Written by The historic expansion features performances from Billy Strings, Olivia Rodrigo, The Red Clay Strays, Brandi Carlile and more.
By Scott Bernstein Aug 13, 2026 • 10:28 am PDT
Austin City Limits is giving its artists more room to shine in Season 52. For the first time in the legendary PBS music series’ more than five-decade history, every artist featured during a season will receive a dedicated full-hour episode.
The historic expansion will see Season 52 grow to 18 episodes, five more than in previous seasons, with the format allowing viewers to experience more complete performances from each artist rather than sharing an hour between multiple acts. Among those set to benefit from the expanded format are Billy Strings, Olivia Rodrigo, The Red Clay Strays, Brandi Carlile, Miguel and more.
“Season 52 represents an exciting new chapter for Austin City Limits,” explained ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona in a press release. “Austin City Limits has always been about giving artists a stage where the music comes first and giving audiences the opportunity to discover great artists and experience unforgettable performances. Expanding every episode to a full hour gives each artist the space to tell their complete story, and it gives our audience the chance to experience them the way they were meant to be seen and heard.”
News of the expansion arrived with the broadcast schedule for the beginning of Austin City Limits Season 52. New episodes air weeklyn on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings), with full episodes available to stream free on the PBS App and PBS.org following each premiere.
Season 52 gets underway September 4 with Carlos Vives y La Provincia. Here’s when to catch the rest of the newly announced lineup:
Austin City Limits Season 52 Broadcast Lineup/Schedule
- September 4 — Carlos Vives y La Provincia
- September 12 — Austin City Limits 12th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Brandi Carlile
- September 19 — Billy Strings
- September 26 — Miguel
- October 3 — Sienna Spiro
- October 9 — Olivia Rodrigo
- October 17 — Ari Lennox
- October 24 — The Red Clay Strays
- October 31 — Ty Myers
- November 14 — Sebastián Yatra
- November 21 — Austin City Limits Presents: Americana 25th Annual Honors
Second half of season to be announced separately
