Festies
Festies Podcast - a music festival podcast
Festie (noun): A music-loving adventurer who flourishes in the vibrant energy of festivals. Known for dancing to any beat, making new friends at every stage, and offering unwavering support to fellow festies in their crew. A true festie views every festival as a fresh opportunity to immerse in the moment and create lasting memories.
Festies isn’t just a podcast—it’s our backstage pass to the wonderful world of music festivals! We’re Vanessa and Sunny, lifelong besties with 20+ festivals under our belts (14 of those together), and we’re here to be your go-to source for festival stories, tips, and all the glittery chaos in between.
Think of us as your festival spirit guides. We share advice, chat with the coolest folks in the industry, and spotlight hidden gem festivals you need to know about.
From reggae to rock, EDM to indie, and hip-hop to country, we dive into the music, vibes, and people who make festivals magical. We also highlight innovative products and festival hacks crafted by the community because the best ideas always come from fellow festies.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned pro, we’ve got your back. So grab your hydration pack, lace up your comfiest shoes, and tune in—because the festival adventure doesn’t stop when the music does.
Let’s keep the vibe alive, one episode at a time!
Festies
Ep. 32 Austin City Limits Festival 2025: Ultimate Packing Guide
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Heading to Austin City Limits 2025? We’ve got your complete ACL packing guide. What to bring for travel, festival days, and everything in between.
We’re gearing up for Weekend Two of ACL (October 10–12) with all the essentials you’ll need, from hotel logistics to ACL’s official bag policies.
Our list covers the basics (don’t forget your wristband!) plus smart hacks for surviving the Texas heat, including what to pack in your CamelBak, must-have chargers, fans, sunscreen, medications, and more.
Whether it’s your first ACL or your fifth, this episode is your go-to prep guide.
Thanks for listening to Festies! Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at @festiespodcast. Festies is hosted by Vanessa and Sunny, engineered by Clark. If you're enjoying the show, a rating/review means a lot and helps other festies find us!
Introduction to Austin City Limits
VanessaHey, Sunny.
SunnyYeah Vanessa?
VanessaVanessa
What do you call the two best friends that love music festivals?
SunnyHmm, I guess you'd call them Festies!
VanessaHello, Festies. We are back with some more Austin City Limits content. We decided that we're gonna release an episode about Austin City Limits up until Austin City Limits. Austin City Limits. Yeah. Saying that three times really fast sounds Austin City Limits. Austin City Limits. Austin City. Okay. I don't know why I was stuttering earlier. It's not that bad. ACL. ACL. Sorry we didn't give you any like background information on this festival, but we're going to right now. Austin City Limits is a music festival held at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. It's a three-day festival. Um, it's actually been around for a long time. I didn't realize how long it had been going on for. It's like 20 plus years. It started in 2002, and at first it was just a one-weekend thing. And then in 2013 they did the two weekends. And so this year, weekend one is on.
SunnySorry, So sorry.
VanessaFly go in your mouth?
SunnyYou're gonna have to start that sentence over.
VanessaOh, there is a fly. Sunny almost choked on a fly. This year, weekend one is on October 3rd through 5th. And then weekend two, which is the one we're going to, is October 10th through 12th.
SunnyYes
VanessaI've never been to a weekend two of anything.
SunnyI am a huge weekend two fan.
VanessaThe only thing that I think is gonna be worse weekend two is the dust. And we'll get into that in the next episode. But anyways.
SunnyYeah, that is true. The grounds are more worn down.
VanessaYeah, but it's okay. Today we're gonna talk about what we're packing for Austin City Limits.
Hotel vs Airbnb Planning Considerations
VanessaSince we're flying, we kind of have to prep a little differently for this kind of festival than like if we were just driving down to Coachella or Stagecoach or Outside Lands.
SunnyRight.
VanessaSo we are gonna go over quickly like our packing list for the plane ride there and then what we're packing to go into the actual festival.
