Back in October 1974, Willie Nelson helped break music television ground by performing on the very first episode of Austin City Limits. Now, the iconic country star is set to headline a free concert celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary.

Booked for October 17th at The Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas — exactly 50 years to the day from Nelson’s inaugural taping for the show — the Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash will be a completely free show featuring performances by Nelson and the Austin-based western swing band, Asleep at the Wheel. The concert will be taped and highlights from it will air on PBS early next year.

Get Willie Nelson Tickets Here

Entry to the event will be free, but it won’t be entirely open to the public — rather, those wishing to attend will be required to register for a chance to win tickets. Registration opened on Friday, September 20th, and will run through Monday, September 23rd, at 10:00 p.m. CT. Fans who are selected for tickets will then be notified between September 26th and 27th. Register for tickets here.

All this comes as Austin City Limits is gearing up for a star-studded 50th season. Beyond the birthday bash, the half-centennial celebrations include an event honoring Garth Brooks (taped earlier this month), and a primetime special, ACL Celebrates 50 Years, featuring a stacked lineup of performers from the show’s history, set to premiere sometime in 2025.

Beyond that, Austin City Limits has announced the lineup for the first half of the upcoming season, which will include episodes featuring Gracie Abrams, Jacob Collier, Brittany Howard, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, and more. The first episode, featuring Kacey Musgraves, will air on September 28th.

Meanwhile, the 2024 iteration of Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival just came to a close, but he still has a few dates coming up in Texas this fall (get tickets here). Earlier this week, he released a tear-jerking cover of The Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??”, taken from his upcoming studio album, Last Leaf on the Tree.