Live Music Venues, Theaters & Comedy in Downtown
30 places
Live Music Venues, Theaters & Comedy in Downtown, checked by People of Austin. Music rooms, dance halls, theaters, comedy clubs, cinemas and stadiums. For what is on tonight, see the events calendar.
Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park
A 5,000-capacity outdoor stage in the rebuilt Waterloo Park with the Capitol dome behind the lawn; on non-show days the park's Waller Creek trails are free.
ACL Live at The Moody Theater
The 2,750-seat home of the Austin City Limits TV tapings, with steep sightlines that make every seat feel close and the Willie Nelson statue out front.
Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
An outdoor gravel amphitheater behind a barbecue joint on Red River, the Sunday gospel brunch inside and touring bands on the big stage since 1996.
Antone's Nightclub
Austin's home of the blues since 1975, now on East Fifth, where Gary Clark Jr. still drops in and the Blue Monday residency keeps the room honest.
Paramount Theatre
A restored 1915 vaudeville palace on Congress with a summer classic film series, comedy and touring acts, and the neon blade sign that anchors the avenue at night.
Mohawk
A tiered outdoor stage and small indoor room on Red River, where the balconies give a rare good view and the indie bookings anchor the district's nightlife.
Elephant Room
A basement jazz club under Congress Avenue with live music every night, a low cover, and the kind of dim brick room that makes a Tuesday feel like an occasion.
Esther's Follies
A Sixth Street comedy and magic revue running since 1977, with topical political sketches, a resident magician, and a back window that lets the street become part of the show.
Empire Control Room & Garage
A two-room downtown venue where an intimate indoor stage and an open-air garage split the bill for touring indie acts, DJs and local showcases.
Cheer Up Charlies
A queer-friendly Red River yard bar with a covered outdoor stage, kombucha cocktails and DJ nights that draw one of downtown's most eclectic crowds.
Elysium
A black-lit goth and industrial club on Red River that has anchored Austin's alternative nightlife scene with fetish and metal nights since 2001.
Vulcan Gas Company
A downtown club named for Austin's original 1960s psychedelic rock venue, now booking electronic, hip-hop and touring rock acts on two levels.
Coconut Club
A tropical-themed downtown dance club with palm-frond decor, bottle service and DJs spinning Latin, hip-hop and top 40 late into the night.
Kingdom
A subterranean downtown nightclub with a heavyweight sound system built for the touring house and techno DJs it books most weekends.
Stateside at the Paramount
The Paramount's smaller sister theater on Congress Avenue, staging indie films, comedy and touring acts in a more intimate art deco room.
Comedy Mothership
Joe Rogan's downtown club in the old Ritz building, an all-comedy, phones-locked-up room booking A-list stand-ups almost every night of the week.
Velveeta Room
A tiny, no-cover-charge dive on 6th Street that has quietly launched Austin stand-up careers for decades with open mics and low-key showcases.
Fallout Theater
A downtown improv and sketch theater running a packed weekly schedule of house teams, classes and late-night showcases.
Hideout Theatre
Austin's longest-running improv theater, tucked inside a Congress Avenue coffeehouse building with nightly shows and beginner improv classes.
The Creek and the Cave
A downtown comedy club and taco spot with cheap stand-up shows most nights and a reputation for booking sharp up-and-coming comics.
Violet Crown Cinema
An independent downtown art house screening indie, foreign and documentary films with a full bar and restaurant tucked into the 2nd Street District.
Bullock IMAX (Texas Spirit Theater)
The Bullock Museum's giant-screen theater running large-format documentaries and special effects shows alongside the museum's Texas history exhibits.
Cedar Street Courtyard
A downtown courtyard venue on West 4th Street with regular live music.
Trinity Street Players
A community theater group performing in the fourth floor of First Baptist Church downtown.
Friends Bar
A Sixth Street bar with live music and a rooftop-style patio.
Pete's Dueling Piano Bar
A Sixth Street piano bar where two pianists take requests all night.
Speakeasy
A Congress Avenue lounge and music room with live bands downstairs.
Hidden Room Theatre
A theater on the third floor of the York Rite Masonic Temple.