SunnyThis is
Vanessastupid birds. Oh my god. We need a soundproof room.
SunnyI know, really. We're also planning differently for this festival because we're staying at a hotel.
VanessaOh yeah, it's not an Airbnb.
SunnyYeah, not an Airbnb. We're not camping.
VanessaYeah, that's true. I feel like in a way that's easier because you don't have to worry about groceries and like all the stuff you'd have to deal with at an Airbnb.
SunnyThere is a kitchen at our hotel.
VanessaOh, nice.
SunnySo we can get some groceries, but there's also free breakfast, which is my favorite thing in the world.
VanessaIt's the only reason we chose this hotel.
SunnyThe only
Vanessamaybe one of the two reasons. It's close to the venue and it was free breakfast.
SunnyFor me, is it even worth staying at a hotel if there's no free breakfast?
VanessaThe answer to that is no. I asked you about the kitchen earlier before we started recording because I know Ed's gonna want to do like eggs and steak because he's like on his carnivore diet. So
Sunnynice.
VanessaI'm glad there's a kitchen so we can eat eggs and bacon for breakfast and steaks for dinner.
SunnyYeah.
VanessaOr a late night snack.
SunnyYou know, Clark loves to cook, so we can just sit back and relax.
VanessaEd's a good cook too, so that's perfect.
SunnyJust kidding. We'll do the dishes.
VanessaI'll make the eggs. Actually, Sunny will beat the eggs and I will cook them.
SunnyOutside lands a few years ago, I got up early before everyone, and I was like, How can I help? And I beat all the eggs, and then they sat there for like another half hour.
VanessaThey were like, So you're gonna cook them? You're like, nope, I'm gonna ruin them. I'm just gonna beat them.
SunnyYep. Sorry, where were we?
VanessaDo you want to start with your whole packing list?
SunnyMaybe you should go first because I saw your list first, and then I was like, what is she missing?
Our Travel Packing Lists
VanessaAh, okay. All right. So besides the obvious, which is like toiletries, makeup, and like my straightener, curler, whatever.
SunnyYou did not have that there.
VanessaNo, I didn't. I just I
Sunnythe last time I looked because I have toiletry.
VanessaI know I didn't because it was obvious, but I was like, might as well throw it in there because I saw you put in um what'd you put?
SunnyI just looked at this.
VanessaNo, you're right. I did add the those first three things. All I had was like three festival outfits, two additional outfits, PJs, which I wrote because I saw you write it. I wrote it. And then like Camelback, all my stuff that I'm bringing into the festival, which we'll list later on. And then I always bring my Thera gun. You know what that is, right?
SunnyYeah, of course.
VanessaMy massage gun.
SunnyYeah.
VanessaAnd then oh, did you write wristband?
SunnyYeah.
VanessaIn all caps. That's a good point because I forgot my wristband at Bonnaro a few years ago, which it was ended up being canceled, so it didn't matter. But thanks for putting that in all caps under my section. Um okay, so back to the Theragun. I I have to have that because whenever I feel super restless, that's like the only thing that lets me sleep. I have to like run that thing all over my body and then I can sleep.
SunnyLike restless leg?
VanessaYeah, restless leg. Sometimes I get like restless body. Me and Ed. And plus like all that walking, it'll be nice to have. I think I'm gonna wear a cowgirl hat, so I have to like either find a way to put that in my suitcase or wear it to the airport. And then I think that's it. Comfy shoes, obviously, that goes along with like my festival outfits. I don't really know what I'm wearing yet, so I'm gonna try and pack really um what's the word? Light.
SunnyYeah,
VanessaI was gonna say limited. Really light because I'm not checking a bag and it's just three days, you know. Your turn.
SunnyMy turn. I have pajamas.
VanessaDon't forget that.
SunnyDon't forget your pajamas, medication, that's important. Your ID and boarding pass, obvious. Flight stuff. Phone charger, battery pack, snacks, light sweater. Sometimes it can get hold on the plane.
