'Austin City Limits' season 43 news: PBS music program gets premiere date, list of performers announced

It is time to get grooving. The popular "Austin City Limits" returns for season 43 in October with a performance by Grammy winner, Ed Sheeran.

The 43rd season of "Austin City Limits" will premiere on Oct. 7 at 9 p.m. EDT on the PBS network. The first episode will be an-hour-and-a half-long and will see Sheeran performing several songs from his third studio album, "Divide."

The performance will include singles "Castle on the Hill" and "Shape of You." Sheeran will also serenade fans with "Eraser," "Hearts Don't Break Around Here," "Happier," "The A Team," "Don't" and "Supermarket Flowers," which is said to have special meaning for the singer.

"'Supermarket Flowers' is about my grandmother," the 26-year-old singer and songwriter said in an interview with MTV. "I saw her quite a lot while making the album and she passed away while I was in the studio."

In addition to Sheeran, "Austin City Limits" season 43 will also showcase first-time performances from Angel Olsen, Benjamin Booker, Zac Brown Band and The Pretenders. The Head and the Heart, Norah Jones and Miranda Lambert are also set to show up.

The first half of "Austin City Limits" season 43 will wrap on Nov. 18 with a special broadcast of the 2017 Americana Music Festival. It will then come back with eight more episodes on Dec. 31.

"This season proves once again why both music fans and artists alike consider 'Austin City Limits' to be the finest showcase for the best in music today — no matter where it comes from," longtime executive producer Terry Lickona said in a statement. "Artists consider it an honor to step on our stage, and we are honored to capture these performances and bring them to the world."

 "Austin City Limits" airs every Tuesday on PBS.

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