3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Downtown with Sixth Street and Rainey Street, Austin

Downtown's premier live entertainment venue, the 2,750-seat Moody Theater in the heart of the Second Street District plays host to some of the best chart-topping acts in the world, including Willie Nelson whose statue stands proudly at the front entrance. The amphitheater is also home to the Austin City Limits TV show, the longest running televised music series in American history. If you can snag tickets to a live taping, whether it's Kacey Musgraves or Black Pumas, don't miss the chance. Next door to the theater's main ticket office, there is a more intimate sister-space, ACL Live at 3Ten, that offers a different lineup in a much smaller surrounding.

Housed in a restored downtown vaudeville house and movie palace on Congress Avenue, this gorgeous 1915 theater is a go-to favorite for local performance arts lovers of all shapes and sizes. Every year, the Paramount's calendar of events ranges widely, from live stand-up comedy specials and short film festival series to touring author Q&As and podcast tapings. The cool respite of their annual Summer Classic Film Series is beloved by all ages. It's also an important flagship venue for annual fests like SXSW and the Moontower Just For Laughs Comedy Festival.

Located in a state-of-the-art downtown center, Ballet Austin has risen in prominence since its founding in 1956 as the city's preeminent dance company. Part performance company and part dance academy, with classes available to the general public, Ballet Austin puts on a regular lineup of ballet productions at the Long Center throughout the year, including an extremely popular annual rendition of the classic The Nutcracker each holiday season. The performance season runs from September through May, and the downtown studio offers a diverse schedule of dance, Pilates, and other fitness classes throughout the year.