Where to See Live Music in Austin
April 8, 2025
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As every Austinite knows, nothing is as cathartic as catching some live music. Austin’s live music scene is what attracted so many of us to the city in the first place.
Whether you’re seeing a national act at landmark venues like Stubb’s, ACL Live, or the Continental Club or catching a free local show at a bar like The White Horse, there’s something for everyone most days of the week.
Here are the Heywood Hotel’s picks for where to see live music in Austin.
Live Music Venues In Austin, Texas
No matter your music taste, there’s something for everyone. Here are some of our favorite Austin live music venues.
The White Horse
Photo courtesy of The White Horse
If you’re ready to enjoy a night on the town, look no further than just up the block from the Heywood Hotel. The White Horse, our favorite neighborhood honky tonk, features live music seven nights a week. The White Horse also offers two-step lessons every Thursday at 7:00pm.
Cover is only $5 Monday-Wednesday and $10 Thursday-Sunday to see some of Austin’s best roots country, blues, funk and western swing acts, including Armadillo Road and The Mellows.
Hotel Vegas & Volstead Lounge
Photo courtesy of Hotel Vegas
Also in East Austin, Hotel Vegas and its sister bar The Volstead Lounge is a great place to catch some local punk rock, hip hop, DJ sets, or stand up comedy most nights of the week.
Whether you’re there for a specific show or simply want to hang out and enjoy live music, be sure to pop into the patio area. Here you’ll find food truck El Borracho Tacos which serves street tacos and quesadillas.
Scoot Inn
Photo courtesy of Scoot Inn
The Eastside’s historic Scoot Inn was established in 1871 as a railroad saloon and has been an East Austin landmark destination since. One of the oldest continuously running bars in Texas, the outdoor venue is a casual place to see all kinds of indie bands and eclectic music. Enjoy pre-show drinks in the indoor Longhorn Lounge or grab a snack and drink outdoors during the show.
Upcoming shows for summer and fall 2025 include Ben Kweller on May 3rd, Raveena on June 4th, and The Wombats in October.
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Stubb’s
Photo courtesy of Leon Bridges
In Austin’s Red River Cultural District, just a mile from the Heywood Hotel, Stubb’s has long been one of Austin’s most famous music venues. Home to live music and barbecue alike, (and a killer Sunday gospel brunch), a show at Stubb’s outdoor amphitheater is an essential live music experience in Austin.
The Mohawk
Photo courtesy of the Mohawk
Another Red River institution and one of the city’s best live music venues is Mohawk Austin. Since 2006, the music venue, event space, and bar has operated with the motto, “All are welcome” and prides itself on creating a creative and safe space to ensure guests and artists are treated with respect.
With both indoor and outdoor spaces, Mohawk’s 2025 shows include Dossey, Youth Lagoon, Mirador, and Murder by Death Farewell Tour.
Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park
While newer to the Austin live music venue scene, the 5,000-seat Moody Amphitheater has quickly become a landmark establishment in Austin. The venue is part of Waterloo Greenway, an expansive 1.5 mile park system (which will eventually be 35 acres) in downtown Austin.
Moody Amphitheater has a big lineup of shows this year including St. Vincent, My Morning Jacket, beabadoobee, Lucy Dacus, Empire of the Sun, The Black Keys, Blue October, Teddy Swims, Pixies, Lake Street Drive, and many more.
Antone’s
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio w/ Flyjack; Photo courtesy of Antone’s.
For more than 50 years, the world famous Antone’s Nightclub has been a destination for all things blues. Located on East 5th St., this is the iconic Austin venue where so many famous Texas musicians got their start, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bob Schneider and Gary Clark Jr. This year, the venue is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The venue is also the presenter of Austin Blues Festival, which takes place at both Antone’s and Moody Amphitheater. The 3rd annual Austin Blues Fest takes place April 26-27, 2025.
ACL Live – Moody Theater and 3TEN
Photo courtesy of Tameca Jones
Located downtown on Second Street, ACL Live includes two venues — the main Moody Theater venue and the smaller 3TEN space. ACL Live hosts countless musicians and comedians throughout the year. Many big acts from ACL Festival often play additional ticketed shows here in October.
Upcoming artists performing at this live music venue include Violent Femmes, Japanese Breakfast, Chicago, Jack White, The Fray, and many more.
Lambert’s Barbecue
Photo courtesy of Lambert’s
For a perfect date night downtown, we suggest checking out Lambert’s. This restaurant located in a historic building is known for its “fancy barbecue.” The upstairs bar and lounge frequently features intimate musical performances by some of Austin’s top musicians.
The Continental Club
Heartless Bastards. Photo by David Brendan Hall
The Continental Club is a legendary music venue that’s been a destination since 1955. Located on South Congress Avenue, a visit to the Continental Club is a must if you want to experience authentic rockabilly, country, swing, rock and blues music every night of the week.
Emo’s
Testament photo by Markus Felix | PushingPixels
Located on East Riverside Drive, a few miles from the Heywood Hotel, Emo’s is always booked with a solid lineup of nationally known rock, R&B, pop, and hip-hop acts.
Upcoming shows include Awolnation, Tyga, LCD Soundsystem, James Bay, Coco Jones, and more.
Moody Center
The Moody Center is Austin’s newest concert venue and sports arena. With over 15,000 seats, the premiere venue is the place to see some of the biggest acts and performers when they come to Austin. Upcoming shows for 2025 include Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX, J Balvin, Katy Perry, and more.
Circuit of the Americas – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Photo courtesy of Circuit of the Americas.
Some of the world’s biggest acts come to Circuit of the Americas in Austin and they play at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater.
This music venue is home to Willie Nelson’s annual Fourth of July Picnic and Fireworks show. It’s also where renowned artists perform during Formula 1 Austin.
