ATX Television Festival

The ATX Television Festival returns to Downtown Austin from June 3 to 6, 2027, for its 16th season. It's a few days dedicated to the past, present, and future of television, and it's built around the kind of things you don't usually get to see: screenings, Q&As, and panels that go deep into how shows actually get made. The festival splits its program roughly half-and-half between fan-focused events and industry-facing ones, so it works whether you're there for the nostalgia or for the craft.

The Season 16 lineup has some heavy hitters. There's a revisit of the HBO limited series Band of Brothers, a conversation with casting director Allison Jones, and a live script reading of Freaks and Geeks with a one-time-only cast. Oz gets a 30th-anniversary retrospective with creator Tom Fontana and cast members Rita Moreno, Dean Winters, and Lee Tergesen, and Revenge has a reunion with creator Mike Kelly. Screenings run from never-aired pilots and series that were cancelled too soon to current favorites and world premieres. The panels range from one-on-one conversations about a single show to broader discussions on the ratings system, series finales, and how testing and focus groups work.

Beyond the screenings and talks, the festival runs an Indie TV Pilot Competition and a Pitch Competition for independent creators. It's also known for the casual proximity you get to the cast and creatives throughout the weekend. The whole thing is affectionately called 'TV Camp for Grown Ups,' and it brings together fans and industry professionals to reflect on old favorites and look at where television is headed.

Credential buyers must be 18 or older, and some content is restricted to over-21s. The festival runs June 3 to 6 in Downtown Austin.