In October 1974, Willie Nelson pioneered music television by appearing in the very first episode of Austin city limitsNow the legendary country star will headline a free concert to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary.
Booked for October 17 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas – exactly 50 years to the day after Nelson first recorded the show – Austin city limits 50th Birthday Bash is an all-free show featuring performances by Nelson and Austin-based western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. The concert will be recorded and highlights will air on PBS early next year.
Get Willie Nelson tickets here
Admission to the event is free, but it is not completely open to the public. Those who want to attend must register to be eligible to win tickets. Registration began on Friday, September 20th and runs through Monday, September 23rd at 10:00 p.m. CT. Fans selected for tickets will then be notified between September 26th and 27th. Register for tickets here.
All this comes as Austin city limits is gearing up for a star-studded 50th season. In addition to the birthday party, the 50th anniversary festivities include an event honoring Garth Brooks (taped earlier this month) and a primetime special. ACL celebrates 50th anniversarywith a top-class lineup of actors from the show’s history, the premiere is planned for 2025.
Over and beyond Austin city limits has announced the lineup for the first half of the upcoming season, which will include episodes starring Gracie Abrams, Jacob Collier, Brittany Howard, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and others. The first episode featuring Kacey Musgraves will air on September 28.
Meanwhile, the 2024 edition of Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival just wrapped up, but he still has a few dates in Texas lined up for this fall (tickets here). Earlier this week, he released a touching cover of The Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??”, taken from his upcoming studio album. The last leaf on the tree.
