Between Austin City Limits Festival weekends, Zilker Park transforms for an intimate musical performance raising money for Austin’s 400 parks, trails, and green spaces. This year, indie-pop act Passion Pit will rally fans and park supporters at the weeknight event, slated for Wednesday, October 8.
If you were hoping to catch deceptively upbeat synth-filled hits like “Sleepyhead” and “Take a Walk” at SXSW ’25 before the musician and mental health advocate made other plans – or don’t feel like joining the crowd during ACL’s main event – now is your chance for a one-of-a-kind performance from singer-songwriter-producer Michael Angelakos, the mastermind behind Passion Pit.
The project has remained tightly centered around Angelakos, even as additional live performers joined the touring lineup. 2012’s Gossamer received critical acclaim for challenging pop lyricism norms and embracing innovative technology-driven sounds. Kindred, released in 2015, directly responded to some of the personal challenges that fame and musical vulnerability created for Angelakos. Now, the falsetto-loving synth player is bringing Passion Pit back to its solo roots, working and performing alone. His upcoming album, Nine Times Your Torch Song, is set to be released in phases, accompanied by live recordings and surprise collaborations.
Party for the Parks has historically invited a headlining ACL artist to play the private concert benefiting the Austin Parks Foundation, the sole beneficiary of the festival. In addition to his Party for the Parks appearance, Passion Pit performs at the 2025 ACL Fest alongside Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Hozier, Doechii, the Strokes, and more. Last year, ACL generated $8.4 million for improvements in Austin’s parks, according to APF. Partygoers can play games and participate in live and silent auctions to further benefit Austin’s beloved green spaces.
Tickets are $300 and go on sale August 20 at party.austinparks.org.
This article appears in August 1 • 2025.
