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Austin’s official title of "Live Music Capitol of the World" is not self-appointed—it's earned. Long known as a playground for late night revelers, the city brought Texas country music to the forefront years before the emergence of mega-venues and craft cocktail lounges. Dance Halls and Honky Tonks once ruled the roost, and down and out drifters played for their wages. The music scene now pulls a sophisticated and cosmopolitan crowd while sticking true to its roots. Music lovers will find a variety of options every night of the week that span genres, all with a unique and soulful edge. It’s not surprising that the city plays host to several of the most significant music festivals in the country, like SXSW and the ACL Fest. New bars open almost daily in Texas’s ever-evolving and always-hospitable capitol city.
This is an authentic Austin original—and one of the city's signature live music hubs, drawing a hard-drinking, music-loving crowd every night of the week. The club hosts a variety of live acts but specializes in country-infused rock, like local favorite James McMurtry, and the laid-back dance floor is perfect for swinging. The "gallery" stage upstairs is another great space to catch an intimate show. Expect an even more robust lineup here during SXSW.
Jazz fanatics love to hold court at this basement locale, named one of the top 10 jazz venues in the country by famed trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. A respected (and locally loved) venue established in 1991, the Elephant is one of the reasons Austin still earns its keep as the "Live Music Capital of the World," with acclaimed local and traveling talent performing onstage every night of the week.
This multilevel, indoor-outdoor Red River establishment is consistently a frontrunner for "best live music venue" in local Austin polls. With a cool, indoor stage and a killer outdoor stage and sprawling rooftop deck and bar, these guys know how to throw a party. Expect serious jams and strong pours seven nights a week. This is a popular spot for large touring acts throughout the year and during SXSW, the venue hosts multiple days of official, unofficial, and free showcases with lines wrapping around the door for certain acts.
For over 25 years, this near-campus joint established itself as the perfect coffee shop escape for studying sessions or catching up with friends. Recently, the full-service bar and café has consolidated and changed up its array of offerings with its adjacent Ballroom space and transformed more exclusively into a live music and event operation, with weekly lineups of local music, theme parties, movie screenings, and stand-up comedy. Their bar still serves hip crowds of locals who can also dine at the on-site food trucks.
One of the city's most highly touted venues, Stubb's features live music booked by the same folks who produce many of Austin's top shows, including the ACL Festival. This Red River hot spot attracts incredible local and touring artists. The massive outdoor venue, one of the biggest downtown, boasts an impressive monthly calendar of performances from internationally known acts. It's one of the hottest tickets in town for exclusive SXSW shows and ACL after-parties. Additionally, their popular Gospel Brunch, showcasing rotating live gospel acts, is hosted every Sunday.
One of Red River's hotbeds of music, Beerland serves the punk music scene and brings an eclectic mix of artist to the forefront. Expect a thrashing of sounds and sights most nights of the week, and stay tuned to their lineup for SXSW.
The grand dame of the trendy West 6th Street District, this fashionable bar and club has a swanky appeal with a lovely courtyard and Hollywood-esque waitstaff. It offers an impressive lineup, from indie rock to electronic dance music, and tends to bring an interesting mix of showcases to Austin during SXSW, partnering with several hot indie record labels.
For an intimate live music experience unlike any other in Austin, head to this café and bar tucked in the southwest corner of the Texas Union building on the UT campus. Texas singer-songwriter legends such as Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, and Austin troubadour Bob Schneider have graced this tiny stage since the 1970s. All ages are welcome, and open-mic nights attract some of the best new talent in the Lone Star State. It doesn't get much more Live Music Capital than this.
This place serves up a good time every night of the week, with live music from national and local bands. People love to catch the Spazmatics—a local '80s cover band—on Wednesday night as the courtyard becomes a playground after dark for revelers. Cedar Street offers one of the top SXSW showcases every year. RSVP and pick up your wristband early to catch a great lineup throughout the festival.
