2025 ACL Music Festival: Austin agencies speak on safety preparations

AUSTIN, Texas - It's October, and the city of Austin is jam-packed with events, from music to sporting events to everything in between.

The city of Austin is about to get a lot busier with the 2025 ACL Music Festival kicking off this weekend and bringing in thousands.  

While the city is excited to welcome all its visitors, it says there are things you’ll need to know if you plan on attending any of the upcoming events.

Austin officials speak on safety

What they're saying:

From Austin City Limits to Formula One to Austin FC, this month is stacked with events, and extra foot traffic is expected all over the city.

The 2025 ACL Music Festival starts Friday, Oct. 3, and agencies across Austin are ramping up safety measures.

"Our office leaves the efforts in coordinating an event operation center or an EVOC as we call it. This is a dedicated emergency operation center for ACL designed to support public safety for the event," said David Wiechmann, Austin Emergency Management.

"We'll have medics that are on foot. They will be on bicycles, in SRU's, which are sort of our ATV's with the stretch around the back that you see, along with dedicated ambulances and dedicated dispatchers," said Captain Christa Stedman, Austin Travis County EMS.

"Our special events team, in conjunction with all the other agencies that play a significant role in this, do a tremendous job each and every year putting these events together and making sure they're staffed adequately," said Jose Mendez of the Austin Police Department.

Tips to stay safe

Why you should care:

It's all hands-on deck to make sure attendees have fun while staying safe.

"Pay attention to your surroundings and know what's going on around you. If an incident were to happen, know where all the exits are. Have a plan to get in touch with loved ones and family members," said Mendez.

Make sure to use the buddy system and have a pre-planned area to meet your group if you separate from them.

APD says it will have an increased presence in and around Zilker Park and if you see something suspicious, say something.

"Every year, many cell phones are stolen this way. Record the serial number of your cellphone and enable a tracking app on your cell phones in the event that it's lost or stolen and that we can help track that down. The more information we have. It's best to only bring the essentials that you're going to need," said Mendez.

The city says the forecast calls for slightly warmer weather compared to the normal temperatures this time of year, so stay weather aware.

"Before you even go to the festival, you are pre-hydrating, setting yourself up for success, wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Make sure you wear sunscreen, bring a hat. Make sure that you're eating good meals. And then keep hydrating while you're out at the festival," said Stedman.