EVENTS AROUND AUSTIN Austin Blues Festival ON OUR RADAR Austin’s exciting year-round events celebrate everything from live music and the arts to local foods and fun holiday happenings. Events are subject to change. For the latest details and dates, go to visitaustin.org/events or the event’s website. CARNAVAL BRASILEIRO Speakeasy, sambaparty.com APRIL JANUARY FREE WEEK Red River Cultural District, redriverculturaldistrict.org Hundreds of local bands participate in this weekend of free live music that encompasses venues throughout the Red River Cultural District. One of the biggest Brazilian Carnaval celebrations outside of Brazil. Experience authentic Brasileiro-style samba, costumes and wild abandon. ABC KITE FEST Zilker Park, abckitefest.org NASCAR AT COTA Circuit of The Americas, nascaratcota.com Watch three nail-biting events, including the NASCAR Cup Series, courtesy of Speedway Motorsports. Fans can purchase weekend packages that include reserved seating for all three days. The nation’s oldest kite festival features hundreds of kites in the air, kite flying contests, food, games and more. AUSTIN BLUES FESTIVAL Moody Amphitheater, austinbluesfestival.com Jam out all weekend long to blues legends, try delicious food and browse the curated collection of vinyl from Big Henry's pop-up. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MARCH & FESTIVAL Huston-Tillotson University, mlkcelebration.com March from the Texas State Capitol to Huston-Tillotson University to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. OUTSIDER FESTIVAL The VORTEX, outsiderfest.org AUSTIN PSYCH FEST The Far Out Lounge & Stage, levitation.fm This long-running music fest was recently revived, featuring a lineup of psych rock, dream pop and indie rock bands. This multidisciplinary art festival brings together Austin’s LGBTQ+ community and showcases film, performance art, music, visual arts and more. FEBRUARY AT X OPEN Westwood Country Club, atxopen.com The ATX Open is the only professional tour-level tennis tournament held annually in Austin. The ATX Open is one of four women’s-only, tour-level tennis tournaments in the country, and is the largest women’s professional sporting event in Austin. MARCH AUSTIN REGGAE FEST Auditorium Shores, austinreggaefest.com Reggae Fest features three days of reggae, along with more than 50 vendors selling food, plus arts and crafts. CLYDE LITTLEFIELD TEXAS RELAYS The University of Texas at Austin, texassports.com This premier track and field event brings together top athletes at various levels from around the world. CAP10K Downtown Austin, cap10k.com Texas’ largest 10K race, and one of the nation’s top runs, draws some 20,000 serious and not-so-serious runners. AUSTIN FC Q2 Stadium, austinfc.com Cheer on Austin’s first major league team from spring to fall. See website for team schedule. MOTOGP GRAND PRIX OF THE AMERICAS Circuit of The Americas, circuitoftheamericas.com MotoGP joins the roster of racing events at the COTA track with a three-day series at the Grand Prix venue. FIELD GUIDE FESTIVAL Fiesta Gardens, fieldguidefest.com Field Guide Festival is a local food fest that celebrates connections between Central Texas farmers, ranchers, beverage producers, chefs, restaurants and sustainable businesses. AUSTIN BLUES FESTIVAL AUSTIN MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 5K Downtown Austin, youraustinmarathon.com Over 20,000 participants, 40 bands, and a course winding through Austin’s scenic neighborhoods make this iconic race — celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026 — a must-hit for everyone. RODEO AUSTIN Travis County Expo Center, rodeoaustin.com One of the state’s premier rodeos features ProRodeo events, a family-friendly fair, daily concerts and more. SXSW ® CONFERENCE & FESTIVALS Downtown Austin, sxsw.com Noted filmmakers, musicians and thought leaders showcase music, film and innovative media at this international event. Keep current on all things Austin by signing up for our free eNewsletter at visitaustin.org/ enewsletter 6 visitaustin.org
Austin Insider Guide 2026: Page 6
