How can I get tickets to a taping?
Can I stream full episodes?
What is Austin City Limits?
What are these live streaming events?
How can I get in touch with Austin City Limits?
When will a certain program air in my area?
Will you ever repeat the program that includes (insert your favorite artist here)?
Where and when is Austin City Limits taped?
How does an artist or band get booked on Austin City Limits? Who decides?
Are artists paid to be on Austin City Limits or do they play for free because it’s PBS?
Can I purchase an episodes? Are CDs or DVDs available?
Can I get an internship with Austin City Limits?
How can I get passes to attend a taping?
About a week before each taping we set up an online entry form for a chance to receive passes (given out in pairs) for every show to the general public on this page: http://acltv.com/upcoming-tapings. We will also post the link to enter on our social media pages on Facebook and Twitter. To enter, fill out the form and hit “submit.” Don’t bother entering more than once – any additional entries from the same people will be thrown out. Two or three days before the show we’ll randomly choose the winners, and send them an e-mail. That means in the days before the show you should check your spam folder to make sure you didn’t miss a message. It also means that if you didn’t receive an e-mail, in either your regular inbox or your spam folder, you’re not one of the winners (sorry).
We DO NOT SELL tickets to Austin City Limits TV tapings. That means that anyone claiming to be selling tickets to an ACL taping on Craigslist, eBay, etc. is selling counterfeit tickets. Don’t fall for this – it’s a scam and any tickets/passes acquired this way will NOT be honored. If you come to the door with a pair of counterfeits in hand, you’ll just be (a) embarrassed when we don’t let you in and (b) angry at the person who scammed you.
The passes are space available only, and don’t guarantee admission – we can let in only as many people as capacity allows. That level is set by the state fire marshal and we must abide by it or risk getting fined. So, please follow the time schedule you receive in your winner notification email. If you come up to the door at the last minute you may be out of luck.
Once you arrive at The Moody Theater, find the acltv.com winner line and queue up. When you reach the top of the stairs, one of our friendly volunteers will find your name on the list and give you a wristband/pass that allows you entry into the venue. We have to let in our donors, Friends of Austin City Limits, trade-out partners, journalists and band guests into the studio first, but fear not – there’s plenty of room inside, and 20 minutes before showtime we open the doors to you, our beloved “Space A’s”, whether the other ticket holders have arrived to claim their spaces or not. In the meantime you can hang out on the Music Porch, visit the bars, and soak in some fresh air.
Once you’re inside, a reminder: we’re taping a television show here, people. This isn’t a concert in the usual sense. We’re trying to capture a great performance by a great artist for posterity and later broadcast. That doesn’t mean we don’t want you to get excited and shout and sing along – indeed, we encourage that. All music fans know that the more enthusiasm they show for the artist, the greater the heights to which the artist will go.
What we don’t want is for y’all to do what most people do at shows these days, and that’s record the performance on your camera phones. In fact, any cell phone use in the studio during the taping is prohibited. We’re already recording the show anyway and we’ll broadcast it on PBS in sparkling mixed sound and HD visuals – you don’t need to worry about it. Plus it’s rude to your neighbors. And do you really want to be immortalized in an audience shot with your phone in front of your face?
You’ll notice there are bars in the room. Feel free to visit them as often as you like before showtime, but once the lights go down and recording begins, the inside bars will be closed until the performance is over. You can still go outside the room on the porch to get drinks, though – those bars will remain open.
You no doubt have also noticed the camera operators. They have magic masking tape around them to indicate where their personal space is. This space includes the first couple of feet in front of the stage – please let them inhabit it alone. They need that space to swing the cameras around and get shots of both the artists and your lovely, smiling faces.
Finally, we also have security and an EMT on site during tapings. If you notice someone who’s become, shall we say, unruly due to overindulgence, or see someone in a state of distress, please alert one of our volunteers or anyone with a staff badge so we can get the correct authority figure over there.
If you don’t get chosen to attend a taping, you can always watch the show each week on PBS!
Can I stream full episodes?
Yes. The four most recently broadcast episodes are available to stream in full for four weeks following their national broadcast airdate on the PBS site. You can also watch clips and web-only behind-the-scenes videos there as well. For full artist interviews and video outtakes from the show, head over to our YouTube channel.
What is Austin City Limits?
Austin City Limits is the name of the television show produced by Austin PBS, KLRU-TV that first aired in 1975 on PBS. Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode on October 17, 1974, and the show is currently in production of its 45th consecutive season. The Peabody Award-winning program airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time immediately following each broadcast. ACL gives viewers unparalleled access to featured artists in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. The program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin.
In 2002, Austin PBS, KLRU-TV teamed up with C3 Presents and the Austin City Limits Music Festival was born. The fall festival is now exclusively produced and presented by C3 Presents and in 2013 expanded to two weekends of live music. Visit aclfestival.com for more information on the festival and to purchase tickets.
In 2011, Austin City Limits left its original studio on the University of Texas campus for a new home in the heart of downtown Austin, The Moody Theater. While Austin City Limits still refers to the television program, ACL Live at The Moody Theater presents concerts year round when the studio is not being used for television tapings. Unlike ACL television tapings, tickets to shows presented by ACL Live are available for purchase. Check out ACL Live’s calendar of events.
What are these live streaming events?
Did you know that while tapings can last up to two hours, actual Austin City Limits episodes broadcast on PBS are only 57 minutes long? This means we are only able to include 10-12 songs per episode! In some cases that time is shared between two artists, meaning we may only be able to include 5-6 songs from the set! We collaborate with the artists to choose a mix of songs that best showcases the performance, but what about the rest of the songs?
