From Country to Blues, Check Out These Austin-Area April Music Festival Lineups

With October’s Austin City Limits and Levitation behind us, promoters have begun rolling out the lineups for the spring, another buzzing Central Texas music festival season. From blues- and country-specific roundups to eclectic, experiential events – peruse these four fests lineups with tickets on sale now.

Eclipse Utopia

Located about three hours southwest of Austin, this idyllic gathering returns to mark the upcoming total solar eclipse following a recent rendezvous celebrating the October annular. Topped with performances from Texas heavyweights Ghostland Observatory, David Ramirez, and The Texas Gentlemen, as well as soul-pop partymakers Sir Woman and hip-hop husband-wife duo Riders Against the Storm. With no set time overlap, for the indecisive, this BYOB Hill Country paradise offers camping, yoga, hiking, mountain biking, disc golf, and craft vendors. A bit woo-woo, but the hefty price tag comes with options.

Cattle Country Music Festival

This freshly announced shindig takes place at the Boot, a ranch found a little over an hour southeast of the Texas Capitol. Boasting appearances from outlaw legend Tanya Tucker, millennium mainstays Eric Church and the Randy Rogers Band, plus Texas troubadours Whiskey Myers and Koe Wetzel, this fest isn’t only for cowboys. Beyond country, Sublime with Rome (Eric Wilson of Sublime’s band with Rome Ramirez) and Colbie Caillat round out the bill. For the low, low price of $2500, nature-averse guests can partake in glamping on the grounds. Cowboy Coves – designated swimming areas along the event’s Guadalupe River backdrop – offer a much-needed reprieve from the heat.

Two Step Inn

Austin Live Nation imprint C3 Presents heads back up to Georgetown this spring for the second edition of the country-centric Two Step Inn. Cody Johnson, Turnpike Troubadours, Hank Williams, Jr., Clint Black, and Charley Crockett lead the lineup’s large print, but Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Sierra Ferrell, Deana Carter, and Megan Maroney bring some welcome feminine energy to the bill. Much like Cattle Country, the event blurs genre lines by promising a performance from Ludacris and sets by “country curious” DJs Disko Cowboy, Flying Mojito Bros, Fundido, Rodeo Starr, and DJ Mel.

Austin Blues Festival

Expanding from the organizers behind Antone’s Nightclub’s one-day relaunch last year, Austin Blues Festival rings in another year with two full days. Chicago genre innovator Buddy Guy – who performed at the festival way back when it was named after the music venue – headlines alongside Texas mainstay Jimmie Vaughan and jazz pianist Robert Glasper. Brittany Howard, Big Freedia, and Dumpstaphunk mix up the bill with garage rock, hip-hop, and funk influences. Big names and generally affordable tickets make for a, weather permitting, lovely weekend at the park.

This article appears in November 17 • 2023.