Texas announces early Longhorn City Limits lineup and more gameday changes

The atmosphere and activities around Darell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium will receive another boost this year, as athletics director Chris Del Conte and his team announced numerous changes and additions to Bevo Blvd. and Longhorn City Limits, which debuted last season to widespread acclaim.

For 2019, Smokey’s Midway will serve as the bridge between Bevo Blvd. and Longhorn City Limits.

“The response from Longhorn Nation to Bevo Blvd. and Longhorn City Limits was phenomenal last season,” Del Conte said. “By adding Smokey’s Midway, we intend to give fans an experience that brings a State Fair-type atmosphere to gamedays.”

Located on the north end of the stadium, Smokey’s Midway will feature games with prizes, interactive attractions, fair-style food, food trucks, and beverage stations. Fans can also use it as an entryway to visit the Texas Athletics Hall of Fame, which will open this year in the north end of the stadium.

In addition, Bevo Blvd. will also feature improvements this season — more food trucks, more beverage stations, including a craft beer barge and margarita van, exclusive merchandise, and a live broadcast of Longhorn Network’s Texas Gameday.

Over at Longhorn City Limits, Deep Eddy will debut a lounge with Texas-themed cocktails, while fans will have photo opportunities in front of a custom burnt orange Austin skyline and Longhorn City Limits guitar monument. There will also be a second Stubbs Bar-B-Q location and exclusive merchandise.

The school also announced the acts for the first three games — country star and Texas native Jack Ingram with Jane Ellen Bryant and mashup band More Cowbell, country music band Midland of Drippings Springs with Rob Baird, and 90s alt rock standouts Gin Blossoms with Drew Fish Band.

“We are so excited for a bigger and better Longhorn City Limits experience for the 2019 football season,” Del Conte said. “What a way to kickoff this season’s lineup with three national acts like Jack Ingram, Midland, and Gin Blossoms on the Forty Acres. Longhorns fans can look forward to one of the best tailgating experiences in the nation as we celebrate Austin as the Live Music Capital of the World.”

Del Conte and his staff have also continued to work to make gamedays more affordable, with 12 new items added to the “fan first menu” and 10 more discounted — 22 items are now available at an average discount of 30 percent.

“We understand the financial commitment our fans make to spend a gameday weekend with us, so we are excited to add items to our fan first menu,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris Del Conte said. “We have also expanded the number of food trucks at Bevo Blvd. and Smokey’s Midway to satisfy all of our Austin foodies and continue to provide the best experience at DKR that Longhorns fans expect.”