Texas Burlesque Festival — Austin performances

Texas Burlesque Festival opened in Austin on Thursday, May 14, with an opening-night show at Elysium Nightclub and two more nights scheduled at the Long Center through Saturday. Festival organizers billed the 2026 edition as a three-day program of burlesque, cabaret and related events, including performances, workshops and community programming. The official festival site lists Eros Sea as Thursday’s headliner, with Jessabelle Thunder and Madame E topping the Friday and Saturday lineups. Visit Austin and the Long Center list the event as running May 14-16, not May 11-14. ### When is the festival actually happening in Austin? May 14, 2026, is the opening night of this year’s Texas Burlesque Festival, according to the event’s official website and tourism listings. The festival’s opening program is scheduled for Elysium Nightclub on Thursday, followed by Friday and Saturday shows at the Rollins Theatre at the Long Center. (texasburlesquefestival.com) The Austinot included the festival in a weekly highlights roundup published May 10 covering May 11 to May 14. But the event-specific listings from the festival, Visit Austin, the Long Center and the Austin Chronicle all place the festival itself on May 14-16. ### Where are the performances being staged? Elysium Nightclub on Red River Street is set to host the opening-night extravaganza on Thursday, with doors at 8 p.m. and the show at 9 p.m., according to the festival’s ticket page. (texasburlesquefestival.com) The remaining two nights move to the Rollins Theatre at the Long Center, where doors are listed for 7 p.m. and shows for 8 p.m. on May 15 and May 16. (austinot.com) The Long Center’s event page says the festival is a repeating event on Friday and Saturday, while Visit Austin identifies those dates as competition nights. The official festival site also lists venue and parking information through its event pages. ### Who is on this year’s lineup? Eros Sea of New Orleans is listed as the Thursday headliner, with Gemmi Galactic of Austin emceeing opening night. (texasburlesquefestival.com) Friday’s bill names Jessabelle Thunder of Los Angeles as headliner and Nikki DaVaughn of Austin as host. Saturday’s program lists Madame E as the festival’s “Legend of Burlesque,” with World Famous *BOB* emceeing. (thelongcenter.org) More than 50 performers from Texas, the United States and abroad are scheduled, according to the Long Center listing. The same listing names Austin troupe Bat City Bombshells as a featured local act and says American Sign Language interpreters will be present all three nights. ### Is it only stage shows, or are there workshops too? (texasburlesquefestival.com) The festival’s “About” page says the weekend includes workshops, parties, a roundtable or brunch, and performances in addition to the stage shows. The official site describes the event as a gathering for regional, national and international burlesque performers and fans. Visit Austin and Tribeza also describe the festival as broader than a nightly performance series, referring to workshops and community programming alongside the shows. (thelongcenter.org) Those listings do not publish a full workshop timetable in the excerpts available through search results, but they match the official description of a multi-part weekend program. (texasburlesquefestival.com) ### What should attendees know before the next two nights? Tickets for the Thursday opening night and the Friday-Saturday Long Center shows are listed through the festival’s ticket page and ATX Theatre ticketing. Visit Austin lists prices at $25 to $55, while the Long Center page says Friday and Saturday begin at 8 p.m. nightly. Saturday, May 16, is the final scheduled night of the 2026 festival, with Madame E and World Famous *BOB* listed on the official lineup. (austintexas.org) The latest venue details, ticket links and festival schedule are posted on the Texas Burlesque Festival website and partner event pages from the Long Center and Visit Austin. (texasburlesquefestival.com) (texasburlesquefestival.com)