Austin City Limits Festival, Campus & ATX, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Lists, Music

8 Differences Between Austin City Limits and Fun Fun Fun Fest

5) The Weather

ACL

Because ACL takes place in early October every year, and because Austin never quite gets the message that it’s supposed to be fall, it remains to be excruciatingly hot. Though it is definitely a great time to get a tan, it is also a time to sweat profusely and have to rub up against thousands of other people who are sweating just as much as you are. Even when the festival reaches the nighttime, it is still brutally hot.

FFF

FFF Fest gets the best of both worlds when it comes to temperature. Because it takes place in early November it is still warm—but not too hot—during the day and cool—but not too cold—during the nighttime. It’s the perfect weather that you can completely rage your face off in while not melting into a pile of sweat.

6) The Activities

ACL

ACL is there for most short-term activity needs. There are statues and sculptures you can take photos at, there are hammocks you can take naps in, and there are multiple places where you can drink. But as for activities, ACL seems to be lacking there in—unless you count the odd folks who always bring hula-hoops and put on shows for people.

FFF

The activities FFF has to offer really separate this festival from the others. There is the Supercollider Skate Ramp, a wresting ring, and not to mention there are multiple stages and locations where comedians come each year to perform alongside the concerts. FFF Fest provides entertainment other than music, which makes it truly unique.

 

7) The Celebrities

ACL

If you are like me and are constantly scouting out music festivals to see what celebrities are there, and then get mad when you friend of a friend of a friend posts on Facebook that they met your favorite actors ever, then ACL might just be the place for you. This past year the celebrity sightings included the following: Adrian Grenier, Jared Padalecki, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (also known as McLovin) and of course our lord and savior, Matthew McConaughey. There is probably a long list of celebrities that attended the festival but did a better job of hiding themselves, but who are we to presume something like that?

FFF

There are typically not many celebrity sightings at FFF Fest besides the artists of the bands that are performing that tend to roam around and listen to other performers. In 2011, however, Ryan Gosling and Rooney Mara filmed part of their movie together at the festival that will be coming out in 2016—ask me if I’m still bitter I missed that.

8) The Music (duh)

ACL

Though it started out as more independent, ACL is now known for getting the “ticket seller headliners”, the big names that are universally known. This year a few of the headliners were Drake, Hozier, The Weeknd, The Strokes (for the old folk), and Of Monsters and Men. There is a type of music for everyone though; it is not simply just mainstream music. There are great indie bands and upcoming bands; it just is a matter of who you want to see the most.

FFF

FFF is known for getting “big name alternative bands”—or in simpler terms: royalty of the hipsters. This year’s headliners consist of Wu Tang Clan, Schoolboy Q, Grimes, ODESZA and Rae Sremmurd. They’re the type of bands that you might not know by name, but you know the songs when you hear them. Frequently at FFF Fest you’ll hear people saying “I liked (insert band name here) before they were famous.”

In a few simple phrases: If you want to find your friends while using a conventional pop-culture friendly flag, ACL is the festival for you. If you want to find your friends by using other humans as your ladder to lift you above the crowd, FFF is the festival for you. If you like stages that are organized by sponsors’ names—because we simply do not see enough advertisements in one day—ACL has your back! If you like stages with names that are plain and simple and color coordinated, then FFF will be aesthetically pleasing to you.

With FFF Fest around the corner—maybe you ought to consider going out there and seeing what it’s all about. Or maybe you’re too mainstream. The choice is yours.

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