Austin Bergstrom airport music program stabilizes at roughly 20 weekly shows amid staff transition to ACME

Austin Bergstrom International Airport staff told the Music Commission on June 2 that the airport's live-music program has continued through a recent staffing disruption but that operations are in transition to the city’s new Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment (ACME).

Constance White, guest services division manager for the airport, said the program “is now stabilized in the program and presenting still about 20 shows a week” after a sudden staff change in March forced cancellations and rescheduling. White identified the program’s prior scale as about 27–30 shows weekly and said maintaining dozens of micro-stages with a single coordinator was not sustainable.

Why it matters: The airport program is a recurring source of paid gigs for local musicians and is cited by staff and commissioners as one of Austin’s largest regular employers of musicians. Changes to staffing or booking processes could affect artist income and venue continuity.

Key operational details: White said the airport previously ran 27–30 weekly performances managed by a small team that included a full-time sound engineer and a part-time engineer. After the coordinator took leave, airport staff worked with temporary staff and talent-acquisition to rebook shows; concessions, which contract with airport commercial properties, continue to pay musicians performing in revenue-generating spaces. White said the airport’s music stages grew from three to eight since 2019 as terminal renovations added performance spaces and concessionaire-built stages.

Funding and contracts: White told commissioners that musicians at the airport are paid from airport revenue via concessionaires (airport enterprise funds), and that HOT (hotel occupancy tax) funds are not used to pay airport musicians.

Transition to ACME and next steps: Airport staff and ACME representatives said the move of music and arts functions to ACME is ongoing and that roles and responsibilities are still being defined. Erica Shamley, Music Entertainment Division manager, said a memo summarizing the transition will be circulated to staff and commissioners. Commissioners asked staff to return with a follow-up briefing and a clearer timeline for how booking responsibilities and sound-engineering support will be assigned under ACME.

Ending: Commissioners and musicians who spoke at the meeting praised staff who kept performances running during the disruption and asked for updates on staffing, sound-engineer hires, and formalized booking processes at a future meeting.