By evening, downtown Tulsa fills with people heading to dinner, catching a show at the Performing Arts Center, or drifting between the districts where bars and music venues cluster. The Arkansas River runs along the city's western edge, and the riverfront parks and casino resort draw their own crowds once the heat of the day breaks.
Tulsa's nightlife is spread across a handful of walkable districts rather than concentrated in one strip. It suits visitors who want a low-key evening of pubs and coffee houses as much as those looking for live music, arcades, or a big touring act at a downtown arena. Most of the action sits in and around downtown and along a few well-known streets.
Where to go out in Tulsa
1. Blue Dome District
This downtown district is the city's most concentrated bar scene, with several of the venues listed in travel sources sitting within a few blocks of each other. It suits a night of moving between places rather than settling in one spot.
Arnie's Bar, described as Tulsa's Irish bar since 1956, sits on East 2nd Street, and McNellie's Public House on East 1st Street is an Irish pub with more than 60 beers on tap. The Max Retropub on South Elgin Avenue is a late-1980s and early-1990s themed bar and arcade with Skeeball and arcade cabinets, open from 2PM to 2AM.
2. Brady District
The Brady area is home to Cain's Ballroom, the venue that became the base for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1935 and which sources describe as still in operation. It suits a night built around a live show.
For a quieter start or a late finish, the Gypsy Coffee House & Cyber Cafe on M.L.K. Jr Blvd is described as downtown's only late-night coffee house, open 11AM to midnight, with desserts, deli-style food and free wi-fi.
3. Cherry Street
Cherry Street, around 15th and Peoria, is a neighbourhood strip of pubs and coffee houses rather than a late-night club district. It suits an early evening that starts with coffee and ends over a pint.
Kilkenny's Irish Pub on East 15th Street is described as a little more upscale than McNellie's, with a good beer selection and food. Cafe Cubana and Coffee House on Cherry Street are both on the same street, and the Cherry Street Farmer's Market runs there on Saturday mornings from about 7AM to 11AM until the frost arrives.
4. Brookside
Brookside, along South Peoria Avenue, is a residential-adjacent strip where coffee and live music overlap. It suits a relaxed evening rather than a big night out.
Shades of Brown on South Peoria Avenue is open Sunday to Thursday 8AM to 11PM and Friday and Saturday 8AM to midnight, with local art displayed and live music in the evenings.
5. Downtown venues and the Performing Arts Center
Downtown holds the city's largest performance venues, so the shape of an evening here depends on what is on. It suits a planned night of dinner and a show.
The BOK Center on South Denver Avenue opened in 2008 and hosts touring acts, with fine dining and hotels nearby. The Performing Arts Center on East 2nd Street, known locally as the PAC, presents opera, musical and dramatic shows through the year, including an annual production of The Nutcracker.
6. Riverside and the riverfront
The riverfront draws evening crowds to parks, a casino resort and a small theatre. It suits a night that mixes a walk with a show or a meal.
The Spotlight Theater on Riverside Drive, between 15th and 21st, has shows every Saturday night of "The Drunkard" followed by "Olio", an old-fashioned vaudeville affair, described as family friendly. River Parks has a cafe around 21st with live music from time to time when it is warm, and the River Spirit Casino Resort sits on Riverside Parkway at 81st.
7. South Tulsa pubs and coffee
South Tulsa is more spread out and reached by car, with a few long-established spots rather than a walkable strip. It suits visitors staying in that part of the city.
The White Lion Pub on South Canton Avenue is described as a very authentic pub whose proprietor brought much of the furniture and decor from an actual pub in England, serving English food and drink. Nordaggio's Coffee is on South Lewis Avenue.
8. Live music rooms
Smaller music venues sit outside the main districts and are tied to particular nights rather than a general bar crowd. They suit a night planned around one act.
The Mercury Lounge at 18th and Boston is described as a rockabilly music venue with a beer and shot special.
How a night out unfolds
Sources give few fixed times for Tulsa's nightlife. Coffee houses open in the morning and run into the evening, with the downtown Gypsy Coffee House open until midnight and Shades of Brown until 11PM on weeknights and midnight on weekends. The Max Retropub runs from 2PM to 2AM. The Spotlight Theater performs on Saturday nights. The Cherry Street Farmer's Market is a morning affair, roughly 7AM to 11AM on Saturdays. Beyond these, the sources do not specify when people eat or how late the bars run.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Blue Dome Arts Festival — in the Blue Dome District, middle of May, the same weekend as Mayfest; parking is limited, so expect to walk a few blocks.
- Mayfest — in the middle of downtown, middle of May, 10AM to 5PM, with artists from around the country.
- Oklahoma Scottish Games & Gathering — at River West Festival Park, the third weekend in September.
- Tulsa State Fair — at the Expo Fairgrounds near 21st and Yale, the last full week in September.
- Tulsa Oktoberfest — held in October.
- Wanenmacher's Tulsa Arms Show — twice a year at the Expo Building, in April and November.
- Mini-Con — Tulsa's annual anime gathering, now sponsored by the Tulsa Library System, with film showings and merchandise sales; the date varies year to year.
Frequently asked questions
Which part of Tulsa should I choose for a night of bar-hopping?
The Blue Dome District has the tightest cluster of bars and pubs named in travel sources, all within a few blocks downtown.
Where can I find live music in the evening?
Cain's Ballroom in the Brady District has hosted musicians since the 1930s, the Mercury Lounge at 18th and Boston is a rockabilly room, and Shades of Brown in Brookside has live music in the evenings.
What can I do on a Saturday night?
The Spotlight Theater on Riverside Drive performs "The Drunkard" and "Olio" every Saturday night, and the Max Retropub is open until 2AM.
Is there anywhere to get coffee late downtown?
The Gypsy Coffee House & Cyber Cafe on M.L.K. Jr Blvd is described as downtown's only late-night coffee house, open until midnight.
Decide which district fits the evening you want, check what is on at the larger venues, and plan your night around it.