VanessaYes, true.
SunnyEven though it's gonna be hot in Austin.
VanessaYeah.
SunnyDid you say comfy shoes?
VanessaI did.
SunnyOkay. Um, I second that.
VanessaOkay. Um, okay, so that was what we're bringing with us in general.
Festival Day Essentials
VanessaAnd then we broke it down in a different section to like what we're actually bringing into the festival. So for that, for my section is my camelback. In my camelback, I'll have a portable charger with cords. I have to have to have to have a fan. Obviously, sunscreen too. It's gonna be really hot, wallet, ID, and credit cards.
SunnyYep,
Vanessabandana, have to have butt wipes, because so many times I've gone into porta potties, I have no toilet paper, meds, like Advil, Tylenol. My back always hurts.
SunnyBenadryl, no I'm just kidding.
VanessaBenadryl, yes, Claritin, not Benadryl.
SunnyNo, not Benadryl.
VanessaNot Benadryl.
SunnyUnless you're trying to have a good time,
Vanessaor fall asleep. Um, my ear gasm earplugs,
Sunnyyep,
Vanessaband-aids, glow sticks if they let us, which Ed added that in, but I'm like, we always bring glow sticks, and he's never once used them.
SunnyI've never even been aware of you bringing glow sticks.
VanessaYeah, it's it's like Ed's favorite thing. Anytime he goes anywhere where they have glow sticks, he buys them. And like we'll use them at home, but like we never use them at festivals.
SunnyUse them at home for what?
VanessaThat's a good question. We have little raves in our room. No. The last time I remember him using one was like we went on vacation into like where did we go? Albuquerque, and there was like a ceiling fan. We turned the lights off and we like attached it to the ceiling fan, and we were just like watching it go in circles.
SunnyHours of entertainment.
VanessaWe were not sober, so that's why it was it was fun. And then my vlog camera, which I don't own yet, but I'm gonna buy one. If you have recommendations on which one I should get, let me know. The little lavalier mics, and then the wristband. Oh, I wrote wristband on there.
SunnyNice sunglasses is one that you missed. Another important one is emergency contact. Put that on your phone recently. I've been seeing people on their screensavers like type out if found, call whatever number. So like we could put each other's numbers or whatever.
VanessaSmart.
SunnyChapstick, did you have chapstick?
VanessaI don't use chapstick anymore.
SunnyOh, you're off the
VanessaI'm off the sauce, as Ed would say.
SunnyShe was a chapstick addict.
VanessaFun fact, I didn't believe this at first, but if you stop using chapstick, you won't fucking need to use chapstick because all chapstick does is dry your lips out so that you need to buy more, and it's just a vicious cycle. And I didn't believe it at first, but I stopped using it. I think I went through like a month of like, fuck, I want my chapstick, but I'm not gonna do it. And now I don't need it at all.
SunnyWow.
VanessaSo save your money, stop using chapstick. You don't need it.
SunnyYou heard it here from Nurse Vanessa hand sanitizer. I like to bring eye drops, ones for like itchy eyes, and saline eye drops. That's all I have for into the festival. Oh, but I did want to go through the official policies, like what you can bring and
Vanessaoh yes,
Sunnycan't bring. Is that okay?
VanessaYeah.
SunnyThis might get a little slow and boring, but it's important to know because no one wants to show up to the festival and have to throw shit out. Food and drink rules.
ACL Official Policies and Restrictions
SunnyNo outside food or beverages, including alcohol. Duh. You can bring an empty reusable bottle or hydration packs. Make sure you bring them in empty and then you can fill it inside. You can bring factory sealed electrolyte packets, single serve. So if you want to bring your packet of liquid IV.
VanessaI think your meds have to be single served too, like those little bags of Tylenol and Advil and all that stuff.
