Chappell Roan
Austin City Limits has a line up of multiple LGBTQ artists this weekend
MELISSA WHITLER | NBCU Fellow
Melissa@DallasVoice.com
The Austin City Limits music festival starts this weekend and features a great line up of queer artists. There are a limited number of tickets still available, so don’t hesitate if you want to see any of the performances.
The two-weekend festival features different headliners for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and some of them are a part of the LGBTQ community.
Renee Rapp will be headlining on Saturday. The singer has a powerful voice and has performed on Broadway, and earlier this year received appreciation for her role in the Mean Girls remake. Rapp also came out as a proud lesbian this year and is currently dating lesbian heartthrob Towa Bird.
Chappell Roan, who has quickly gained a massive following this year, will be headlining the festival on Sunday. Roan always puts on an impressive show, as she performs in themed drag. If you’ve been anywhere on the internet this year, you’ve heard her hit “Hot To Go” and its accompanying dance. You won’t to miss your chance to see this amazing lesbian performer.
Kehlani will also be headlining the first Sunday of the festival. Just this past summer Kehlani released their fourth album, Crash, and their mixtape While We Wait 2. They have been very open about their sexuality and gender identity throughout their career and emphasize the importance of them including female pronouns in their music.
There are more LGBTQ artists performing throughout the weekend. Fletcher will be performing the first Friday night of the festival. Earlier that day, the band Mannequin Pussy will take the stage. The band’s lead guitarist, Maxine Steen is a transgender woman, and their drummer, Kaleen Reading, is a lesbian. Everybody’s favorite cowboy Orville Peck will on stage both Sundays and will also have a concert in Dallas on Monday, Oct 7.
ACL is also including a stage this year geared toward a younger audience. On the first Sunday of the festival, Miss Tutti and The Fruity Band will be performing. The family-friendly group, which promotes inclusivity and LGBTQ representation, just released their first album this year
On the second Friday, Oct 11, Katie Pruitt will be performing. The singer’s music deals with different coming of age issues, including the tension of coming out as a lesbian and growing up in a conservative Southern household. After Pruitt’s performance, CMAT will take the stage Friday afternoon. CMAT is the stage name for Irish singer and bisexual icon Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson. As of now, this is her last scheduled performance for 2024, so you don’t want to miss the chance to see her live.
Performing on both Saturday nights, Dua Lipa is also headlining the festival. While she may not be part of the LGBTQ community, she is a strong ally and advocate for equaluity. Lipa released her newest album, Radical Optimism, earlier this year, and is arguably one of the most well-known artists performing at ACL this year. She is one of the top musicians on Spotify and is incredible on stage. If you’re able to only attend one day, Saturday might be the one.
If you’re not able to get away for the weekend for Austin City Limits, Hulu subscribers will also be able to stream select performances from the first weekend. So no matter where you are, you can enjoy a great show.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to ACLFestival.com.