Best Outdoor Concert Venues in Austin Texas

Living in or visiting Austin, Texas can be a life altering experience because chances are, after you spend the Best Summer Weekend in Austin, Texas, you will never want to leave the quality of life in the Live Music Capital of the World. In addition to great local restaurants like Guero's Taco Bar, Magnolia Café, and Threadgill's World Headquarters, there are some great live music venues like the Broken Spoke, a country western honkeytonk dance joint, where you might see Willie Nelson pop in and jam.

One of the best features of Austin live music is the great Austin outdoor live music concert venues that host live music concerts throughout the year. Summer in Austin is always great for live music concerts because many of outdoor concerts are free and have other family activities with the live music. Pecan Street Festival, the Zilker Park Kite Flying Contest, and Eeyores Annual Birthday Party are just a few of the Austin outdoor live music concerts and events you will enjoy in the great Austin outdoors. Here is a list of the best Austin outdoor live music concert venues. Enjoy!

The Backyard Live Oak Amphitheatre
Moved to a new location. See Details below.
(512) 263-4146

The Backyard has been in Austin Texas since 1993 and is one of our favorite outdoor concert venues, complete with a restaurant that serves fried rattlesnake! We have seen Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Jimmy Vaughn, Sheryl Crow, and Jimmy Buffet at The Backyard, among other outstanding outdoor live music concerts. In Spring 2009, The Backyard will break ground on a new location. The new location will be off of Highway 71, west of the Hwy 620 intersection, consisting of just over 35 acres. The frontage entrance will be located on the proposed Bee Cave Parkway extension and will be adjacent to the 50-acre Bee Cave City Park. The new location will expand capacity from approximately 5,000 to 7,500 and all parking will be contained onsite. The old Backyard location closed on October 26, 2008.

The Glenn at The Backyard
13101 Highway 71 West
Austin, Texas 78738
(512) 263-4240

The Glenn at The Backyard was located just behind The Backyard. More information about pets, children, outside food and beverages, and concert times can be found at The Glenn at The Backyard FAQs.

The Grove at Southpark Meadows
9300 IH-35 South
Austin, Texas 78748
(877) 258-5879

We live in South Austin and the old Southpark Meadows outdoor concert venue where we saw R.E.M. and Sting has now become a huge multi-use development with shopping, restaurants, homes, and The Grove. The Grove is an open area gathering spot with free live music, an interactive water fountain for the kids, and laser light shows during the winter holiday season. There are restaurants and lots of Live Oak shade trees surrounding the playscape for the kids. The Southpark After Dark Summer Concert Series from April to June offers free live music concerts every Friday night. The Grove at Southpark Meadows offers plenty of free summer live music fun for the whole family.

Auditorium Shores
Downtown Austin
On Shores of Lady Bird Lake

Auditorium Shores holds special meaning for this South Austin resident. My husband and I fell in love 24 years ago while lying on a blanket under a perfect Austin summer night while watching a free outdoor live music concert during the annual Pecan Street Festival in May. Auditorium Shores is also where a bronze statue memorializes one of our most beloved lost local musicians, Stevie Ray Vaughn. I met Stevie Ray Vaughn while volunteering for the Austin Aqua Festival years ago, and Stevie was one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet. After doing a sound check at 5 p.m. before his show, he grabbed some catered BBQ and ate dinner with the volunteers under a tent instead of in his air-conditioned dressing room. Stevie autographed everyone's shirts before heading back to get ready for his performance.

Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake in Downtown Austin is a favorite outdoor live music concert venue that used to be the center of the Austin Aqua Festival. Although the Austin Aqua Festival no longer exists, Auditorium Shores remains a popular outdoor concert venue for bands performing in the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in February, the Austin Symphony with July 4^th Fireworks, and numerous free outdoor live music concerts throughout the summer with performers like Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt and local performers of everything from blues to gospel to rock 'n' roll and classical music. Check local news for Auditorium Shores outdoor concert events.