SunnyOh, yeah, you can get those from the dollar store. Medical exceptions, prescription meds, and medically approved coolers. I guess there's some medical no, you I don't know why I need to explain that to you. Mansplaining.
VanessaIt's for the listeners.
SunnyFor prescription meds. The policy is to bring them in a prescription bottle that matches your ID. Other allowed items are baby strollers, including stroller wagons with the child present. You have to have a kid.
VanessaWe just show up with the stroller and no kid.
SunnyLike, where's the kid?
VanessaHe's inside already.
SunnyYou can bring chairs, except inflatables or chairs with shade structures. You can bring binoculars, blankets, and towels, basic cameras, so basically like no detachable lenses or accessories, hand sanitizer, less than 3.4 ounces, and sunscreen, non-aerosol, same thing, less than 3.4 ounces. I paused because it was the less than or equal to sign. And I was like, what the fuck is that? Um portable chargers, misting fans, bring them in empty. Totems and flags
Vanessaare allowed?
SunnyLess than or equal to seven feet tall, and then less than or equal to one inch in diameter.
VanessaOh, okay.
SunnyWith lightweight materials. Ooh, we can make a festies one. Okay. You can also bring factory sealed Narcan kits.
VanessaThey also give them out there.
SunnyNice. Hell yeah. Um, over-the-counter medicines are allowed, but like Vanessa said, a day supply, you can't bring in a whole bottle of Advil.
VanessaI think it has to be closed. So if you do bring like a little bottle, I was talking about like the packets that are like single use.
SunnyYeah.
VanessaBut I think you can bring like a small closed bottle. It just has to be like sealed.
SunnyOh, like the twist off little ones? Prohibited items, bags not meeting the bag policy. You cannot bring aerosol containers, including sunscreen and beauty products, coolers, except medical, professional photo, video, or audio equipment, frisbees, hammocks, inflatables, glass, umbrellas, pets, except service animals, skateboards, scooters, bikes, carts, wagons, motorized vehicles,
Vanessadarn
Sunnytents, canopies, shade structures, unauthorized vending, flyers, giveaways, uh, weapons, fireworks, chains, slash spiked jewelry, and smoking and vaping are banned in Zilker Park.
VanessaGood thing Ed quit smoking.
SunnyLet's go over the uh bag policy.
VanessaOkay.
SunnyReal quick.
VanessaSo you can have small bags, no bigger than six by nine. They don't have to be clear. You can have bigger bags, but those bigger than six by nine have to be clear, but they can't be bigger than twelve by twelve by six. And you can have hydration packs too, but I think those it's like the one pocket ones, right?
SunnyTwo extra pockets besides the one that holds your water.
VanessaOh, that's nice. I wonder if they would make us dump out ice.
SunnyDoesn't hurt to try.
VanessaYeah. I'll bring I'm gonna bring some ice in there because it's gonna be so hot.
SunnyYeah. Um I think that's it for the bag policy.
VanessaCool. Sorry if that was kind of boring, but we are big planners. We love a packing list, so we thought maybe you guys would want to know.
SunnyYeah.
VanessaSometimes I like will look up things like this, and they'll just give me like the most obvious things, and then I'm like, okay, but I want to know everything.
SunnyYeah, right.
VanessaWhat are you bringing? So hopefully this gives you a little bit more detail.
SunnyAnd if you have any items that you bring to festivals, please hit us up in our DMs and let us know.
VanessaAnd we'll share it with our followers.
SunnyYes.
VanessaAll right, Festies, are we done?
SunnyYeah.
VanessaAll right, Festies.
Closing Thoughts and Social Media
VanessaSunny
Wait, wait, wait. I'm just kidding.
VanessaGo ahead.
SunnyI'm just kidding. Just kidding. Sorry. Go ahead.
VanessaOkay, Festies, we love you so much. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at Festies Podcast and leave us a five-star rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts. And we'll catch you on the next one for more Austin City Limits content.
SunnyBye.
VanessaGoodbye.