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Free Concerts in Austin
Spring to summer is the season for free concerts in Austin. Here are some of our concierge team’s favorite concert series. Find more shows in our guide to free concerts in Austin.
Free Week Austin
Free Week takes place during the first weekend of the first week of January. Centered around the Red River District — just a mile from the Heywood Hotel — Free Week showcases dozens of local and regional bands across over 10 venues. There’s no better way to experience live music in Austin than by supporting local venues including Mohawk, Empire Control Room, and Cheer Up Charlies.
Blues on the Green
Peterson Brothers photo by Erika Rich, courtesy of ACL Radio’s Blues on the Green
One of Austin’s longest-running concert series, Austin’s beloved Blues on the Green is a series of free concerts that take place in Zilker Park.
Grab a blanket or a chair, bring some snacks and beverages, and enjoy an evening of live music in one of Austin’s most iconic spots. There are a handful of shows that typically happen between May and August, making it a local summertime tradition.
Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park
Presented by Austin Symphony Orchestra (ASO), this free concert series is for the classical music lovers. The ensemble concerts take place at the Hartman Concert Lawn at Long Center on Sunday evenings throughout spring and summer and are free to attend, pet-friendly, and open to all ages. Performances range from jazz and light classical to pop selections and film scores. You can find more information and a schedule here.
The Drop-In
The Drop-In photo courtesy of the Long Center
ACL Radio and the Long Center present The Drop-In, a summer concert series that takes place every Thursday through early September. This free concert series takes place on the grassy lawn of the Long Center terrace with shows starting at 8:00pm. Tickets can be reserved online, with priority given to Long Center members.
Music Festivals in Austin, Texas
As you may know, Austin is kinda famous for its music festivals and so it’s with great pride that we share our picks.
SXSW
SXSW is an annual tech, film, and music conference that draws hundreds of thousands of people into Austin every March. While the festival isn’t solely focused on music, free music events happen throughout the week. One of the best music events is the SXSW community concerts that take place at Lady Bird Lake. With the city skyline as the backdrop, these free public concerts are a great way to spend a spring evening in Austin.
Austin Psych Fest
Taking place April 25-27, 2025, Austin Psych Fest is a great springtime event to kick off festival season in Austin. This year’s festivities are taking place at Far Out Lounge in South Austin which offers a backyard-style space to enjoy the day-to-night lineup that happens across two stages. The lineup includes Explosions in the Sky, Dinosaur Jr., Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Kim Gordon, The Octopus Project, and more.
Bat Fest
On September 6, 2025, the 18th annual Bat Fest returns to Congress Ave. Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world, and this festival celebrates our city’s famous 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bat colony that lives under the bridge.
The festival includes live music, arts and crafts vendors, food and drinks, and even a bat costume contest.
Eastside Kings Festival
Eastside Kings Festival photo courtesy of KUTX
Eastside Kings Festival has been an Austin tradition for nearly a decade, celebrating the rich history of Texas blues music, which got its start right here in our East Austin neighborhood. Welcoming more than 20 performers of blues, jazz and gospel, this year’s event takes place October 18-19 in various locations around town, but centered near 12th Street and Chicon in our East Austin community.
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ACL Fest
Photo courtesy of Austin City Limits Music Festival
One of Austin’s largest annual events, Austin City Limits Music Festival welcomes top national and international musicians to Zilker Park for two weekends: October 3-5 and October 10-12, 2025.
The festival takes over Zilker Park and features major acts along with local food and drinks. Previous lineups have included Blink-182, Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan, Foo Fighters, and more.
Where to Shop to Support the Austin, Texas, Music Scene
Want to commemorate your time seeing live music in Austin? Or maybe you want to support one of your favorite local artists. Either way, there are several places to shop from and support Austin’s music scene.
Waterloo Records
Photo courtesy of Waterloo Records
Austin’s longtime and most famous music store, Waterloo Records is a must-visit when you’re in town. Support local musicians and a venerable Austin institution by taking home music, merchandise and the best Austin souvenirs, like a cool Waterloo Records T-shirt. Waterloo Records has a large selection of CDs and vinyl, and is a great place to pick up music by Texas artists. In 2025, Waterloo Records will move from its iconic location at the corner of W. 6th St. and N. Lamar Blvd. However, it’s not going far! The new store location will be down the road at 1105 N. Lamar Blvd.
BLK Vinyl
In East Austin, just a few blocks from the Heywood Hotel, peruse the vinyl collection of Brookbank, Lough and Kuntz, the founders of BLK Vinyl. Although BLK Vinyl specializes in used and collectible records from the 1960s and 1970s with a leaning toward psych, garage and prog rock, they have phased in carefully curated contemporary and local artists. It’s a short walk from the Heywood, so why not stop in and pick up some new discoveries?
End of An Ear
For those of us who came of age shuffling through stacks of vinyl and CDs at a our local record store, End of an Ear feels like a return to youth. This independent music store is located in South Austin and has a wide variety of new and used records, with an emphasis on vinyl. You’ll find indie, esoteric and local bands along with the more familiar mainstays.
Where to Buy Austin Band Merch
Another good source for local Austin band merch is the Feels So Good Prints online shop. This screen printing shop prints and carries the merchandise of Austin’s coolest bands and live music venues, and they have been incredible supporters of musicians and small businesses.
Stay Near the Best Live Music Venues in Austin
The Heywood Hotel is an award-winning Austin boutique hotel located near all of the action. Walk to downtown Austin, live music venues and hip East Austin indie businesses, then retreat to the quiet and comfort of your luxury room. Learn more about our East Austin boutique hotel!
Stay at the Heywood Hotel when you’re in town to see live music.