Ways to Find Live Music on Your Vacation, In Any City

2024-03-08

Fans at an outdoor music festival with blue skies. The festival is Louder than Life.

Some tips on how to find live music on your vacation – Author Cat Badra, Photo via Anne Erickson

Summer travel season is up ahead, and if you’re a music fan, you might want to catch some shows during your big vacation. So, how do you find live music when you’re on vacation?

First of all, you don’t have to plan your trip around live music to find it on your vacation. That’s good news. Nearly ever city in America has live music happening, so you don’t have to specifically make your travel plans around live music. Of course, some people do this, especially when there’s a big music festival happening in the area.

I’ve made trips down to Louisville, Kentucky, for Louder than Life festival several years, and I wouldn’t have traveled there if it weren’t for the festival. While I was in Louisville, I totally enjoyed the local food and environment, so I’m glad that the festival led me to venturing into the town. So, sure, you can pick a major music festival and plan a trip just to see the event. But, if you’re planning a vacation that has nothing to do with music, that works, too.

Here are some ways to find live music when you’re on vacation.

Ask Someone at Your Hotel or Restaurant

When you’re out to eat during your vacation, your waiter or waitress can be a wealth of knowledge about the local area. Chances are, they’re a local or at least know a lot about the city. So, find a good restaurant in a hip area, and ask your waiter or waitress about the local concerts happening in town. Ask them about popular local bands, too. Similarly, ask someone who works at or runs the hotel or Airbnb where you’re staying about the local culture, including music. They’ll probably have some great suggestions and might even know about local music events happening while you’re in town that others are traveling in specifically to see.

Social Media

Look up event trends on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). You can even go public. Don’t tell people exactly where you are, because that could be a safety concern. But, you can pop online and say, “Hey! I’m in this general area pretty soon. Are there any good shows coming up?” You could also ask people for band and venue suggestions to check out.

Go to a Local Music or Record Store

When you get into town, search online for the local music or record store. That’s the best place to find out about upcoming show, especially shows that might be off the radar. People who work at those stores are usually really plugged into what’s going on locally in the music scene, and many of them are musicians themselves. It’s a great way to find out about local music happening during your vacation.

Go to a Local Coffee Shop

Some areas don’t have a local music or record store anymore. In that case, hit up the local coffee shop. Area coffee shops are a hubbub for community activity. If you ask the workers there, they’ll probably know of some cool events during your stay. Also, at my local coffee shops, they actually have bulletin boards where people post events and their business cards. So, it’s really helpful when looking for upcoming events.

When All Else Fails

There’s always Bands in Town and Ticketmaster. Sure, you’re not going to find the local shows with super indie artists. But, maybe you’ll find that a huge artist or tour is coincidentally hitting your vacation destination when you happen to be there. It can be really fun to see a national tour in a new concert venue. So, why not spice up your itinerary and include some live music?

Cat Badra
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Posted by Cat Badra | Music, Rock, Rock News