Thomas J Henry welcomes you to BAT FEST September 6, 2025
Bands Performing:
our mission: to educate people on the importance of Bats to our ecosystem. They are not a scary creature of the night, but a beneficial animal that eats bugs harmful to agricultural crops.
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
Cost: Advance Tickets $25 GA! VIP $190! Day of price online or at gate $35 including all ticketing service fees. Children 10 and under free with an adult. Want to bring some friends? Take advantage of the 8 pack of tickets discount while they last! Tickets to 2025 Bat Fest.
VIP Tickets:
Want to be in the front row? Get a VIP ticket. It includes access to VIP only designated areas featuring front row standing area at the stage, a voucher to be used at the official event merchandise booth for any event t-shirt available, reserved VIP parking, 2 complimentary drink tickets* for any adult beverage served at the bar (adult beverages can be purchased after drink tickets are used), 1 food voucher to be used at any event food booth, water and soda. *Must be 21 or older to consume beer, wine, or liquor in Texas. Rain or Shine event. Refunds and rescheduling are not possible.
About the Bats:
A good source for information specific to the Congress Ave. Bats is Austinbats.org . Because bats are wild animals, it is hard to predict exactly when the emergence will begin but the flight usually begins between 7:00 – 8:45 p.m. The emergence can last up to ½ hour as 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats head out for their nightly flight.
Bat Costume Contest:
Prize is $100 plus prizes for Best Adult Costume and $100 plus prizes for best childrens costume. Participants will be lined up on Stage, and the crowd will be asked to yell for the costume they like the best. Originality is encouraged.
Thanks to Little Spoon this years Children’s Area activities are FREE of charge!.
Little Spoon is the modern baby and kids food brand built for the chaos of real-life parenting. We make fresh, nutrient-packed meals and snacks for every age and stage—from first bites to big kid lunchboxes. No junk. No stress. Just real food parents can trust, with support that feels like the group chat you actually want to be in.
Bat Fest Photos
Festival Info:
Venue – Ann W Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
Event Hours – 3:00 – 11:00 pm
Austin, Texas is fortunate to be the home of the largest urban bat colony in the world as 1.5 million Mexican Free-Tail Bats live underneath the Ann W. Richards Congress Ave Bridge in the heart of Downtown! Every night during spring and summer, these magnificent creatures fly out from their roosting places in search of tasty Texas insects. Thousands of people from all over the world visit the Ann W. Richards Congress Ave Bridge every night to witness this amazing sight.
Roadway Productions is proud to present the 19th ANNUAL BAT FEST – An Austin Festival Tradition that celebrates LIVE Music, Food, Family Fun, Children’s Activities, and of course, THE FAMOUS CONGRESS BRIDGE BATS! This is the only festival in Austin that takes place on a bridge!
NEW: Bat Fest 2025 will be adding Asian American Music & Cultural acts to the lineup. For the first time ever, we will be bringing a fantastic lineup of local and regional Asian American artists to Bat Fest, celebrating the rich diversity of music and culture that makes Austin so special! A full day of programing will feature entertainers from multiple countries of influence such as India, China, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and more with performance of dance, music, and theatrical performances.
Other attractions:
- kid’s zone
- fabulous food and drink vendors
- approximately 25 arts & crafts vendors
- the famous Congress Avenue Bridge Bats!
Bat Viewing will take place on the bridge / below the bridge from the Statesman Lot (exact timing is not available as Mother Nature dictates here).
*event format, stage locations, all logistics subject to change.
FOOD AND DRINKS
Lupe Tortilla
Beef Carbon, Chicken Carbon, Beef Quesadilla, Chicken Quesadilla, Mixed Quesadilla
Amy’s Ice Cream
Sodas
ice cream floats
baked goods
Candied Pecans
Ice Cream and waffle cones
Sweet Freda
Italian Ice
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
Cristi&Ali Cuisine
Funnel Cake
Fried Oreos
Fried Snickers
Fried Twinkie
Flavored Lemonade
Fried Cheese Sticks
Sausage on a Stick
Corn Dogs
Chicken Basket
Gyros
Garlic Parmesan Curly Fries
Yoyo Bubble Tea + Cha Chi’s BBQ
YOYO Bubble Fruity Tea/lemonade (nitrogen infused green tea or lemonade with choice of fruit puree flavor plus boba/tapioca pearls or popping bubbles)
Yoyo Milky Bubble tea (nitrogen infused black tea with milk and flavor and choice of boba/tapioca pearls or popping bubbles)
Yoyo Boba Sodas with choice of fruit syrup/puree flavor plus boba/tapioca pearls or fruity popping bubbles
SNOW YO milky/icy frozen tea or lemonade with flavor and boba pearls or popping bubbles
Coffee iced or hot with or without flavor and boba
Desserts
Yoyo’s Favorite Ice Cream Waffle – Leige waffle coated with hard coat chocolate, 1 scoop vanilla ice cream and customer’s choice of topping. Oreo crumble, caramel, chocolate, pecans, Heath, or any fruit syrup.
