Tonight Willie Nelson is headlining a big concert and rally with Beto O’Rourke, who is a candidate for Senator in Texas. Beto and Ted Cruz had a debate scheduled for tomorrow, but that has been postponed because of the Brett Kavanaugh investigation. Read on for more details about what’s happening tonight, who will be there, what time and where the rally is, and how you can attend if you are in the area.
Willie Nelson hasn’t been shy about his approval for Beto O’Rourke. In fact, he brought O’Rourke onstage with him during his Fourth of July picnic, just a few months ago. Now he’s headling a rally for the Senate candidate. His announcement outraged some of his Republican fans, despite Nelson having a long history of supporting Democrats. Many of his fans shared their anger on social media. Nelson’s publicist responded with a press release about Willie Nelson’s first public concert for a political candidate. The statement said, in part: “My wife Annie and I have met and spoken with Beto and we share his concern for the direction things are headed. Beto embodies what is special about Texas, an energy and an integrity that is completely genuine.”
Here are all the details about tonight’s rally:
Beto & Willie Nelson Rally Time: The “doors” for the rally and concert “open” at 7 p.m. Central tonight, September 29, but Beto isn’t going to speak until 10 p.m. (The event itself begins at 8:15 p.m.) Despite accepting RSVPs, attendance will be given on a first-come, first-served basis, and it’s likely to be packed. If you want to make sure there’s space for you and you get a good place to sit, you’ll want to get there early. At least 11,000 people have already RSVP’d on Facebook that they are interested. Beto’s RSVP page says: “Space is limited and registering does not guarantee admission to the event.”
The event’s Facebook page also says: “We will accommodate as many people as possible, but space is limited and registering does not guarantee admission to the event. Rain or shine, we will attempt to get the show done.”
Beto & Willie Nelson Rally Location: The rally is going to be at Auditorium Shores, at 900 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas, 78704. Here’s a map:
Auditorium Shores is an outdoor park.
Rally Schedule: The official events at the rally are lasting from 8-11 p.m.
- “Doors open” at 7 p.m. Central
- The show begins at 8:15 p.m.
- Leon Bridges plays at 9:30 p.m.
- Beto O’Rourke will speak at 10:00 p.m.
- Willie Nelson will sing after Beto speaks, to close out the event.
Other Special Guests: Also performing tonight are Leon Bridges, Carrie Rodriguez, Tameca Jones, Joe Ely, and Willie Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah Nelson.
How much does the concert cost? The concert and rally cost nothing. Everything is free and open to the public.
How to Attend: If you want to attend, make sure you RSVP on Beto’s reservation page here. This doesn’t guarantee you a spot, but it lets them know about how many people they should be planning for.
Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis within walking distance of Auditorium Shores. You can park at any of the following locations, but parking rates will apply:
- One Texas Center Garage, 505 Barton Springs Rd.
- Austin City Hall Garage, 163 Lavaca St.
- Austin Convention Center Garage, 2nd & Brazos.
- Embassy Suites, 300 S Congress Ave
- State of Texas (Garage N), 300 San Antonio Street
- State of Texas (Garage L), William P. Hobby Building, 333 Guadalupe Street
Because so many people are expected, you might want to try public tranpsort instead, such as a bus, or park a little farther away and walk. Austin also has plenty of ride-share services like Uber or Lyft, so it might be easier to just use a ride-share to get to the event.
You should also note that W. Riverside Drive will be closed from 1st St. to Lamar.
Additional tips for the night: Bring water and dress for possibly wet weather. There will be large crowds, so expect to have a lot of people around you. ASL interpretation will also be available, but there will be no designated areas within general admission. If you need to see ASL interpreters, arrive early for a good spot.
Food will be available to purchase at the event. This includes Burro Cheese Kitchen, Chi’Lantro BBQ, GoodPop, Kababeque, The Peached Tortilla, The Salt Lick, Torchy’s Tacos.
Not allowed at the event: glass, smoking, styrofoam, pets (unless a service animal), tents, canopies, shade structures of any kind, unauthorized vendors, no neighborhood parking.