Ultimate ACL Festival Guide: Prep, Recovery & Ticket Giveaway

The music. The food. The fashion. The heat. ACL Festival is the ultimate Austin experience. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned fest veteran, a little preparation and thoughtful recovery can make all the difference.

As the official spa of the Austin City Limits Music Festival since 2008, Viva Day Spa + Med Spa has helped festival-goers stay refreshed and recharged for more than 15 years. That’s why we’ve put together your ultimate guide to thriving before, during, and after the biggest weekend in town.

And to kick things off, we’re giving away 2 GA tickets to Weekend One! Keep reading to find out how to enter.

Pre-Festival Prep: Get Your Glow & Game Plan On

ACL Fest is a marathon, not a sprint. Before you put on your dancing shoes (or more likely, flip flops and sandals) and hit the entrance gates on Barton Springs Road, make sure you’re festival-ready from head to toe.

Glow & Go with Spa Treatments at Viva

• Facials for the Festie Glow: Hydrate, smooth, and protect your skin with a Custom Designer Facial. Your skin picture perfect for selfies under the giant ACL Fest sign or colorful flags.
• Festival Mani-Pedi: Fresh polish and feet keep you moving all weekend for all those steps between the main stages.
• High SPF Sunscreen: Pick up broad spectrum sunscreen at Viva Lamar, just blocks from Zilker Park, before heading in. Pro tip: toss it in your bag and reapply often. The Texas sun doesn’t mess around. We even wrote a blog post about what skincare to pack for festivals.

Austin’s Best Coffee & Food Spots Before ACL Festival

You can’t bring food or drinks into ACL, so your best bet is to fuel up before you walk through the gates.

• Breakfast Taco Tour: Grab tacos from Veracruz All Natural or Torchy’s to start your day.
• Caffeine Kick: Grab a cold brew at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters on Lake Austin or swing by Houndstooth Coffee for a specialty pour-over.
• Stay Hydrated: Stop by Juiceland for a smoothie or herbal iced tea before you head in. Remember: hydration is the ultimate festival survival hack. Bring an empty water bottle to refill for free inside the park.
• Whole Foods HQ Pit Stop: Stock up on snacks for before or after the show at the flagship store, just a short walk from Zilker.

Where to Shop for Festival Fits in Austin

From boots to boutique finds, ACL style is part of the experience.

South Congress Shopping:

• Allens Boots, swing by this South Congress icon with rows of cowboy boots and hats in every style imaginable.
• Feathers, throw back you look at this vintage boutique gem with festival-ready pieces with Austin’s retro-cool style.
• Stag Provisions, Austin’s go-to for effortlessly cool menswear is a must stop on South Congress
• Tecovas, the trending boot darling with collabs across the music world and Texas Parks & Wildlife
• Yellow Rose (not the strip club!) by Austin’s own Kendra Scott for southwestern-inspired statement jewelry.

Elsewhere in Austin:

• Mazur Boutique + Coffee, the latest trending spot in Central Austin for fashion, coffee, and community.
• Kick Pleat, a boutique womenswear favorite that nails the laid-back-but-stylish ACL vibe.

 

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Your On-site Oasis: Viva Day Spa at ACL Festival

Festival days are hot, crowded, and glorious — but they can also be a lot. We’ll be on-site once again as the spa at the ACL VIP Lounge during both Weekend One and Weekend Two. Swing by for a chair massage from one our award-winning licensed massage therapists. It’s a fabulous way to revive tired shoulders, back and necks. Not to mention a calm shaded spot to pause.

Post-Festival Recovery: Afterglow, Cool-Off & Wind-Down

You danced all weekend and made incredible memories. Now it’s time to recover from ACL Festival like a pro.

Best Spa Treatments for Post-ACL Festival Recovery

• Massage for Sore Muscles: Deep tissue, CBD massage, or Swedish massage to release tension from all of that walking, standing, and shaking your groove thing.
• Deep Cleansing Hydrafacial: After layers of sunscreen, dust, and long hours outdoors, your skin will thank you for a deep clean and a hydration boost.
• Pedicure TLC: Treat the feet that carried you from stage to stage all weekend to a foot massage and fresh coat of polish.
• At-Home Skincare: Help your skin recover at home with some of our top-selling SkinCeuticals products: Hydrating B5  Masque replenishes lost moisture and CE Ferulic delivers antioxidant protection to help repair sun-damaged skin.

Austin Wind-Down (After You Leave the Park)

When the music fades, keep the vibes alive with food and relaxation around town.

• Brunch It Out: Cure those post festival blues at 24/7 Magnolia Cafe (Neptunian Landscape, anyone?) or Bouldin Creek Cafe, a beloved Austin institution known for its cozy atmosphere and delicious vegetarian and vegan-friendly menu.
• Vinyl Afterglow: Keep the music going at Austin’s hi-fi vinyl sanctuary, Equipment Room. Tucked beneath Hotel Magdalena in a retro equipment room, this intimate bar offers perfectly crafted cocktails and small bites with a soundtrack spun on vinyl. Pro tip: reserve ahead for access to the high-quality headphones at the end of the bar.
• Margaritas & Martinis: Our friends at Holiday on 7th deliver a little slice of West Texas in Austin. Open late, with cold frozens, margaritas, and a martini that locals swear by. Misters are always on, making it a perfect in-between-sets or post-festival stop. (Tell them we sent you!)
• Swim & Snack: Cool off with a late-night dip at Deep Eddy or Barton Springs, then refuel at Pool Burger with burgers and soft serve (open till 1am on Fridays and Saturdays). Cap it off with a drink at Deep Eddy Cabaret, a classic locals-favorite dive.
• Wine & Bites: For a taste of Austin’s creative crowd, head east to Community Garden. By day, it’s a cafe; by night, it transforms into a natural wine bar with small bites and a huge vinyl collection. On weekends, it’s laptop-free, making it the perfect spot to unplug and connect.
• Late-Night Comfort Food: Load up on queso and enchiladas at Matt’s El Rancho or a grab a burger at Austin darling, P. Terry’s.

ACL Festival Ticket Giveaway

Ready to score 2 GA tickets to Weekend 1 of ACL Festival? Enter to win below!

That’s a wrap on this giveaway! We’re so grateful for everyone who took part. Fingers crossed for another round next year!

And while you’re waiting on those results, why not book your pre- or post-festival treatment? Your body will thank you! We can’t wait to see you at the fest!

The Fine Print

The ACL Giveaway closes at 11:59pm CST on Wednesday, 10/1/2025. Random Selection: One winner will be chosen at random to win this prize. Open to U.S. residents 18+. No purchase necessary.