ACL Fest, Two Step Inn and Live Nation donate $1M to July 4 flood relief effort

Austin-based event producer C3 Presents and its parent company Live Nation are donating $1 million to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country to support recovery efforts following the July 4 floods that ravaged parts of Central Texas.

"This state has long been home to artists, fans and crews who bring live music to life, and we stand with those impacted as the recovery begins," ACL Fest organizers wrote in statement shared on Instagram on Tuesday.

C3 Presents produces the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival, which typically takes place in early October at Zilker Park. They also put on the country music festival Two Step Inn, held at Georgetown’s San Gabriel Park, on the banks of the San Gabriel River, in April. Flooding on other parts of the San Gabriel River led to three confirmed deaths in Williamson County over the weekend. One person remained missing on Thursday morning.

Two Step Inn organizers said San Gabriel Park holds a special place in the hearts of country music fans across the world. On Thursday morning, Georgetown city officials were still urging residents to avoid the park and its trails while crews assess damage.

"We are in active communication with the City of Georgetown to assist when cleanup efforts begin, and we’re working to support a community-wide cleanup day in the very near future," festival organizers wrote on Instagram.

Massive music conglomerate Live Nation Entertainment took an ownership stake of C3 Presents in 2014. Live Nation also owns or partners with five Austin music venues: Moody Center, Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater, Waterloo Park, Emo’s and Historic Scoot Inn. The joint $1 million donation comes from Live Nation’s Texas venues, ACL Fest and Two Step Inn.

What is C3 Presents?

C3 Presents is an Austin-born company that was founded by Charles Attal, Charlie Jones and Charlie Walker in 2007. The company specializes in producing large scale festivals, including ACL Fest, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and NYC’s Governors Ball. Live Nation Entertainment, one of the largest concert promoters in the U.S., purchased an ownership stake in the company in 2014.

C3 Presents partnered with the Oak View Group to open Moody Center in 2022, and purchased Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater that same year. The company is the sole promoter for Stubb’s; owns and operates Emo’s and Historic Scoot Inn; and also books concerts at Waterloo Park and other Austin venues.