ACL Music Festival 2025 contributed $557.8M to Austin economy: report

AUSTIN, Texas - The economic impact report for Austin City Limits 2025 is out.

RELATED COVERAGE: How much does Austin make from the ACL Music Festival?

ACL 2025 economic impact report

By the numbers:

The festival saw 75,000 attendees per day for six days, all to see over 120 musical artists from around the world and enjoy 78 food, beverage and craft vendors on site.

ACL 2025 contributed $557.8 million to the Austin economy, equivalent to 3,322 full-time jobs, with the top impacted sectors including:

• Food & Beverage — $118.8 million
• Hotels — $87.4 million
• Air Transport — $33.1 million

Since 2006, the festival has contributed over $4.7 billion to Austin, or the equivalent of 42,897 jobs.

The report says that there has been a 10.1% average yearly increase in the number of jobs created or sustained and a 14.1% average yearly increase because of ACL.

How much does Austin make for ACL?

The Austin City Limits Music Festival generates about $500 million for the economy. But, the Austin-based company that produces the festival only pays the city $103,000 to use Zilker Park.

ACL proceeds to fund park improvements

Local perspective:

ACL 2025 also generated $8.5 million for park improvements, adding to the more than $79 million generated through the festival's 21-year partnership with Austin Parks Foundation.

That $8.5 million will be allocated to several projects across all 10 council districts.

Some of the projects include:

• Replacing a playground at Chestnut Pocket Park in District 1
• Phase 1 construction of Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park in District 2
• Establishing Austin's first All Abilities playground in Onion Creek Metro Park in District 2
• Improvements to city courts in all 10 districts
• Trail improvements and volunteer stewardship of greenbelts and preserves in Districts 5, 7, and 8

READ MORE: Austin announces development of first ever All Abilities Playground

That money is in addition to Zilker Park's maintenance and restoration, which the festival pays for annually.

More than 260 park improvement projects have been funded through the partnership. Grants began in 2006, including most recently:

• $750,000 to Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt Park
• $390,000 to Rosewood Neighborhood Park Playground
• $145,000 to Scenic Brook Pocket Park

Watch the full press conference below:

Austin City Limits Music Festival's economic impact

FULL NEWS CONFERENCE from C3 Presents and city officials and organizations discussing the economic impact of the ACL Music Festival.