Best Live Music Venues in Austin

Starting off with Austin’s concert area, Moody Center is Austin’s largest venue, offering over 15,000 seats and a variety of events.

Opened in 2022, The Moody Center offers a luxury feel and modern experience. The venue is conveniently located on the east edge of the University of Texas at Austin campus and offers garage parking right across the street.

The Moody Center has seen performances from The Arctic Monkeys, Nicki Minaj, and many other big-name performers.

In the coming months, The Moody Center will continue to host The University of Texas Men’s and Women’s basketball teams as well as Mary J. Blige, Tyler the Creator, and Charli XCX.

With its capacity and wide range of events, the Moody Center allows big artists to make their way to Austin.

The downside of the area comes with large shows typically having high ticket prices and a lot of online traffic when it comes to buying tickets.

Emo’s Austin offers a much more intimate concert experience. With a capacity of up to 1,250 people, Emo’s is a great space for a standing crowd.

It is located 10 minutes from the center of downtown Austin; this typically causes little to no issues. The venue promotes utilizing rideshare as only street parking is available.

Some notable artists who have performed at Emo’s are Chappell Roan, Suki Waterhouse, and Big Freedia. Some of the upcoming shows include Hudson Westbrook, FLO, and Maddox Bratson.

Emo’s downside comes for our short friends as shows are typically fully general admission with standing room only. This is not only a negative, though; the tightly packed area offers an intimate and immersive concert experience.

Known as “the granddaddy of live music venues,” our list would be incomplete without including The Continental Club.

It is located right on South Congress; the continental club is in the heart of Austin, and has street and nearby garage parking.

This historic concert venue is coveted amongst musicians as a sign of success. Having a capacity of merely 200 people, The Continental Club is intimate and exclusive.

However, the Continental Club’s 7-day-a-week show schedule allows ample opportunities to get a ticket and check out the space.

The Club has seen artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Leon Bridges, and many other incredible artists. Upcoming performances include Carolyn Wonderland & Shelley King, Alejandro Escovedo, and Jonathan Richman.

The last of our venues and the last of the three Moodys is the Moody Amphitheater. It is located in the heart of Austin; this outdoor venue is side by side with the beautiful Waterloo Park.

Moody Amphitheater has both reserved seating and a large lawn space. This setup makes tickets relatively affordable, even for big-name artists.

The venue can hold up to 5,000 people but can be heard by many more as the open-air space lights up Austin nights. Paid parking is available at nearby garages, and rideshares are easily accessible.

The Moody Amphitheater has seen many great artists, such as Mt. Joy, Daniel Caesar, the Chainsmokers, and many more. Upcoming shows include John Summit, Remi Wolf, and Lucy Dacus.