MACARONS light, crispy, exterior and unique nougat-like texture
Pocky a chocolate covered biscuit stick that offers the perfect balance of creamy chocolate and a crunch of biscuit.
ChaChi’s Smoked BRISKET Sandwich- ⅓ lb. smoked brisket on a ciabatta bun topped with barbecue sauce, onions and pickles on a bed of potato chips
ChaChi’s Smoked RIB Sandwich- ‘n Chips– One-fourth rack of smoked ribs, on a ciabatta bun topped with barbecue sauce, onions, and pickles on a bed of potato chips
Chachi’s Smoked Brisket Nachos – tortilla chips, smothered in nacho cheese and topped with ⅓ lb smoked brisket, chopped onions, and tomatoes
Chachi’s Smoked Brisket Tacos – 3 hardshell tacos filled with smoked brisket, cheese, lettuce, onions and tomatoes
Chachi’s Loaded Baked Potato– A giant baked potato, loaded with butter, sour cream, cheese, chopped onions and topped with ⅓ lb smoked brisket
Cha Chi’s BIG DOG n Chips- 10” hotdog on a bun with customer choice of toppings (catsup, mustard, mayo, pickles, onions, and potato chips
ChaChi’s BIG SAUSAGE ON A STICK with dip (BBQ sauce, catsup, etc.) n chips
Pham’s Concession
• Chicken teriyaki on a stick
• Chicken on stick with rice/lo-mein
• Chicken on stick w/shrimp fired rice/lo-mein
• Egg- roll
• Lamb/chicken gyro
• Veggie fried rice/veggie Lo-Mein
• Shrimp fried rice/shrimp Lo-Mein
• Fresh squeezed lemonade:
Bites & Cream
PorkBBQ(2 sticks with rice)
chicken BBQ with rice
Balut- duck egg
Grilled Pork Belly with rice
Pancit
Kwekkwek-fried orange quail
Grilled hotdogs
Jumbo calamari
Pork lumpia
chicken lumpia
Shrimp tempura
Vegetable lumpia
Shrimp lumpia
Siomai
halo halo
What not to bring
Don’t Bring:
- Food & Drinks
- Liquor Beer or Wine
- Weapons or Fireworks
- Pets
- Tents
You Can bring:
- Baby Food & Drinks
- Cameras
- sealed bottled water
- chairs
- Bags will be searched
- Soft sided coolers with ice and bottled water only
- CamelBaks most come in empty so that we know they do not contain alcohol. You can fill them at the WaterMonster.
Map
Batfest Promo Video
BAT FLIGHT VIDEO
Parking/ Getting There
Paid Parking: The 300 S. Congress Embassy Suite Parking Garage
Entrance off W. Riverside between Barton Creek and S. Congress
Paid Parking: Austin American Statesman 305 South Congress Ave.
Paid Parking: TXDOT lot located accessed from Riverside Drive just east of Congress 150 & 200 East Riverside Dr.
- * PAID Parking: Palmer Events Center Garage, S. 1st and Riverside
- * PAID Parking: One Texas Center 505 Barton Springs Road Austin, TX 78704
- * PAID Parking: Various hotels in area both south and north of the river
- * PAID Parking: The Long Center at 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704
- * PAID PARKING: 100 N. Congress and the entrance to the garage is on Caeser Chavez between Congress and Colorado
- Bike Parking: We have Bicycle Rack to secure your bike. Be GREEN!
- *Bike Share to Bat Fest: We’ll valet your Austin B-cycle from 6pm to Midnight at the entrance at Barton Springs and Congress Ave.
- Ride the Bus It is a great cheap, green option.
Schedule
North Stage
- 3:00pm School of Rock Austin
- 4:20pm Zak Loy
- 5:40pm Bat Costume Contest
- 5:50pm RiFF RAFF
- 6:30pm Austin Bats Dance Team
- 6:55pm Giovannie and the Hired Guns
- 8:40pm Silversun Pickups
- 10:20pm Waka Flocka Flame
DJ Grip between bands
South Stage
- 3:15pm CASSIO STELLA
- 4:30pm AZXO
- 5:20pm Austin Bats Dance Team
- 5:45pm FAARIS
- 7:00pm DJ GABRU
- 8:15pm Core
All Times and performers subject to change
Hotels
Embassy Suites by Hilton Austin Downtown South Congress is offering an exclusive Summer Bat Package. Available now through September 30. One of the hotel’s spacious suites, free parking, and late check-out, along with complimentary breakfast and WiFi. call +1 512-469-9000
The The LINE hotel Has the best view of the bats and is the close to the event.
Address: 111 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701, United States
(512) 478-9611
Comfort Suites Located just south on IH35.
COMFORT SUITES – SOUTH AUSTIN
5001 S IH 35, Austin, TX, 78744, US
Phone: (512) 727-1558 Fax: (512) 953-8392
Site Map
Videos of performances of the bands performing at Bat Fest
Sponsors
