6th Street, Rainey Street & East Austin
Austin is the only city in America where the bar crawl and the live music guide are essentially the same document. Every bar worth visiting in Austin has live music.
Austin is the only city in America where the bar crawl and the live music guide are essentially the same document. Every bar worth visiting in Austin has live music. The question isn't "where is there live music tonight?" — it's "which of the seven or eight genuinely great live music bar districts do I want to be in?"
This guide covers the three main crawl zones — 6th Street, Rainey Street, and East Austin — plus the local secrets that most visitors never find.
Live Music Capital
6th Street splits into two distinct personalities. The western stretch between Congress and I-35 is 'Dirty 6th' — the college bar strip that gets progressively louder and more chaotic. The eastern stretch toward Red River is where Austin's genuine live music culture concentrates. Red River is home to Austin's most important mid-size music venues and the city's emerging artist scene.
801 Red River Street
Austin's most beloved outdoor music venue. The Sunday Gospel Brunch (10:30am–2pm) is one of Austin's great weekly institutions.
2015 E Riverside Drive
Austin's premier rock and alternative venue. Maintains its identity as the city's most important mid-size music room for non-country acts.
615 Red River Street
A genuinely fun dance bar. Thursday nights are legendary — cheap drinks, no attitude, and a dance floor that fills by midnight.
323 E 6th Street
A multi-level bar complex with live music on multiple stages simultaneously. Consistently fun for groups.
2308 Whitis Avenue (UT campus)
Austin's most intimate live music room — a 100-seat listening venue presenting folk, Americana, and singer-songwriter acts since 1979.
Experience Austin's legendary live music scene across three iconic venues.
Check calendar for show times
Craft cocktails, dancing, and two-step lessons for the perfect celebration.
Craft cocktails
Beer garden energy
Dancing
Two-step
100% Texas taps and craft beer culture across Austin's best breweries.
100% Texas taps
100+ taps
Beer garden on Waller Creek
Click on bar markers to see details. Select a crawl route below to visualize the path.
Austin's live music scene rewards local knowledge. Knowing which Hotel Vegas stage has the best act tonight, which Rainey Street bar has the shortest line, and how to move between zones without losing an hour to rideshare logistics — that's what BarCrwlr's Austin hosts bring.