Austin’s most beloved independent music fest, LEVITATION, is back for 2025 — and it’s bigger, louder, and trippier than ever. Mark your calendars: September 25–28 is when it all goes down. This year, the festival finds a new home base at the Palmer Events Center, with nightly shows lighting up venues across downtown’s Red River District. More space, more stages, more music. Let’s get into it.
A Lineup That’s Straight-Up Stacked
Let’s talk about who’s playing — because, wow. TV ON THE RADIO, PAVEMENT, MASTODON, UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA, ACID BATH, and THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE headline a genre-spanning, mind-expanding lineup that covers everything from psych and metal to indie, dream pop, darkwave, and experimental. Also joining the party: BUILT TO SPILL, BOY HARSHER, SUDAN ARCHIVES, THE BLACK ANGELS, THE SWORD, BLONDE REDHEAD, WEDNESDAY, LA FEMME, FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS, DESTROYER, THE DANDY WARHOLS, A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS, BEING DEAD, MODEL/ACTRIZ, PIXEL GRIP, and many more.
Seriously, this is one of those lineups where every name makes you do a double-take.
Three-day passes and single-day tickets are on sale now, with limited early bird deals up for grabs — so if you’re thinking about it, don’t think too long.
A New Vibe at Palmer Events Center
For the first time, LEVITATION takes over the Palmer Events Center — a gorgeous spot nestled next to Town Lake with skyline views and plenty of room to move, groove, and get weird. Expect:
- A massive 75,000 square foot indoor stage space with 360-degree lighting and visuals
- A breezy outdoor stage shaded by trees and surrounded by Austin vibes
- Air conditioning, clean bathrooms, and tons of green space
- Art installations, DJ sets, vintage vendors, gear booths, food trucks, and an expanded poster show
As co-founder Rob Fitzpatrick puts it: “We’ve been searching for the right spot to bring a multi-stage experience back to LEVITATION, and we found it right downtown. It’s got everything — killer production, room to explore, and it’s still close to the clubs that make our scene what it is.”
The Music Never Stops — Night Shows Galore
Once the sun sets, the real freaks come out. Night shows run from Wednesday, September 24 through Sunday, September 28, taking over Austin’s most iconic venues: Stubb’s, Mohawk, Elysium, Kingdom, 13th Floor, 29th St Ballroom, and more.
A few must-catch night sets include:
- Mdou Moctar kicking off the fest at Radio/East
- Boy Harsher and Martin Rev at Stubb’s
- Sudan Archives and Jamila Woods under the stars
- The Dandy Warhols at Mohawk
- Pup and Jeff Rosenstock on Saturday
- Bambara and Omni wrapping it up on Sunday
With this kind of programming, you could build your own dream fest just from the night shows.
A Few Highlights by Day
- Friday, September 26 is heavy, with Mastodon, Acid Bath, The Sword, and Blood Incantation melting faces at Palmer.
- Saturday brings the vibes with TV on the Radio, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Blonde Redhead, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
- Sunday is a dreamy indie trip featuring Pavement, Built to Spill, The Black Angels, and Destroyer.
And that’s just the surface of what’s coming.
Whether you’re in it for the music, the visuals, the vibe, or just the joy of discovering your next favorite band in a sweaty club, LEVITATION 2025 is shaping up to be one for the books.
Stay in the loop via levitation.fm and on Instagram, and grab your passes before they vanish.
See you in September — in the crowd, in the clubs, under the lights.
C'mon why don't you leave a comment here