This local gay bar, dance club, and live music venue boasts an incredibly friendly staff that delivers an equally friendly pour (whether it's a Lone Star beer, biodynamic wine, or kombucha on tap). The LGBTQ+-friendly bastion serves as a great meetup point thanks to its large back patio (plus a resident food truck) in the heart of Red River. There is weekly programming on the indoor and outdoor stages dedicated to live music, drag shows, record releases, themed dance parties, and more. With its location in the heart of SXSW madness, expect music showcases and special events during the festival.
Once a classic Red River haunt in the middle of downtown, this indie rock and punk venue is now on East Riverside, where a much larger main stage hosts internationally acclaimed names in the music industry, including the likes of Blues Traveler and Lauryn Hill. A long-time player in the Austin music scene, expect plenty of SXSW showcases.
One of the top spots for live music on the perpetually vibrant East Sixth Street since 1978, the Gibson Room is one of famed bar Maggie Mae's music spaces and has its own entrance on the other side of the building. Sponsored by Gibson Guitars, this exclusive music venue is an artful homage to some of the world’s greatest rock artists, styled with Gibson guitars associated with legendary musicians like Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Regular shows are open to the public, especially during SXSW, but the venue also hosts private events.
This historic outdoor music venue, established in 1871, is tucked away on the east side and offers a funky and fresh mix of music and theme parties in a dive-bar–esque setting with an impressive outdoor stage. On-site parking can be tough to find, so ride-sharing is encouraged. Be sure to check out their lineup during SXSW.
The hallowed walls of this UT dive bar and music venue are legendary. It's been a mainstay on the Drag since 1974, with a gritty Old Austin atmosphere that still remains today despite the high-rise apartments and student housing that continue to develop around it in West Campus. It's a reliable haunt where you can find cheap Lone Star beers and excellent live music every day of the week. Celebs looking for an authentic night out in Austin are spotted here regularly during festivals like SXSW, as are a lively tribe of locals who show up for the weekly happy hours, songwriters' nights, and monthly lineup of local bands and touring headlining acts. There's an indoor and outdoor stage with an on-site food truck that stays open late.
If the sun has set and you're ready to not only hear, but feel some beats, then hit up these side-by-side sister bars and live music venues for nightly live bands, killer DJ sets, and dance parties in the heart of East Sixth Street. Expect a throwdown of sound during SXSW.
Lamberts offers a luxurious take on barbecue in its swanky Second Street historic district locale while offering live music almost every night of the week in their upstairs loft. They host a mix of popular local musicians as well as highly acclaimed acts in an intimate setting and offer a full spectrum of SXSW offerings, including an impressive music-infused brunch.
One of Sixth Street's longest-running venues (established 1978), Maggie Mae's features an Irish pub–style bar, a New Orleans–style courtyard, two stages, and one of the largest rooftop bars in downtown. The expansive, 11,000-square-foot venue hosts live acts throughout the week, and it is usually an official SXSW music showcase or party venue throughout the annual music fest.
Formerly located downtown, this live music lounge and venue relocated just east of I–35 in recent years, so the physical space is different than old Austinites remember, but the nightly live music and dedicated community and special events are still the same. A small attached bar space, My Oh My, has a nice cocktail menu and rotating food options.
If you can get past the Saxon's lackluster exterior on an ugly stretch of South Lamar, then you'll find a phenomenal local music experience. Bands play every night, usually from the local rock, country, and blues scene. There's Shiner Bock on tap and a well-worn pool table that draws regulars from all over the city. The legendary venue always packs bands in back-to-back throughout SXSW.
This downtown live music venue is composed of three levels; the first floor bowling mezzanine (a lounge area complete with two vintage bowling lanes that overlook the music lounge stage); the second-floor Ballroom concert space and Prohibition-themed Kabaret Room; and the Terrace59 rooftop lounge. There is live music and late-night dance parties almost every night, with extended showcases during SXSW. The Spazmatics, a beloved local '80s and '90s tribute band, perform on the Ballroom stage to packed audiences every Wednesday night.
