Austin City Limits commemorates half a century of unforgettable performances and iconic moments with a two-hour primetime broadcast, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS, on Friday, April 4, 2025, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App. Music luminaries and some of the brightest stars in the iconic live music television series five-decade history return to the fabled ACL stage for this landmark anniversary.
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS, the capstone of the groundbreaking series golden jubilee celebrations, pays tribute to this historic milestone and features dazzling new performances, heartfelt artist interviews, legendary artists and exclusive rarely-seen vintage footage from ACL’s extensive archives, highlighting iconic moments that have defined the show and shaped culture.
The program features themed highlights from ACL’s expansive show archives, each culminating with an original performance or artist interview. Segments will look back on defining moments and appearances in the show’s storied history, as well as performance milestones.
Relive unforgettable moments in ACL history through a time capsule of clips featuring Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, Nancy Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt, The Chicks, Tracy Chapman and Lauryn Hill; forecast ACL’s future via recent appearances including Kacey Musgraves, Foo Fighters, Olivia Rodrigo, Jon Batiste, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Noah Kahan and Jelly Roll.
The performances, created exclusively for AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS, include choice collaborations, and one-of-a-kind offerings from an all-star slate of music’s finest, many making a return to the ACL stage. The broadcast line-up features (in order of appearance): Chris Stapleton, The Mavericks, Leon Bridges, Indigo Girls, Brandy Clark, Cam, Ángela Aguilar, Shawn Colvin, Lyle Lovett, Billy Strings featuring Sierra Hull, Rufus Wainwright and Gary Clark Jr. joined by Eve Monsees; the special is co-hosted by Austin-based actors Jared and Genevieve Padalecki. All acts were captured live at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at the Moody Theater in downtown Austin.
Country superstar and multi-Grammy Award winner Chris Stapleton honors ACL Hall of Fame icon and pilot star Willie Nelson with a powerful performance of Nelson’s classic “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.”
ACL’s renowned songwriter circles, a series’ hallmark in the ’80s and ’90s, get reprised by a trio of storyteller songwriting greats: folk rock duo Indigo Girls (who appeared on an all-female circle in 1992) return to lead an intimate round-robin with celebrated singer-songwriter Brandy Clark and multi-platinum country artist Cam. The artists first trade off songs, then verses on the Girls’ classic anthem “Closer To Fine.”
Contemporary artists who’ve carved their name in ACL history return for the occasion: Grammy Award-winning next-generation bluegrass star Billy Strings, one of music’s most popular live acts, celebrates ACL’s legacy of presenting American roots music via a captivating performance with mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull; Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, a Lone Star original, delivers a fan-favorite; Rufus Wainwright, an artist who made history with the show’s first taping minus a live audience due to the pandemic, returns backed by a string section for a towering ACL performance; Rock and country trailblazers and renowned party-starters The Mavericks perform a sparkling number, amplified by a horn section, that has the audience on their feet.
ACL’s long-standing history of showcasing Latin acts – dating back to season one – is celebrated with thrilling footage featuring superstars Juanes, Rosalía, Cimafunk and many more, topped by a stunning debut performance by Latin Grammy and Grammy-nominated breakout star Ángela Aguilar, joined by Mexico’s legendary showmen Trio Los Panchos.
ACL celebrates its Hall of Fame honorees-artists who have been instrumental in making the series into the music institution it is today-with highlights from the music-filled induction salutes featuring Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson and more, capped by an original performance from ACL Hall of Fame greats Lyle Lovett and Shawn Colvin.
In a salute to ACL Hall of Fame inductee Stevie Ray Vaughan’s iconic Austin City Limits appearances (1984/1989), Grammy-winning guitar great Gary Clark Jr. and blues guitar ace Eve Monsees team up to thrill with a two-song knockout of the Texas six-string giant’s classics.
Longtime Austin City Limits devotees and supporters Jared and Genevieve Padalecki (Gilmore Girls, Supernatural, Walker), host the celebratory evening, sharing anecdotes on ACL tapings they’ve personally attended as music fans.
Austin City Limits was born on October 17, 1974, when Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode and the program premiered on PBS in 1975. That now legendary Willie debut became the cornerstone for 50 years of groundbreaking, award-winning music television. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history, offering viewers a front row seat to the best in live performance. A monument to music, Austin City Limits has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for a remarkable five decades. The series is the flagship of the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival and has earned countless accolades for its quality presentation of live music performances, including a Peabody Award, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame landmark designation, and it remains the only TV series awarded the National Medal of Arts. In 2024, the show’s longtime executive producer Terry Lickona was awarded public television’s highest honor, The Beacon Award, presented by Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl. The esteemed award pays tribute to individuals whose work inspires Americans and enriches our nation, in keeping with the mission of PBS. AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS is the culmination of a full season of programming celebrating the landmark anniversary, which included the return of Willie Nelson for a special homecoming concert to celebrate the show and mark the half-century milestone of his pilot taping.
“The entire history of Austin City Limits has been about music legacy and music discovery,” said executive producer Terry Lickona, who in turn marks his 48th year with the program. “It’s about original, authentic music from every genre, anywhere and everywhere. An eclectic music program like ours couldn’t exist anywhere else but PBS, thanks to a half-century of support for public media.”
