2025 has brought plenty of highs and lows for Austin, from city controversies to memorable moments. Since the year’s almost over, the City Cast Austin team shared their takes on the year’s biggest hits and misses, from the questionable to the incredible.
Local Civics
👏 Hit: The Yogurt Shop Murders were finally solved after 34 years. In September, Austin police announced that DNA technology helped them identify the man who killed four teenage girls in 1991. The crimes have haunted the city for years. We saw this as a major win for the families of those affected and for the city to be able to move forward.
🙈 Miss: The city’s new logo. Hey Austin editor Kelsey Bradshaw bets that you and your neighbors would agree with her, that not only was an upgrade unnecessary, but it was not worth the roughly $1.1 million price tag. In this economy, could that money have been better spent elsewhere?
Entertainment
🔊 Hit: Austin’s concert game. We really think it was next level this year, and great shows are always around the corner. One particular team fave: The (free) Next Stage at Central Machine Works.
🤨 Miss: However, City Cast Austin host Nikki DaVaughn argues Austin City Limits Music Festival was not hittin’ this year. The lineup wasn’t that strong, despite the good things we heard about T-Pain, Sabrina Carpenter, and Shania Twain. We expected more, especially as ticket prices keep going up. (But we still love to see our local musicians on stage at Zilker Park!)
Wildcard!
😋 Hit: A Mini Luby’s opened! Once at risk of closing down for good, a mini location just opened near the Texas Capitol. Why so mini? We’re not sure, but it sure is cute and fun.
🏗️ Miss: The convention center. “Why are we tearing down a perfectly good convention center?” DaVaughn asked. The new renderings do look amazing, but the new center is years away, and we worry about SXSW taking over even more of the city next year.
