Another ACL Weekend One has come and gone, and even if you were roaming festival grounds from open to close each day, there was no way to see it all.
Let’s rewind and reminisce on some of the most iconic moments from opening weekend.
Hilary Duff was Role Model’s “Sally”
Speculation over who would join the singer during “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” — during which a fan or guest is usually chosen to dance onstage as “Sally” — ran the gamut from Taylor Swift to Glen Powell. Fans were instead treated to a cameo from the “Lizzie McGuire” actress, whose sister lives in Austin.
Empire of the Sun’s crowd harkened back to Lizzo in 2019
The electronic duo pulled an enormous crowd, which stretched into The Big Tent and crammed listeners together tightly enough that it was hard to walk around, much like Lizzo’s set in 2019.
Doechii ripped her pants
The “Alligator Bites Never Heal” rapper didn’t hold back during her set, as she danced so hard, her jeans ripped while she was in the splits relatively early into her set. The malfunction didn’t stop her — she just made a joke and kept performing.
Sabrina Carpenter brought Shania Twain onstage + arrested Joe Keery
The pop star’s headlining set — which came with a parental advisory warning — was extremely eventful and laden with rumors that Taylor Swift would join her. Instead, Carpenter brought Shania Twain out for a duet rendition of “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
Carpenter also nodded to DJO frontman and “Stranger Things” actor Joe Keery, whose own ACL set took place right before, by “arresting” and throwing him a pair of handcuffs in honor of “cuffing season.”
T-Pain regretted wearing a leather suit
When T-Pain appeared on stage over the weekend, it was 92º + he was wearing a coordinated leather suit, which became a problem. T-Pain quickly stripped the jacket, saying “If you are somewhere in the air conditioning, and you are somewhere where life is comfortable, I’m telling you here and now, that is not the time to design your [sic] outfit for ACL Fest.”
The Killers opened their set with Willie Nelson’s hit, “Whiskey River”
To close out Weekend One and show some Lone Star State love, the rock band opened their set by playing “Whiskey River” with local musician Guy Forsyth. Fun fact: The Killers and ACL Festival both started in 2002.
ATXtoday gave out 100 friendship bracelets
...and we have 100 more to give out next weekend. If you want to secure one for yourself, click here to learn how.
Looking forward to weekend two? Check out our guides to navigating the festival and seeing local artists.
