Blues on the Green canceled due to rising costs

Austin's longtime free concert series Blues on the Green has been canceled for 2024. This event was scheduled for July and would have been the 33rd annual concert series for the organization.

The gist

Austin City Limits Radio announced via X, formerly Twitter, on Jan. 17 that "rising costs present too big a hurdle" to proceed as scheduled this year. The lack of admission fees, coupled with no bar or food sales, has made it difficult for event organizers to keep the event running at no cost to attendees, according to the post.

The concert series originated at the Arboretum in North Austin, then relocated to Waterloo Park before landing at Zilker Park, where it was able to accommodate around 50,000 guests.

The cancelation follows the end of the Zilker Park Vision Plan that would have brought about road closures and development to many parts of the park, which many residents were vehemently against.

The plan had been in the works for years as Zilker Park was "loved to death" with the sheer number of visitors it sees annually through organized events, such as Austin City Limits and Blues on the Green.

What's next

While the 2024 event has been canceled, ACL Radio officials said in the Jan. 17 statement that they believe this is not the end of the road for Blues on the Green and that it may return in 2025.