Downtown
Downtown Cincinnati's live-music footprint spans a wide range of scales. Arnold's Bar & Grill, the oldest bar in Cincinnati with a history going back to 1861, is a nationally recognized live-music venue. Its covered courtyard hosts the stage, where bands playing polka, bluegrass, and jazz draw regular crowds. The courtyard stage hosts live concerts Tuesdays through Saturdays. At the other end of the size spectrum, the Taft Theatre, at 317 East 5th Street, hosts live music, comedy, and theater events. Its current calendar spans country, rock, folk, and children's music. Outdoors, free live-music events including Salsa on the Square and Friday Flow take place at Fountain Square. The neighborhood also holds bar and restaurant stages, a casino, a performing-arts center, park amphitheater space at Sawyer Point, and the grand Hilton Netherland Plaza, giving it one of the denser concentrations of live-music options in the city.
Venues32
- Arnold's Bar & Grill210 E 8th St, Cincinnati
- Aronoff Center for the Arts650 Walnut St, Cincinnati
- Cincinnati Lager House115 Joe Nuxhall Wy, Cincinnati
- Elm Street Plaza150 W 5th St, Cincinnati
- Fountain Square520 Vine St, Cincinnati
- Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati1000 Broadway, Cincinnati
- Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza35 W 5th St, Cincinnati
- HomeMakers Bar39 E 13th St, Cincinnati
- Jacob G. Schmidlapp Event Lawn & Stage124 E Mehring Way, Cincinnati
- Jefferson Social101 E Freedom Way, Cincinnati
- LoVe on Fourth138 W 4th St, Cincinnati
- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center50 E Freedom Way, Cincinnati
- Nicholson's Fine Food & Whiskey625 Walnut St, Cincinnati
- Pilar56 E Court St, Cincinnati
- Prim on 5th70 W 5th St, Cincinnati
- Red Leprechaun Irish Pub20 West Freedom Way, Cincinnati
- Sawyer Point & Yeatman's Cove705 E Pete Rose Wy, Cincinnati
- Schott Amphitheater at Sawyer Point705 E Pete Rose Wy, Cincinnati
- Smale Riverfront Park100 W Mehring Wy, Cincinnati
- Something to Wine About136 W 4th St, Cincinnati
- Street City Urban Gourmet400, Cincinnati
- Subito311 Pike St, Cincinnati
- Taft Theatre317 E 5th St, Cincinnati
- The Andrew J. Brady Music Center25 Race St, Cincinnati
- The Härth Room125 W 4th St, Cincinnati
- The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park25 Race St, Cincinnati
- The Righteous Room641 Walnut St, Cincinnati
- The Stretch191 E Freedom Way, Cincinnati
- Tin Roof160 E Freedom Way #150, Cincinnati
- Top of the Park at The Phelps506 E 4th St, Cincinnati
- Tulua Nightclub and Cocktail Bar920 Race St, Cincinnati
- Vintage on Race500 Race St, Cincinnati
Upcoming shows200
Tomorrow · Wednesday, September 2 · 6 shows
Bluegrass Wednesdays w/ Porch Goose Bluegrass
Folk / Americana · Country
Phil DeGreg Trio
Performs in many styles ranging from jazz and Brazilian classics, to contemporary remakes
No cover
Thursday, September 3 · 6 shows
Xander Wells (Americana)
Folk / Americana · Blues
Blues & Brews
Blues
Salsa on The Square
Latin
DJ Kombat
DJ with $4 Wells and $3 Lemon Drops
Friday, September 4 · 10 shows
Davey and the Midnights (Americana)
Folk / Americana · Country · Blues
EDM at Elm
Electronic
O.A.R. Three Decades Tour with special guests Gavin DeGraw and KT Tunstall
Alternative rock
Doors 5:00pm
Reece
Amazing band
DJ Brandon Smith
Midnight dance party
Saturday, September 5 · 5 shows
Sunday, September 6 · 4 shows
Monday, September 7 · 1 show
Tuesday, September 8 · 5 shows
Sam Barber: The American Route Tour with Josiah and The Bonnevilles and Wild Horses
Country · Singer-songwriter · Oregon
Doors 5:30pm
DJ Chaz Banger
Come enjoy $5 White Claws and tunes by CHAZ BANGER every Tuesday!