Parker Jazz Club
Downtown jazz club on West 4th Street, a dressier option for live jazz in a city better known for rock and country.
Barbarella
Red River club that Downtown Austin's venue guide lists under drag shows, alongside its live music nights.
Happy hours in Downtown
| Venue | Days | Hours | Deals | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wu ChowDowntown · Bar and cocktail area only | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 6pm | Discounted happy hour cocktails (Texan's Take On Tiki, Green Dragon), beer, wine and mocktails Low-carb lane: wine by the glass |
Press-confirmed source |
| La CondesaDowntown · Bar only; weekend brunch happy hour Sat-Sun 11am-2pm | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 6pm | Half off all drinks, $3 tacos | Venue-confirmed source |
| Bill's OysterDowntown | SMTWTFS Today |
3pm to 5:30pm | $10 burger, $10 martini (Beefeater or Tito's) Low-carb lane: martinis |
Venue-confirmed source |
| Jupiter Supper ClubDowntown · Bar is first-come, first-served; late-night social Fri-Sat midnight-2am with same pricing | SMTWTFS Today |
5pm to 7pm | $13 craft cocktails, 30% off wine by glass and bottle, $8-$14 bar bites Low-carb lane: wine by the glass |
Venue-confirmed source |
| Swift's AtticDowntown | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 6pm | $7 New Fashioned, $6 mules, specially priced snacks | Venue-confirmed source |
| Perry's Steakhouse & Grille (Downtown)Downtown · Bar 79 only; runs the whole bar service (Sun until 9pm; Fri from 10:30am) | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 10pm | Social Hour 79: 7 bar bites, 7 cocktails and 7 wine pours for $9 each; Friday pork chop lunch 10:30am-5pm Low-carb lane: wine by the glass |
Venue-confirmed source |
| Truluck's (Downtown)Downtown · Bar only; all evening on the second-level patio | SMTWTFS Today |
4:30pm to 6pm | 50% off handcrafted cocktails, spirits, wines by the glass, oysters and 50 select bottles of wine Low-carb lane: oysters, wine by the glass |
Venue-confirmed source |
| VanHorn'sDowntown · Street address not confirmed; verify before publishing | SMTWTFS Today |
3pm to 5:30pm | Select $10 cocktails and bites, $3 oysters, $30 steak au poivre with a martini Low-carb lane: oysters, steak or meat plates, martinis |
Press-confirmed source |
| PéchéDowntown · All-night happy hour pricing Sunday and Monday | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 7pm | Half off select food, $6 cocktails | Press-confirmed source |
| The Roosevelt RoomDowntown · Official site confirms daily 3pm-6pm happy hour window; exact $7-cocktail figure sourced from do512 listing, not the venue's own page text. | SMTWTFS Today |
3pm to 6pm | Discounted cocktails, beer, and wine daily 3-6pm (third-party sites cite $7 cocktails, $1 off beers, $2 off wine) Low-carb lane: wine by the glass |
Venue-confirmed source |
| Nickel CityDowntown · Official venue menu page confirms Mon-Fri 2-6pm HH; do512 also lists a Tuesday 2-6pm recurring HH event with same deal. | SMTWTFS Today |
2pm to 6pm | $6 select cocktails, $5 house wine, $3 draft beers Low-carb lane: wine by the glass |
Venue-confirmed source |
| Small VictoryDowntown · Confirmed via do512 recurring weekly event listing and Eater Austin coverage; venue's own site did not list HH specifics directly. | SMTWTFS |
5pm to 8pm | Half off rosé/sparkling/fortified wine, beer & cider, $6 bartender's daiquiri, half off rotating cheese/charcuterie Low-carb lane: steak or meat plates, cheese, wine by the glass |
Press-confirmed source |
| ComedorDowntown · Official menu page lists a dedicated HAPPY HOUR section with $6 margarita; do512 confirms a weekly Tuesday 5-6:30pm bar happy hour/tasting event. Days beyond Tuesday not independently confirmed. | SMTWTFS |
