Austin City Limits Festival is generally the sign that the year’s festival season is nearing an end. And what a season it has been! This year featured the best of all worlds, in all genres, with many surprise guest appearances. Over the years, Austin City Limits has been known for that particular feature. Fans who descend upon Austin’s Zilker Park have often been caught off guard when an artist who wasn’t supposed to be there hops on stage, creating a special one-of-a-kind moment.
Here are a few of the most prominent examples in the fest’s history while we wait to see who pops up this year.
Pearl Jam brings out Ben Harper and Perry Farrell, 2009
Pearl Jam sets are always full of surprises. Over the course of their 24-song, ACL closing set in 2009, Pearl Jam mixed in songs from the then-recently released Backspacer along with other festival-friendly hits and covers. Throughout the first North American leg of the Backspacer tour, they were joined by Ben Harper for a version of “Red Mosquito,” and this show was no different. However, during their second encore, the band had a bigger surprise, bringing out longtime pal, Perry Farrell, to cover Jane’s Addiction’s “Mountain Song,” which they played for the first time.
Drake bringing out Future and J. Cole, Weekends 1 and 2, 2015
Back when Drake was at the top of the world, there was nothing he could have done that wouldn’t have garnered headlines. In this case, at his headlining set at ACL 2015, it meant bringing up not just one, but two special guests over the course of the two weekends. During weekend one, fresh off their collaborative mixtape, What a Time to Be Alive, Future joined Drake to perform “Jumpman” and “Big Rings.” Not to be outdone, on weekend two, J. Cole, who had traveled from Washington, D.C., where he had participated in the Million Man March, joined Drizzy. The duo performed “My Way,” and needless to say, the crowd was psyched about the surprise guest.
Mumford and Sons bring up HAIM, Weekend 2, 2016
Billed in the coveted festival-closing, Sunday night slot, Mumford and Sons were riding high, at the peak of their powers, and didn’t need much support to captivate a supportive audience. Even so, they had a little help from their friends. In this case, that was HAIM, who performed earlier that evening, and they covered the Beatles’ ”With a Little Help From My Friends” to close the set. On the nose? Sure. Entertaining? Definitely.
Run the Jewels bringing out Danny Brown, Weekends 1 and 2, 2017
By the time Run the Jewels performed at ACL in 2017, they’d long been a festival-circuit favorite. Killer Mike and El-P were the go-to hip-hop group of the moment, capable of bringing the fire and fury that would get crowds moving. Austin City Limits was no different. The duo brought up none other than Detroit hip-hop chameleon Danny Brown to bring the thunder on “Hey Kids (Bumaye),” both weekends, treating fans to the rare two-of-a-kind experience that made both crowds happy without feeling like they missed out on a special set.
The National brings out Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES, 2018
The National is a band that hardly needs any help. The band’s catalog and live performance speak for themselves, but at the band’s second weekend set at ACL 2018, they enlisted CHVRCHES singer Lauren Mayberry for a stunning version of “Guilty Party.” Trading verses with singer Matt Berninger, Mayberry stunned with the tenderness and warmth that gave the new song a new dimension and depth.
Megan Thee Stallion brings out Miley Cyrus, 2021
As the world reopened following the pandemic, Megan Thee Stallion made the rounds on the festival circuit as one of the highest-billed and most anticipated artists to see that year. To kick things off on weekend one at Austin City Limits, the Houston rapper brought out Miley Cyrus, who was making selective festival appearances. Their version of “Do It On The Tip” featured twerking not just between the pair, but also brought fans to join the party.
Chris Stapleton brings up Willie Nelson, 2024
If you’re a country rock star and playing in Austin, like Chris Stapleton is, who better to tip your hat to than the Austin king himself: Willie Nelson. That’s precisely what Stapleton did to kick off his second weekend set by performing Nelson’s traditional set opener, “Whiskey River,” and “Bloody Mary Morning.” It’s safe to say that the songs went over well with the hometown crowd.