By late evening on Sixth Street, doorways open onto rooms where a band is already mid-set, and the sound follows you down the block between stops. Further out, theater companies are finishing performances and the last tables are settling in for a long dinner.
Austin calls itself the Live Music Capital of the World, and the bar and club scene is built around that reputation. It suits visitors who want live music within walking distance of one another, and equally those who would rather build a night from theater, food and a single well-chosen room. The city is a university town, so expect a young crowd in the busiest districts, but the range of venues spreads the evening across many kinds of nights.
Where to go out in Austin
1. Sixth Street
This is the densest bar and club district, and the first place many visitors head. During the later hours it offers a wide selection of venues, many of which also feature live music.
It suits a night of moving between rooms rather than settling in one. Be aware that it can become very crowded and is generally the most tourist-filled part of town.
2. The wider live music scene
Sixth Street is not by any stretch the only place to see music. Venues are spread across the city, so a night can be built around one act or a short list of them rather than a single strip.
This suits anyone who wants to choose the band first and the neighborhood second. Because of a city ordinance protecting workers and public enjoyment, all public buildings in Austin are clean air zones, including bars, and smoking is prohibited except in rare separately ventilated areas. That makes Austin one of the few cities where a large and varied selection of music can be experienced smokefree.
3. Theater companies
Austin has a working theater scene alongside its music. The Rude Mechanicals (Rude Mechs) stage original pieces with elaborate production values, and Salvage Vanguard has produced original musical work with the Golden Arm Trio's Graham Reynolds. Pro Arts Collective covers theater, dance, hip-hop, musicals and festivals; Teatro Vivo produces bilingual theater; Different Stages is one of the city's oldest repertory companies; Refraction Arts works across multiple mediums; the dirigo group does original and established work; and Loaded Gun Theory stages original pieces.
This suits an evening that starts with a curtain time and ends with a drink nearby, rather than a night of bar-hopping.
4. Brewery and tour-based evenings
Some nights out are organized around a single destination rather than a district. Independence Brewery, at 3913 Todd Lane #607, opens for tours and samples from 1 to 3PM on the first Saturday of the month, which makes it a daytime or early-evening anchor rather than a late one.
Several operators run food, barbecue, brewery, distillery and wine tours, including Access ATX Tours, Twisted Texas Tour (which runs brunch, food and brewery tours with a live band on board, departing on weekends), TexasWineTours (half- and full-day trips to the nearby wine country, generally departing between 10AM and noon), and Austin Tours, which offers carriage and van tours and ground transportation. Bike Nation Tours and Rentals operates tours and rentals from 1108 Lavaca St.
This suits groups who want the transport and the itinerary handled, and who are happy to start earlier in the day.
5. Outdoors after dark
Austin's parks and trails are popular with residents, and some of them work as an early-evening stop before the bars fill. The Town Lake Hike & Bike trail is a large loop around the lake with scenery along the way, running alongside Zilker Park, and it is used for biking, running, walking and dog-walking. Barton Springs Pool, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Zilker Park and McKinney Falls State Park are among the places people go.
This suits a night that begins with movement and daylight and shifts indoors later. Many of the city's parks are pet friendly.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe Sixth Street filling during the later hours, which is when the bar and club crowd arrives and when many venues have live music. Daytime and early-evening options exist alongside that: brewery tours at Independence run from 1 to 3PM on the first Saturday of the month, wine tours generally depart between 10AM and noon, and the Segway and city tours operate daily. Theater performances give an evening a fixed start time. Beyond those anchors, the sources do not specify closing hours, so plan around the venues you intend to visit rather than assuming a fixed schedule.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Lunar New Year Festival — February.
- South by Southwest (SXSW) — March. The mammoth SXSW festivals include separate Film, Interactive and Music components. The Music Festival draws more than 1,400 performers to dozens of venues around Austin over four days. Wristbands are popular with college students, but you can be turned away at the door at many venues even with one; some larger venues admit people without a wristband if you simply want to sample a band or two, and a common approach is to pick one official venue you like and arrive early to pay the cover.
- ABC Kite Festival — March, first Sunday, 10AM to 5PM at Zilker Park, 2200 Barton Springs Road. Admission is free, with kite demonstrations and contests, and a rain date the following Sunday.
- Austin Chocolate Festival — March. Up to 20 vendors offer samples, with competitions and demonstrations.
- Wildflower Center Art and Artisans Festival — March. Opens the annual Wildflower Days celebration with local arts and crafts on a nature theme, children's activities, book signings and music.
- Texas Round-Up & Street Festival — April, last Saturday. A 10K, 5K and Family Mile, preceded by a health and fitness expo and followed by a fitness festival.
- Austin City Limits Festival — October.
Frequently asked questions
Where do most visitors go for a night out?
Sixth Street, during the later hours, for the widest selection of venues and live music. It is also the most crowded and most tourist-filled part of town, and it is not the only place to see music.
Can you see live music without a festival wristband?
Yes. During SXSW, some of the larger venues admit people without a wristband if you just want to sample a band or two, and you can usually pick one official venue, go early and pay the cover. Many venues will turn you away at the door even with a wristband.
Can you smoke in Austin bars?
No. By ordinance, all public buildings in Austin are clean air zones, including bars, and smoking is prohibited except in rare separately ventilated areas.
When is the best time to plan a trip around events?
March is the busiest month, with SXSW, the ABC Kite Festival, the Austin Chocolate Festival and the Wildflower Center Art and Artisans Festival. October brings the Austin City Limits Festival.
Decide whether your evening is built around a band, a curtain time or a table, then match it to the district and the hour that fits.