Every year since 2017, Austin’s Red River Cultural District disrupts the quieter summer months with a noisy resurgence of musical activity: Hot Summer Nights.
The annual three-day festival hosts free concerts in music venues across the district, cultivating a diverse lineup of local and emerging artists. This year, Hot Summer Nights features a lineup of over 140 artists scattered across 18 venues and a multitude of genres. The Daily Texan curated a short list of 2025’s standout local acts.
Alma Muñeca – July 25
Art-pop quartet Alma Muñeca — a fresh force in Austin’s music scene fronted by Panama-native Cocó Allegra — released its debut single on Spotify last month. The Spanish-language track, “Eclipse,” weaves looping synth beats, crunchy feedback and airy vocals into an avant-garde soundscape. The group brings their experimental sound to the intimate Empire Control Room on Friday night, performing alongside local indie standouts Pretoria and Flight By Nothing. In this triple-threat lineup, catch the early rise of a bold new buzz-worthy act.
Nuclear Daisies – July 25
Nuclear Daisies, a local band grown from a quarantine bedroom project, invites listeners into an apocalyptic explosion of shoegaze. Amid a discography of bass-heavy distortion and dream-pop vocals, the band’s hit single “Heaven in Your Head” pulses with swelling reverb that scratches an itch in the brain. On Friday night, Nuclear Daisies takes Mohawk’s outdoor stage at 11 p.m. with plans to debut new music from their upcoming sophomore album, “First Taste of Heaven.” Following performances by Austin bands Daze and Portrayal of Guilt, expect a pulse-pounding set and a crowd that can’t stop moving.
Stalefish – July 26
Local six-piece Stalefish, led by Texas alumnus Dalton Hausman and Jack Magee, dove into Austin’s indie scene in late 2023. Their most recent EP, “New Pop Experiments Vol. 1,” veers away from their typical alt-rock sound, featuring crisp riffs, catchy melodies and a nostalgic energy reminiscent of indie pop rock staples like Wallows. Channeling a Weezer-like charm onstage, Stalefish delivers high-energy performances while clad in glasses and ‘90s haircuts. Catch the band this Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on Mohawk’s indoor stage, closing the night after performances by local acts Dorothy’s and Nova.
KindKeith – July 26
KindKeith, the sonic alter ego of Keith Galloway Jr., graduated from UT’s Jazz program in 2023 and quickly carved out space in Austin’s R&B scene. As an adept keyboardist, they combine both traditional and modern instrumentation in their work, mixing soulful keyboard compositions with distorted synth-heavy electronica. Their unorthodox sound comes alive in their captivating onstage performances, driven by Galloway’s fingers in flight across black-and-white keys. The keyboardist performs at 6 p.m. on Saturday for the Feels So Good print shop’s pop-up show, gracing the last day of Hot Summer Nights with electrifying alt-R&B.
