4. • Emergency ServicesTravis County (Travis County)

Approve setting a public hearing on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, to consider and take appropriate action, as well as receive comments regarding the issuance of an outdoor music festival permit and a mass gathering permit for the Seismic 9.0 Dance Event, to be held on November 13-15, 2026, at 8509 Burleson Rd, Austin, TX 78719. (Judge Brown & Commissioner Shea)

Presented in: Travis County Commissioners Court Voting Session on 2026-09-22

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

Under § 751.002 of the Health and Safety Code, “mass gathering” means a gathering: (A) that is held outside the limits of a municipality; (B) that attracts or is expected to attract: (i) more than 2,500 persons; or (ii) more than 500 persons, if 51 percent or more of those persons may reasonably be expected to be younger than 21 years of age and it is planned or may reasonably be expected that alcoholic beverages will be sold, served, or consumed at or around the gathering; and (C) at which the persons will remain: (i) for more than five continuous hours; or (ii) for any amount of time during the period beginning at 10 p.m. and ending at 4 a.m. § 751.002 of the Health and Safety Code prohibits a person from promoting a mass gathering without a permit issued under the Texas Mass Gatherings Act, Chapter 751 of the Health and Safety Code. Under § 2104.001 of the Occupations Code, “outdoor music festival” means any form of musical entertainment provided by live performances that occurs on two or more consecutive days or on any two days during a three-day period if: (A) more than 5,000 persons attend any performance; (B) any performer or audience member is not within a permanent structure; and (C) the performance occurs outside the boundaries of a municipality. § 2104.151 of the Occupations Code prohibits a person from directing, controlling, or participating in the direction of an outdoor music festival permit without a permit authorized by Occupations Code Chapter 2104 (the “Outdoor Music Festivals Act”). If a mass gathering also meets the definition of an outdoor music festival, a person must obtain both a mass gathering permit and an outdoor music festival permit before the person may promote the event. The Texas Mass Gatherings Act requires that a public hearing be held before a mass gathering permit is granted. Chapter 2104 of the Occupations Code requires that a public hearing be held before an outdoor music festival permit is granted. The applicant/promoter of the Seismic 9.0 event has submitted both a mass gathering permit and an outdoor festival permit application for consideration. The Seismic 9.0 event is scheduled to take place at 8509 Burleson Rd, Austin, TX 78719, commonly known as the Concourse Project. The event is planned for November 13, starting at 4:00 PM and concluding on November 15 at 11:00 PM. The applicant/promoter has agreed to adhere to the County's major event permit guidelines. The applicant/promoter has submitted the preliminary permit application, along with the applicable supporting documentation. In addition, the promoter is currently coordinating with individual County departments to address department-specific requirements according to county guidelines.