The origins of the festival date back to 1999, when Clifford Antone hosted the first-ever Antone’s Blues Festival at Waterloo Park as a way to showcase some of his favorite artists who were too large to play at his namesake downtown venue. The festival hosted the likes of Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, and Ray Charles during its three-year run.

Now, more than two decades later, Antone’s – celebrating its 50th year in 2025 as Austin’s Home of the Blues – has brought the blues back to Waterloo Park with an incredible lineup of national talent performing at the 5,000-seat Moody Amphitheater.