More than 75,000 people came each day to the 16th edition of Austin City Limits October 6 to 8 at Zilker Park, although organizers anticipated potential uneasiness in light of the mass shooting at a Las Vegas music festival earlier this month. In response, ACL featured increased security with a larger police presence and more safety measures, and producers C3 Presents offered refunds to attendees that didn’t feel comfortable attending the large festival.
Many fans still came out to see headlining bands and musicians such as Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, and Gorillaz. (The festival continued on its second weekend from October 13 to 15.) To increase accessibility, the layout of the grounds changed from previous years, with more entrances and exits, as well as a second food court and larger wine lounge. Verizon and AT&T boosted cell phone coverage for the Zilker Park area during the three-day weekends.
In addition, several brand activations had charitable components, from inviting guests to assemble disaster-relief kits to offering charitable donations for posts to social media. Here’s a look at how brands and sponsors such as State Farm, American Express, Honda, and more engaged attendees.