Must-see entertainment in New Orleans

  • Top Choice
    Tipitina's

    'Tips,' as locals call it, is one of New Orleans’ great musical icons. The legendary Uptown nightclub, which takes its name from Professor Longhair’s 1953…

  • Top Choice
    Fritzel's European Jazz Pub

    There's no cover charge at this awesome venue for live jazz, which is so small that you really can't have a bad seat. The seating is kind of rustic:…

  • Top Choice
    AllWays Lounge

    In a city full of funky music venues, AllWays stands out as one of the funkiest. On any given night of the week you may see experimental guitar, local…

  • Top Choice
    Spotted Cat

    The Cat might just be your sexy dream of a New Orleans jazz club, a thumping sweatbox where drinks are served in plastic cups, impromptu dances break out…

  • Top Choice
    Hi Ho Lounge

    Hip-hop, punk, brass bands, dance parties, live storytelling events and Mardi Gras Indians regularly pop up at Hi Ho, one of the most eclectic venues in…

  • Top Choice
    Preservation Hall

    Preservation Hall, housed in a former art gallery dating from 1803, is one of New Orleans' most storied live-music venues. The resident performers, the…

  • Top Choice
    Maple Leaf Bar

    The premier night-time destination in the Riverbend area, the legendary Maple Leaf’s dimly lit, pressed-tin caverns are the kind of environs you’d expect…

  • Saturn Bar

    In the solar system of New Orleans bars, Saturn is planet odd. Originally it was an eclectic neighborhood bar where regulars appreciated the outsider art,…

  • Snug Harbor

    There may be bigger venues but Snug Harbor is still one of the best jazz clubs in the city. That’s partly because it usually hosts doubleheaders, giving…

  • House of Blues

    This national chain of blues venues has put a lot of admirable work into making their New Orleans outpost distinctive: there’s tons of folk art and rustic…

  • Fleur de Tease

    If you’re in the mood for something a bit risqué, we’d recommend catching this burlesque show. These talented ladies, many of whom claim professional…

  • Marigny Opera House

    This former church has been remodeled into a performing arts space that's infused with the sort of romantic dilapidation that very much fits the New…

  • Kajun’s Pub

    Kajun’s is guaranteed for a good cast of characters. This bar is technically a live-music venue too…if you count karaoke as live music. In any case, the…

  • Music Box Village

    Imagine a seeming junkyard of odd scrapped metal and wood. Now imagine those raw materials being formed into weird 'play' exhibits – a humming tower…

  • Circle Bar

    Picture a grand Victorian mansion, all disheveled and punk, and you’ve caught the essence of this strangely inviting place to drink. Live acts of varying…

  • Siberia

    There’s always an interesting crowd in Siberia, which hosts everything from punk rock to singer-songwriter nights and from heavy metal to bounce shows…

  • d.b.a.

    Swank d.b.a. consistently schedules some of the best live-music events in town. Listening to John Boutté’s sweet tenor is one of the best beginnings to a…

  • Cafe Negril

    When you spin the Frenchmen St musical wheel, Negril is the stop for reggae, blues, Latin and world music. So if you’re craving that sort of groove, and…

  • Vaughan’s

    On most nights of the week this is a Bywater dive, but on Thursdays regular live music brings the house down. As small, intimate venues go, this can't be…

  • Howlin’ Wolf

    One of New Orleans’ better venues for live blues, alt-rock, jazz, comedy and roots music, the Howlin’ Wolf draws a lively crowd. The attached 'Den'…