Abstract The absorption spectrum of acetylene has been recorded using high sensitivity cavity ring down spectroscopy (αmin~5×10−11 cm−1) in the 7244–7918 cm−1 interval corresponding to a weak absorption region. The CRDS spectra revealed new bands which were identified on the basis of a global effective Hamiltonian model (Lyulin OM, Perevalov VI, Teffo JL. Proc. SPIE 2004;5311:134–43). Overall, about 2100 lines were rovibrationally assigned in the investigated interval. They belong to 26 new bands and to the eight already known bands of the region, for which additional J-lines were assigned. The spectroscopic parameters were derived from a band by band fit of the line positions. Part of the analyzed bands was found affected by strong rovibrational perturbations which are discussed. These new data will be valuable to refine the global effective Hamiltonian of 12C2H2 at higher energy.