Zilker Park
2100 Barton Springs Road
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 974-6700

Zilker Park, on 351 acres near Downtown Austin, is the most beloved park in Austin. There are outdoor live music concerts and outdoor city events like the Kite Flying Contest all year long at Zilker Park. The Zilker Hillside Theatre hosts outdoor live music concerts ranging from Jazz to Country. The Zilker Hillside Theatre is also the venue for the Zilker Summer Musical and Shakespeare in the Park event.

The other side of Zilker Park, across Barton Springs Road from the Zilker Hillside Theatre, is where the annual world-famous, 3-day Austin City Limits Music Festival happens in September or October. Don't be fooled by the location of the music festival though, because this is not where the world-famous Austin City Limits television show is taped. Check out Austin's Best Kept Secret: The Taping of Austin City Limits to learn more about attending the television live music event.

Waterloo Park
403 East 15^th
Austin, Texas 78701
(519) 725-0511

Waterloo Park is another popular Downtown Austin outdoor concert live music venue near the University of Texas. Waterloo Park is host to outdoor concerts and events like the Fun Fun Fun Fest in November, the annual ice cream festival in August, Easter egg hunts in April and May, SXSW live music in February, and the KGSR Blues on the Green Festival in June. There is also a three-quarter mile hiking trail along Waller Creek in this park, so wear your hiking or jogging tennis shoes and experience the great outdoors of Austin while you are waiting for the music to start.

Stubb's Bar-B-Que
801 Red River St.
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 480-8341

Located in Downtown Austin near the University of Texas, Stubb's Bar-B-Que is a local favorite outdoor live music concert venue and BBQ restaurant. You can hardly beat Stubb's BBQ sauce that they also bottle and sell in stores. Behind the restaurant, Stubb's has a permanent outdoor stage and backyard where they host live music concerts. You can either sit on the patio balcony and watch the live music while chomping down on their excellent BBQ or you can bring a blanket and nestle on the ground to watch the live music performances. My favorite show at Stubb's Bar-B-Que was when local singer/songwriter favorite, Joe Ely, played Spanish songs on acoustical guitar. Oh my gosh, pure heaven under the perfect Austin, Texas stars.

Pease Park
1100 Kingsbury Street
Austin, Texas 78703
(512) 974-6797

You cannot live in Austin or visit Austin in April without attending the wild and crazy costume party for Eeyores Annual Birthday Party to raise money for local Austin charities. The outdoor live music and birthday party has been an Austin tradition for 46 years.

Scholz Biergarten
1607 San Jacinto
Austin, Texas 78701
512-474-1958

If you want some good food, good beer, AND dance to live music outdoors in the beer garden, then Scholz Biergarten is your Austin outdoor live music concert place! Scholz Biergarten is right down the street from Stubb's Bar-B-Que near the University of Texas.

Some of my Austin friends had their summer wedding at Scholz and it was perfect!

The Oasis on Lake Travis
6550 Comanche Trail
Austin, Texas
(512) 266-2442

The Oasis Restaurant in Lake Travis is the Sunset Capital of Texas. This Austin outdoor live music concert venue is one of the best in the city for patio happy hour, Mexican food dining, and overlooking the sunsets of Lake Travis while enjoying live music concerts. Here is a review of The Oasis Restaurant in Lake Travis.

Round Rock Amphitheatre
301 W. Bagdad Avenue
Round Rock, Texas 78664
(512) 218-5499

The Round Rock Amphitheatre is located in Round Rock, Texas that is a suburb north of Austin, Texas. The Round Rock Amphitheatre outdoor summer live music concerts from June through September. This is a great spot for the whole family to enjoy.

Hill's Cafe
4700 South Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78745
(512) 851-9300

Hill's Cafe has been in Austin since 1947 and is now owned by Bob Cole, a locla celebrity for the number one country western radio music station in Austin, KVET-FM 98.1FM. President Bill Clinton's campaign staff chose Hill's Cafe in Austin Texas as the victory celebration location. Hill's Cafe serves Nolan Ryan beef before their great outdoor concerts on the patio. This is a must see legendary Austin outdoor live music concert venue.