How to Find Live Music Near You: Tonight, This Weekend, Any Night

Live music is happening near you most nights of the week. The hard part is finding out before it's over. Here's how to find live music near you, whether you want something to do tonight or you're planning the weekend.

How to find live music near you in five minutes

1. Open a live-shows listing and choose a date: Tonight, This Weekend or Next 7 Days.

2. Add your city, then narrow it down by genre or venue if you know what you're in the mood for.

3. Open a show to check the venue, the start time, any cover charge and where to get tickets.

4. Save the venue or the act, so you can find their next show without searching again.

5. Can't find anything tonight? Check for an open mic: they run on weeknights when little else is on.

Search shows by date and city

The fastest way to find live music is a listing you can filter by when and where. On MusicGigs, Live shows lists upcoming concerts and gigs from local venues and musicians. Choose Tonight, This Weekend or Next 7 Days, add your city, and narrow it down by genre or venue.

Every show links to the host's page, with the venue's address, the start time and tickets where they're sold online.

Not in Austin? Search live shows in your city. New shows are added every day.

Find live music by genre

Knowing what you want to hear narrows things fast. Filter live shows by genre to find the right night out: rock and pop bands for a Friday, folk and acoustic sets for a quieter evening, jazz, soul and R&B for a late one, or country and bluegrass for a Sunday afternoon at a brewery.

If you're new to a city, try a different genre each week. Small venues are cheap or free, and you'll find out quickly which rooms and which acts you want to go back to.

Follow venues, not just bands

Your favorite band might play your town twice a year. A good venue books music every week. Following a handful of local venues is the most reliable way to always have something to go to.

Venue pages on MusicGigs list upcoming shows with the performers and times, plus any regular open mic night. Many venue calendars are kept up to date automatically from the venue's own website and social feeds, so what you see is what's actually on.

Where live music hides

• Breweries and wineries, which often book acoustic acts for weekend afternoons

• Restaurants and bars with a regular music night

• Hotel bars and lounges, especially for jazz and piano

• Farmers markets, parks and summer concert series

• Coffee shops, for singer-songwriters and open mics

Follow the musicians you like

When you find an act you love, look them up. Musician pages on MusicGigs show their videos, the music they play and their upcoming dates with venues. Save them to keep your favorites in one place.

Try an open mic night

Open mic nights are the easiest live music to find on a weeknight. Local musicians, and sometimes poets and comedians, sign up to play short sets, often two or three songs each, so you hear a rotating lineup of new talent. They're often free to attend, and they're friendly places to go on your own.

Find open mic nights near you, with the night of the week, the sign-up time and the cost.

Bring live music to your own event

Once you've found acts you like, you're one step from having them play your birthday, your backyard or your company party. Browse musicians for hire to see who takes private bookings near you, with videos and the rate each act starts from.

Make the most of a night out

• Check the time and cover before you go. Start times slip, and a quick look at the listing saves a wasted trip.

• Arrive early in small rooms. The best seats in a listening room go fast.

• Tip the band and buy the merch. For many working musicians, the tip jar and the merch table are part of the night's pay.

• Follow them on the way out. Save the act on MusicGigs or follow them on social media, so you hear about the next show.