Hosts in the live music capital of the world are tuning up for ACL

Key Takeaways

• The iconic festival not only fills Austin with a variety of beats but also brings with it an estimated $400 million in economic activity.
• Last Year, Hosts in Austin collectively earned $10 million over the recurring music festival and provided critical accommodation for nearly 20,000 guest arrivals on the platform.
• In 2022, Texas ranked among the top three most-visited states in the US by the number of guest check-ins, with Austin marching to the beat as the 6th most-visited city in the US.

As the lively beats of the Austin City Limits music festival are set to resonate this weekend in the live music capital of the world, local residents who Host on Airbnb are gearing up to welcome fans from around the country. This iconic festival not only fills Austin with a variety of beats but also brings an estimated $400 million in economic activity and opens up a gateway of opportunity for the Airbnb Host community, especially for new Hosts looking to groove with this recurring musical extravaganza.

During Austin City Limits last year, from October 7 to October 16, Hosts in Austin collectively earned $10 million and provided critical accommodation for nearly 20,000 guest arrivals on the platform — including in neighborhoods that have not traditionally benefited from tourism. These visitors helped support local shops, restaurants, and bars across the city, with the typical guest spending averaging over $250 per day in Austin¹. 

Austin’s reputation as a must-visit city is well deserved. In 2022, Texas ranked among the top three most-visited states in the US by the number of guest check-ins, with Austin marching to the beat as the 6th most-visited city in the US. This influx of festival-goers showcases the city’s vibrant charm and the hospitable spirit of its Host community.

Austin’s beat is contagious — searches for listings in Austin surged by more than 30% for this year’s City Limits dates². This spike indicates the growing popularity of Austin City Limits and the city’s magnetic pull for music lovers seeking diverse and electrifying experiences.

The festival will draw a blend of guests from across the country, including visitors from other parts of the Lone Star State — five of the top ten guest origin destinations are cities in Texas. This year’s top cities of origin for guests booking stays during Austin City Limits include:

1. Houston
2. Dallas
3. San Antonio
4. Austin
5. Denver
6. Seattle
7. New York City
8. Chicago
9. San Diego
10. Fort Worth

Guests aiming to catch the festival vibes have their eyes set on some chart-topping listings, which offer a unique slice of Austin and underscore the warm hospitality of the local Host community. Here are some of the most wishlisted listings across the Live Music Capital of the World³: 

As with other major events in Austin, Hosts on Airbnb help the city accommodate the influx of visitors for Austin City Limits, while ensuring more neighborhoods and local businesses benefit from the boost in guest spending. In addition to representing a key opportunity for Austin residents to earn extra money, hosting helps bring valuable tax revenue to cities. Across Texas, Airbnb collected and remitted more than $87 million in tourism taxes on behalf of Hosts in 2022, and Airbnb continues to advocate for collecting and remitting local hotel occupancy tax revenue to the City of Austin, much of which directly supports the local arts community. 

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¹According to a recent survey of guests who took a trip within the last year
²Based on searches for Austin, Texas in H1 2023
³All listings included in this press release are intended to inspire and illustrate. Airbnb does not endorse or promote these listings or any other accommodations or experiences on the platform.

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.