BY ELLA MORGAN AND STERLING ELIAS

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] glowing red guitar sign hung above the entrance where almost 450,000 passed through in the span of 6 days. The aroma of barbecue and sweat swept through the festival grounds, and the sound of laughter roared through each entrance gate. Thousands of people waited a year for this 6-day festival to return to Austin. After making it through security and stopping to fill up Camelbacks at the Hydration Station, the time had finally come to dance, run around, and have non-stop fun at the Austin City Limits Festival (ACL).

ACL is a two weekend affair that takes over Austin’s Zilker Park. Musical acts ranged from Major Lazer’s bright laser show and loud, energetic crowd, to Mumford and Sons’ calm and nostalgic sing-along. The festival is an excellent opportunity for students to destress for days of dancing and quality time with friends. For those unable able to attend, here’s a recap of some of the highlights from ACL 2016:

While ACL is full of fantastic food and beautiful weather, most people attend solely for the live concerts that take place each weekend. ACL is a great way to see multiple artists in one day without spending the money you otherwise would if they were completely different concerts. This year’s headliners included Kendrick Lamar, Flume, Cage the Elephant, Major Lazer, Mumford and Sons, and many more. Kcenia Kloesel (12) said that her favorite concert was Haim.

“I’ve always wanted to see them live, and they weren’t disappointing like some of the other concerts,” Kloesel said.

After running around from stage to stage, festival goers took breaks from dancing to enjoy the other aspects of ACL. “Between concerts, I was continuously trying to find my friends or eating a bunch of food,” Kloesel said. Sitting on the grass and enjoying the surrounding chaos was also a common way attendees spent their time between concerts. James House (10) said, “My favorite part of ACL was finding a spot in the shade, sitting down, and just listening to some good music.”

After three days of continuous concert-going and non-stop dancing, the ecstatic, sleep-deprived festival goers were more than pleased with their weekend. “ACL is something I look forward to all year and is definitely the highlight of first semester,” said Avery Hartwell (12),  a three-year ACL attendee.

While ACL 2016 is now in the past, fans are already planning for the fun and excitement of next year’s festival.