” “Pa’ Mayte,” “La Tierra del Olvido,” “Fruta Fresca,” and “Volví a Nacer.” The year 2026 marks a new era in his career with the release of El Último Disco (The Last Album), introduced by its lead single, “Te Dedico,” which signals a return to values that truly matter, such as romanticism and a more intimate way of connecting through music. The celebrated artist has received countless career accolades, including the Latin Recording Academy’s 2024 Person of the Year, and induction into the Billboard Latin Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2020, an honor reserved for artists with global impact who transcend genres and languages. His numerous lifetime achievement honors include the Icon Award at the Musa Awards, ASCAP’s Founders Award, the Legacy Award at the Latin American Music Awards, and multiple Billboard Awards, positioning him as one of the most distinguished and beloved Latin American artists of his generation. Over the past five years, Vives has performed more than 350 concerts, filling arenas and stadiums in over 25 countries. In 2024, he was honored at the Mexico City Wax Museum, where his likeness was unveiled alongside icons such as Frida Kahlo, Lady Gaga and Madonna. An in-demand collaborator, Vivos has worked with key figures in Ibero-American music including Shakira, Rubén Blades, Alejandro Sanz, Juanes, Marc Anthony, Sebastián Yatra, Luis Fonsi, and Camilo.
ACL is thrilled to welcome these singular acts 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.
