The first weekend of the 2024 Austin City Limits Music Festival was full of energy — but some performances stood out among others.
Us Weekly went (cowboy) boots on the ground in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, from Friday, October 4, to Sunday, October 6, to sing and dance along with — and even speak to — some of the festival’s biggest names. Yes, Chappell Roan returned to the stage after dropping out of the All Things Go festival weeks prior and drew what was likely the largest daytime crowds of the weekend, but many additional performers won Us over, too.
Orville Peck, for one, made his return to the ACL stage for the first time since 2019. The country crooner, known for his deep voice and trademark masks, stole the show on Sunday for both longtime fans and newcomers to his music.
“I love playing a festival because my favorite thing is winning people over. People who might have a misconception about country [music],” Peck, 36, told Us before hitting the stage. “People who might have a misconception about my mask and the way I present myself, or just people that don’t know who I am at all. That’s my favorite thing — having people by the end. That’s the best.”
He wasn’t the only ACL performer who had festival goers on their feet. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Weekend 1’s standout performances:
Hudson Westbrook
The budding country artist drew Us in with his early afternoon set at the Honda stage on Friday. Though he’s only released a handful of songs — his latest single, “Dopamine,” dropped in September — Westbrook’s feel-good vibes quickly won over the crowd, as did his cover of Taylor Swift‘s classic “You Belong With Me.” By his final song, “5 to 9,” Westbrook had everybody ready to two-stop through the rest of the festival.
Foster the People
The indie pop icons served up a healthy dose of their biggest hits — from “Sit Next to Me” to “Houdini” — mixed with a few standouts from their latest record, Paradise State of Mind, which dropped this summer. The band’s set ended with the song that started it all, “Pumped Up Kicks.” Frontman Mark Foster had all of Zilker Park jumping and singing along, giving the excitement of Glastonbury Festival a run for its money.
Fletcher
Ladies took over ACL all weekend long, but Fletcher started strong on Friday. She kicked off her set on the IHG Hotels & Resorts stage with “Sting” and totally rocked out throughout her performance by playing all the hits. Of course, “All Love” and “Becky’s So Hot” were both included.
Fletcher hit the stage in a leather jacket over denim shorts and a sheer bodysuit, but as the Texas heat started to get to her, the singer shed the coat so she could bop around stage more comfortably. It was clear Fletcher had just as much fun on stage with her band as the crowd did watching them.
Something Corporate
They’re back and better than ever. After what singer Andrew McMahon called a “20-something” year hiatus, the five-piece group — featuring William Tell, Kevin “Clutch” Page, Josh Partington and Brian Ireland — brought a setlist to the Honda stage that made OG fans very happy on Saturday. McMahon even found a way to include the almost 10-minute-long 2000 song “Konstantine,” which was a no-brainer for the band. (“It’s a requirement,” Tell joked to Us after Something Corporate’s performance.)
While some of their favorite songs have changed over the years, one thing’s for sure — these five belong on a stage together.
Benson Boone
Boone pulled one of the biggest crowds of the weekend on Saturday, stepping onto the Honda stage in a bold red jumpsuit custom made for the occasion. Repping Austin on his back, Boone channeled the spirit of late rocker Freddie Mercury, captivating the audience with his ambitious acrobatics and heartfelt lyrics. He eventually tried to beat the heat by going shirtless — “I’m not taking my pants off too, I’m just loosening my belt,” he teased after cutting off his top — and he soared through the highest notes of his breakout hit, “Beautiful Things.”
Renee Rapp
Rapp knows how to work a crowd (and a camera), but there was a different kind of electricity in the air when the singer took the T-Mobile stage on Saturday night. When it comes to making a setlist, no one does it quite like Rapp. She performed upbeat tracks like “Pretty Girls” alongside downtempo tracks such as “In the Kitchen” that made concertgoers “f—ing depressed” — her words, not ours.
Rapp closed her set with a stunning rendition of “Snow Angel,” saying goodnight with her signature snark. “Be cute, be safe, do bad things,” she advised.
Dua Lipa
While it’s no surprise to Us that the ACL headliners slayed, the British pop star went above and beyond when she rocked the American Express stage to close out the festivities on Saturday night.
Performing banger after banger, Lipa proved that training season is, indeed, over. She hyped up the sweatiest crowd of the weekend with standout songs from her discography from “One Kiss” and “Levitating” to “Cold Heart” and “Physical.” And yes, the “Houdini” dance break was included.
Medium Build
Sunday afternoon started on a high for Us at the Miller Lite stage when Medium Build strolled out in a cowboy hat and was greeted by an enthusiastic bunch of fans dressed as bananas. Singer Nick Carpenter oozed charisma as he spun through his powerhouse setlist including “Crying Over U,” “Never Learned to Dance” and new single “Triple Marathon.” He even led the audience in a cathartic scream and gave a sweet shout-out to a puppy in need of a forever home — that’s star power.
Orville Peck
The mysterious masked cowboy was red hot on the Honda stage, bringing an electrifying energy to the end of Weekend One. From diehard fans to new converts, the entire audience was hypnotized by the deep drawl Peck showcased on “Big Sky,” “No Glory in the West” and the emotional “Hexie Mountains.” He took to the piano to play a love song to truckers (“Drive Me, Crazy”) and hinted at his ties to Texas legend Willie Nelson before diving into “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other.” (Nelson wasn’t on hand for Peck’s ACL performance but does appear on his album Stampede.) Most importantly, however, Peck reminded Us of his one essential rule: It’s OK to cry.