5pm to 6:30pm | $6 Comedor Margarita (reg. $18) plus discounted apps/tacos; Tuesday bar tasting menu ($15-$25) with mezcal pairing Low-carb lane: spirits and highballs |
Press-confirmed source |
| Corner RestaurantDowntown · Venue has an official 'Happy Hour Menu' page confirming the offer exists, but it did not render exact times/pricing on fetch; times/pricing corroborated by a Tripadvisor photo caption ('Mon-Fri 4pm-6pm, $2 off draft beers & signature cocktails') and the Fairmont Austin's own happy-hour roundup blog. | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 6pm | $2 off draft beers & signature cocktails | Press-confirmed source |
| Upstairs at CarolineDowntown · Official site confirms a dedicated Happy Hour offering exists (linked from main page) but exact times weren't rendered on fetch; Fairmont Austin's own blog corroborates multiple daily happy-hour windows. | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 6pm | Rotating happy hour specials ('Don't limit happy to an hour'); Sunday dog-friendly discount per Fairmont Austin roundup | Press-confirmed source |
| Firehouse LoungeDowntown · Sourced from Firehouse Hostel's own site (parent venue) happy-hour guide page, which lists its in-house Firehouse Lounge HH schedule alongside nearby venues. | SMTWTFS Today |
5pm to 8pm | $7 classics, $8 margaritas/manhattans/martinis daily 5-8pm; Mon Industry Night all-night $6 Verde mezcal & margs; Sun Sinner's Brunch 12-5pm $6 mimosas/bloodys/espresso martinis Low-carb lane: martinis, spirits and highballs |
Venue-confirmed source |
| Arlo GreyDowntown · Sourced from The LINE Austin hotel's own restaurants/bars page. Closed Mon-Tue. Deal specifics (pricing) not listed on the page. | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 6pm | Bar happy hour service; additional late-night bar hours Fri-Sat 9-10pm | Press-confirmed source |
| Casino El CaminoDowntown · Secondary roundup, updated May 2026 | SMTWTFS Today |
11:30am to 7pm | Drink specials and burger deals (no prices published in source) | Press-confirmed source |
| HalcyonDowntown · Reverse happy hour Mon late night per source | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 8pm | $2 off coffee cocktails; $5 beers and house wines; $2.50 Lone Star and Miller Low-carb lane: wine by the glass |
Press-confirmed source |
| Moonshine Patio Bar & GrillDowntown · Secondary roundup, updated May 2026 | SMTWTFS |
3pm to 5:30pm | Signature bourbon slush special (no price in source) | Press-confirmed source |
| CodependentDowntown · Source also lists Mon from 3 PM and all day Sun | SMTWTFS Today |
5pm to 7pm | $5 off charcuterie, wine by the glass and classic cocktails; half-off still and sparkling rosé on Sun Low-carb lane: wine by the glass |
Press-confirmed source |
| CorinneDowntown · Source says 3-6 PM every day | SMTWTFS Today |
3pm to 6pm | $8 house wine and select cocktails; $7 beers; $8 apps Low-carb lane: wine by the glass |
Press-confirmed source |
| Lavaca Street BarDowntown · Secondary roundup, updated May 2026 | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 7pm | $3 well drinks; $2.50 domestic bottles Low-carb lane: well drinks |
Press-confirmed source |
| Numero28Downtown · Secondary roundup, updated May 2026 | SMTWTFS Today |
4:30pm to 6pm | $10 Aperol spritz; house wines, prosecco and sangrias; food specials Low-carb lane: wine by the glass, prosecco |
Press-confirmed source |
| Iron Cactus Mexican RestaurantDowntown | SMTWTFS Today |
3pm to 6pm | $7 regular house margaritas, $7 chile con queso | Venue-confirmed source |
| Barchi SushiDowntown · Sunday happy hour runs 3pm-10pm. Fri-Sat late night: food specials 10pm-24:00, drinks 10pm-11pm. Dine-in only. | SMTWTFS Today |
4pm to 6:30pm | Discounts on kitchen and bar items: hot and cold tastings, robata skewers, nigiri, specialty rolls, Lychee Martini, sakes. Exact prices not listed. Low-carb lane: Robata skewers, Sashimi |
Venue-confirmed source |