This is why ACL Live Streams are so important; they’re a ONE TIME chance to catch the entire show, as it’s happening, in High Definition! You finally have a chance to see every song from these historic nights, produced and mixed by our award winning ACL crew! You can watch live streams on our YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss any!
Live Streams are a one-time deal! I repeat, you can only watch the live stream once, so stay tuned to our website, mailing list, and Facebook page for important taping and streaming announcements. If you miss it, you’ll have to wait for the broadcast on PBS. Moving forward we’re doing our best to bring you as many live streams of tapings as possible.
How can I get in touch with Austin City Limits?
Visit our Contact Page
When will a certain program air in my area?
For your reference, national air dates for Austin City Limits are listed on this Web site. Many PBS stations carry Austin City Limits on these dates, but please check local listings for the exact date and time. Most stations publish their broadcast dates on their Web sites. You may also visit our TV Schedule page and enter your zip code to find out when ACL is scheduled to air on your local station.
Every PBS station decides independently which programs it will air. If Austin City Limits is not scheduled on your local PBS affiliate, please contact the station’s Programming Department to let them know you want to see Austin City Limits in your area.
Will you ever repeat the program that includes (insert your favorite artist here)?
After an episode is produced, public television stations have rights to broadcast it four times in three years. Unless the program is still within its three-year window, it is not available for broadcast.
Where and when is Austin City Limits taped?
Austin PBS, KLRU-TV typically begins taping new shows in the spring/summer before the season premieres in October of each year. However, the producers will take advantage of an artist’s touring schedule if it brings a desired act into Austin PBS, KLRU-TV’s vicinity. There is no set taping schedule; it is solely based on artist availability. We may have five tapings in a week or have one or none in a month – it is 100% based on the artist’s touring schedule.
According to the mythology, Austin City Limits is taped on an Austin hillside above the city. In reality, the show was recorded for thirty-six years in Austin PBS, KLRU-TV television’s Studio 6A located on the University of Texas campus in the Communications Building B. In 2011, the show moved to a new facility in the heart of Austin’s downtown Second Street District at the Moody Theater. The new studio features concerts throughout the year – for a concert schedule and ticket information, please visit the ACL Live website. The famous skyline set, based on a photograph of the city taken from south Austin, debuted in 1982 for Season 7 and has remained the series’ backdrop ever since. Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater is located at 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin, TX, 78701. Click here for a map to the Moody Theater and for information on parking. If you will be visiting Austin and would like a tour of the Moody Theater, ACL Live offers a daily 11am guided and ticketed tour on most weekdays (tours may be cancelled due to production conflicts so please check their website for more details).
The program has occasionally featured shows recorded elsewhere, including at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
How does an artist or band get booked on Austin City Limits? Who decides?
The series’ producer Terry Lickona books the talent with input from the Austin City Limits producing staff.
Austin City Limits was initially created with an eye and ear toward original Texas music, featuring artists that created innovative new sounds in everything from western swing and Texas blues to Tejano music, progressive country and rock & roll. The series went on to feature a wide range of American roots artists, covering a variety of styles and expanding beyond the borders of the Lone Star State. As the program’s audience has grown, the music has encompassed regional, national and even international performers, and Terry continues to seek a balance of music genres in every new season. Austin City Limits today focuses on the unique contributions of diverse artists, music and songwriting from around the world. Since Austin City Limits is a nationally-broadcast program on PBS, we almost always book artists who are touring nationally/internationally or have an extraordinarily strong regional following. We have showcased lesser-known artists and rising talent throughout our history, but we focus on featuring established acts and largely work through their publicists. While there are MANY worthy artists and performers who are deserving of a slot on Austin City Limits, the reality is that we only produce thirteen episodes each year and can’t possibly include everyone who is worthy.
Managers, publicists, or artists may send samples to Terry Lickona at: 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin, TX, 78701
Are artists paid to be on Austin City Limits or do they play for free because it’s PBS?
Every performer who appears on Austin City Limits receives scale wages as set by the American Federation of Musicians.
Can I purchase an episode? Are CDs or DVDs available?
For the vast majority of our archive, the short answer is unfortunately “No.” As the programs are produced for public broadcasting and commercial release is not the priority, rights obligations have made issuing the programs on CD or DVD a challenge. Not an insurmountable one, however: Austin PBS, KLRU-TV has partnered with New West Records to release selected episodes from the archives as the Live From Austin TX series. Information on the current catalog can be found here. We are always working to make our archive more available but it is a slow process.
Can I get an internship with Austin City Limits?
Austin City Limits does not currently offer internships. However, Lickonavision Inc., the company that partners with Austin PBS to produce Austin City Limits, hires a pool of Production Assistants each year to work shifts during ACL tapings. These positions are not full time, and are temporary, as tapings do not occur on a regular schedule. PAs assist the producing team and the hospitality director during television tapings and other productions. ACL does not offer training in technical skills such as directing, lighting, editing, camera, or audio, however, there are opportunities to observe and interact with our production team in these various roles. Production Assistants report to the Hospitality Director.
NOTE: PA positions are currently filled for 2023, but we will consider new applications in Spring 2024. If you’re interested and are an enthusiastic and dependable music lover, please send your resume and cover letter to acl@klru.org with the words “Production Assistant” somewhere in the subject line.
Please check out Austin PBS for other internship opportunities.