Where can I hear live music in New Orleans tonight?

Somewhere in New Orleans, live music is happening tonight, guaranteed. Frenchmen Street in the Marigny has a dozen venues within three blocks. Beyond that, the music spreads across the whole city: Tipitina's and the Maple Leaf Uptown, Bacchanal and Vaughan's in the Bywater, Kermit's Mother-in-Law Lounge in Treme, Chickie Wah Wah in Mid-City, Preservation Hall and Fritzel's in the French Quarter, and dozens more. The list on this page shows what is actually booked tonight, updated daily.

What time does live music start in New Orleans?

Early sets start between 5pm and 7pm, prime time is 8pm to 10pm, and plenty of rooms have music past midnight. New Orleans treats the night as running until 6am, and so does this page: shows listed after midnight belong to tonight.

Is live music in New Orleans free?

A lot of it is. Many bars and clubs have no cover, especially for early sets. Where a show has a listed price, this page shows it. If you catch free music, tip the band; that is how the free-music economy works here, and most tip jars take Venmo.

Live Music in New Orleans Tonight

Q: Do I need tickets in advance?

For most neighborhood shows, no; you walk in. Ticketed rooms like Tipitina's, the Fillmore, the Civic Theatre, and Preservation Hall can sell out, so buy ahead for touring acts and weekend shows. Where a ticket link exists, it is on this page.

Every show on our citywide calendar for tonight, Wednesday, September 16

Updated daily. All times are New Orleans local time (Central). Shows after midnight are part of tonight; the night runs until 6am here.

New Orleans has live music every single night of the week, and most of it never makes the tourist guides. This page pulls tonight's shows from our citywide calendar, which aggregates listings from hundreds of venues: the Frenchmen Street clubs, the Uptown institutions, the Bywater bars, the Treme lounges, the French Quarter jazz rooms, and everything in between. Cover charges are listed where venues publish them. Plenty of shows are free; when they are, tip the band.

Tonight's Shows: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

46 shows on the calendar tonight

5:00 PM Preservation All-Stars ft. Branden Lewis at Preservation Hall

5:00 PM Johnny Sansone at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro

5:30 PM Lenny Zenith at Carrollton Station

6:00 PM Felipe Kerra at Apple Barrel Free

6:00 PM Gene's Music Machine at Maison

6:00 PM Shotgun Jazz Band at Spotted Cat Music Club

6:00 PM Jesse Morrow Duo at Bacchanal

6:00 PM Paul Longstreth at Mahogany Jazz Hall Free

6:00 PM Jeff Chaz Blues Band at 30/90

6:15 PM Preservation All-Stars ft. Branden Lewis at Preservation Hall

6:30 PM Lefty Lucy's Burlesque Bingo at Allways Lounge & Cabaret $10.00

7:00 PM Happy Organ Hour with Joe Ashlar, Stanton Moore, & Chris Adkins at Maple Leaf Bar $23.00

7:00 PM Bruno Mars - The Romantic Tour at Superdome

7:00 PM Geena Fontanella with David Michael Frank, The Band Melrose & Donate Your Friends at Broadside $20.00

7:00 PM LUCKI - The Bad* Influence Tour at Fillmore New Orleans

7:30 PM Funkin' It Up with Big Sam at The Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta

7:30 PM Preservation All-Stars ft. Branden Lewis at Preservation Hall

7:30 PM Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro $52.60

7:30 PM Jam-ilton at Cafe Negril

8:00 PM Mahogany Hall Allstars featuring Tom Fischer at Mahogany Jazz Hall Free

8:00 PM Trivia Night! at Twelve Mile Limit

8:00 PM James Martin Band at Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone

8:00 PM Dremm, Tortuous, and Pot of Greed at Gasa Gasa

8:00 PM Psychedelic Porn Crumpets at Tipitina's $34.41

8:00 PM Pups at Paulie's

8:00 PM The Drop Inn Jam Session ft. Erica Jones at Dew Drop Inn

8:00 PM Nina Hungerland Band at Bourbon O Bar

8:00 PM Not Another Drag Movie: The Sequel at Allways Lounge & Cabaret

8:00 PM BESATT North American Tour 2026 at Holy Diver

8:00 PM Firm Roots ft. Herlin Riley, Derek Douget, and Dwight Fitch Jr., and Jason Stewart at Bayou Bar

8:30 PM Kris Tokarski at Dos Jefes

8:45 PM Preservation All-Stars ft. Branden Lewis at Preservation Hall

9:00 PM LO ft. DJ RQ Away at Nightbloom

9:00 PM The Romantic Ramblers and Rosie's Rabbit Fangs at Saturn Bar $12.47

9:00 PM Soft Opening w/Anna & Christin at BJ's Lounge

9:00 PM Spike Hellis at The Crypt $25.50

9:00 PM CHAMBRE NOIR at Santos Bar

9:00 PM Esoterotica (original erotic readings) at Allways Lounge & Cabaret $5.00

9:00 PM The Magicians Band at 30/90

9:30 PM Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro $52.60

9:30 PM Jam-ilton at Cafe Negril

9:30 PM Marty Peters & The Party Meters at Spotted Cat Music Club

10:00 PM The Budz at Apple Barrel Free

10:00 PM Wednesday Late Night Funbox Karaoke at Le Bon Temps Roule

10:00 PM Firm Roots ft. Herlin Riley, Derek Douget, and Dwight Fitch Jr., and Jason Stewart at Bayou Bar

10:00 PM Poets on Poets at Cafe Istanbul

Highlighted times are after midnight. Always confirm times and prices with the venue before heading out.

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Good to Know

Where should I go for live music tonight?

Depends on the night you want. Frenchmen Street packs a dozen venues into three walkable blocks and something is always on. For destination shows, check the listings above for Tipitina's, the Maple Leaf, Preservation Hall, and the theaters. For a more local night, look for the Bywater, Treme, and Mid-City rooms in the list; smaller crowds, often no cover, and some of the best musicians in the city.

What time does music start?

Early sets start between 5pm and 7pm, prime time is 8pm to 10pm, and plenty of rooms go past midnight. The highlighted entries above are after-midnight sets that belong to tonight.

Is it free?

A lot of it, especially early sets in neighborhood bars. Prices above are shown where venues publish them. Free show? Tip the band. Most tip jars take Venmo.

Do I need tickets in advance?

Walk into most neighborhood shows. Buy ahead for ticketed rooms and touring acts; those links are in the listings when they exist.