With speculation that Sabrina Carpenter might bring Taylor Swift on stage at her ACL set this Saturday, it has never been a better time to give out friendship bracelets.
Figi here. Go ahead and add “jewelry designer” to my title, because I traded my keyboard for beads + charms over the weekend. Editor Morgan and I spent Saturday morning with the folks at local business Sea of Beads to design this year’s friendship bracelet giveaway.
After laying eyes upon every nook and cranny of the shop, we left with all the supplies we needed to make 200 bracelets (by hand) to gift to the lucky folks attending ACL.
Behind the beads
Inspiration for this year’s bracelets came from a sneak peek at ACL Fest’s merch collaboration with fashion designer, St. Edwards University alum, and “Project Runway” judge Brandon Maxwell. Taking cues from the motifs in his collection, we selected five different charms from Sea Beads:
- Texas with a heart — a symbol for Central Texans
- Horseshoe — a nod to Austin’s cowboy culture
- Cowboy boot — one of the most popular shoe choices at ACL Fest
- Smiley face — for good vibes only
- Bat — our tribute to Austin’s winged residents
Each bracelet features one charm, colorful beads, and letter + number beads spelling “ACL 2025.” The color palette draws inspiration from ACL Fest’s iconic flags, resulting in a rainbow that will adorn your wrist as a lasting reminder of this year’s fest.
How to get one
Here’s the fun part. You only need to do two things to get your hands on one of these bracelets:
- Find one of us during either weekend at the festival — you can DM us on Instagram for help
- A new ATXtoday subscription is required for a bracelet
Don’t forget to prepare for the festival by checking out our guides to navigating the festival and seeing local artists.