Wednesday, September 9 · 4 shows
Bluegrass Wednesdays w/ Tye Dye
Folk / Americana · Country
Sergio Pamies Trio
Spanish jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who has published three albums
No cover
Shinedown: Dance, Kid, Dance Act II with special guest Winona Fighter
Hard rock · Alternative rock · Post-grunge
Doors 6:30pm
Thursday, September 10 · 5 shows
Kryst Kruer (Americana)
Folk / Americana · Soul / R&B / Funk
Salsa on The Square
Latin
DJ Kombat
DJ with $4 Wells and $3 Lemon Drops
Friday, September 11 · 8 shows
Brian Cashwell
Keyboard and organ player rooted in jazz and classical idioms, teaches at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
No cover
Matt Bennett
All-star band
Sean Dibert
Midnight dance party
Saturday, September 12 · 8 shows
Queen City Krewe (New Orleans Brass)
Soul / R&B / Funk
David Burk and Brian Cashwell
Vocalist/harmonicist David Burk fronts blues and jazz ensembles
No cover
Matt Bennett
All-star band
DJ Chaz Banger
Midnight dance party
Sunday, September 13 · 1 show
Monday, September 14 · 1 show
Tuesday, September 15 · 3 shows
Wednesday, September 16 · 3 shows
Phil DeGreg Trio
Jazz trio performing jazz and Brazilian classics, contemporary remakes of Beatles and Stevie Wonder music
No cover
Thursday, September 17 · 3 shows
Deej (Americana)
Folk / Americana
Salsa on The Square
Latin
Mike Darrah Trio
Jazz pianist active in Cincinnati music scene since 2000, touring the Midwest and appearing at festivals
No cover
Friday, September 18 · 8 shows
Saturday, September 19 · 4 shows
Sunday, September 20 · 3 shows
Monday, September 21 · 1 show
Tuesday, September 22 · 3 shows
Mike Moroski (Americana)
Folk / Americana
DJ Chaz Banger
Come enjoy $5 White Claws and tunes by CHAZ BANGER every Tuesday!
Wednesday, September 23 · 4 shows
Bluegrass Wednedays w/ Kinda Grassy
Folk / Americana · Country
Sergio Pamies Trio
Spanish jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who has published three albums
No cover
Thursday, September 24 · 4 shows
Salsa on The Square
Latin
Daniel Bennett and the Dirty Shirleys
Swinging performance evoking 1950s Vegas Strip jazz and entertainment
No cover
DJ Kombat
DJ with $4 Wells and $3 Lemon Drops
Friday, September 25 · 7 shows
April Aloisio & Brian Batchelor-Glader
Singer interpreting jazz, blues, Brazilian and Latin standards
No cover
Ryan Alfred
Hottest live music duo in Cincinnati
Byrdie Wilson
Band from Nashville
Prymtime
Midnight dance party
Saturday, September 26 · 4 shows
Lance Boyd & The Last Knights
Trio of seasoned professionals performing classic jazz, R&B, soul, and Motown
No cover
Byrdie Wilson
Band from Nashville
Sean Dibert
Midnight dance party
Sunday, September 27 · 2 shows
Monday, September 28 · 1 show
Queen City Showcase
Monthly showcase featuring different local musicians
Tuesday, September 29 · 2 shows
DJ Chaz Banger
Come enjoy $5 White Claws and tunes by CHAZ BANGER every Tuesday!
Wednesday, September 30 · 2 shows
Thursday, October 1 · 3 shows
Xander Wells (Americana)
Folk / Americana · Blues
Salsa on The Square
Latin
Mike Darrah Trio
Jazz pianist active in Cincinnati music scene since 2000, touring the Midwest and appearing at festivals
No cover
Friday, October 2 · 3 shows
Saturday, October 3 · 2 shows
Tuesday, October 6 · 1 show
Preston Charles (Loop Violin)
Hip-Hop / Rap · Jazz · Soul / R&B / Funk
Wednesday, October 7 · 3 shows
Thursday, October 8 · 1 show
Kryst Kruer (Americana)
Folk / Americana · Soul / R&B / Funk
Friday, October 9 · 2 shows
Monday, October 12 · 2 shows
Lenny Pearce: Toddler Rave World Tour
Dance/electronic
Wednesday, October 14 · 3 shows
Thursday, October 15 · 1 show
Friday, October 16 · 3 shows
Tuesday, October 20 · 2 shows
Wednesday, October 21 · 1 show
Thursday, October 22 · 1 show
Friday, October 23 · 2 shows
Saturday, October 24 · 2 shows
Zach Williams With Cochren & Co. And Christian Hohn: Revival Nights
Acoustic · Christian · Rock
Doors 6:00pm
Sunday, October 25 · 2 shows
Monday, October 26 · 1 show
Tuesday, October 27 · 1 show
Mike Moroski (Americana)
Folk / Americana
Wednesday, October 28 · 1 show
Friday, October 30 · 4 shows
Outlander in Concert: Echoes Through the Highlands
Folk / Americana
Rocky In Concert: 50th Anniversary
Doors 7:00pm
Saturday, October 31 · 1 show
Sunday, November 1 · 1 show
Wednesday, November 4 · 2 shows
Friday, November 6 · 2 shows
Saturday, November 7 · 3 shows
Tuesday, November 10 · 3 shows
Wednesday, November 11 · 1 show
Thursday, November 12 · 1 show
The Sound of Music
Musical · Soundtrack · Musicals
Friday, November 13 · 1 show
The Sound of Music
Musical · Soundtrack · Musicals
Sunday, November 15 · 1 show
Tuesday, November 17 · 1 show
Thursday, November 19 · 1 show
Sunday, November 22 · 1 show
Saturday, November 28 · 1 show
Wednesday, December 2 · 2 shows
An Evening with Lord Huron
Psychedelic · Indie pop · Indie folk