Search Music in Portland
Portland’s music scene is as diverse as the city itself, with acts ranging from indie rock to hip-hop to jazz performing at huge concert halls, funky neighborhood venues and everything in between.
There’s no city more artistically inclined than Portland, and our vibrant music scene is a cornerstone of the city’s culture. Influential acts who have called Portland home include alt-rock powerhouses like The Decemberists, Sleater-Kinney and Pink Martini; solo stars like Esperanza Spalding, Elliott Smith and RAC; chart-toppers like Modest Mouse, The Shins and Portugal. The Man; and many more. This robust musical tradition continues today, making Portland the perfect place to catch a show. You’ll find live music in Portland every night of the week, across a vast spectrum of genres and venues.
Upcoming Shows & Music Events
Portland’s live music scene is characterized by its independent spirit and wide variety. On any given night, touring bands pack out major downtown theaters while homegrown Portland musicians play community venues, neighborhood bars and pop-ups all across town (our free Near Me Now app can even help you find concerts happening nearby). Check out our events calendar and score tickets today.
Find Shows & More Music
Explore upcoming shows and other music events in Portland.
Portland Music Venues
Discover the many places to catch a show in Portland, including concert halls, theaters, clubs and bars.
Headliners
Some of Portland’s premier concert venues are under the umbrella of Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, including Antoinette Hatfield Hall, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and Keller Auditorium — here you can see everything from Grammy-winning popular music to Portland Opera and the Oregon Symphony. Just across the Willamette River, Moda Center is a 20,000-seat arena that’s hosted Beyoncé, Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Radiohead and Lizzo, among many others.
Also sitting atop the bill of Portland’s best venues are a number of world-class theaters. Historic McMenamins Crystal Ballroom downtown is a Portland classic: Its “floating” dance floor, vaulted ceilings and grand chandeliers set a one-of-a-kind ambiance, drawing legendary acts like James Brown, the Grateful Dead, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye and Liz Phair. North Portland’s Wonder Ballroom is another can’t-miss live music destination, hosting rock, hip-hop, dance parties and more for over 20 years. Housed in the auditorium of a historic high school, Revolution Hall offers a unique concert-going experience — its three on-site bars and eateries (plus a seasonal rooftop patio) are an added perk.
Credit: PDX Jazz
Intimate Niche Venues
Portland’s unusual urban mixture of nightlife and residential districts means that unassuming neighborhood venues are often the best places to catch a show. Many of these hidden gems are known locally for their offerings within a particular genre.
What genres make the perfect soundtrack for a rainy day in a Pacific Northwest forest? Moody punk and metal, for some. Portland has long been a haven for heavy, eclectic music — iconoclasts like Aggaloch, The Exploding Hearts, Tragedy, Mizmor and Hell all crank up their amps in Portland. Since 2008, Black Water Bar has been a hub for the punk and metal scenes. Rave-worthy vegan cheeseburgers and a proudly untamed metal bar aesthetic make the perfect backdrop for the unapologetically loud, raucous guitar music that graces the stage most nights. Dante’s, Twilight Cafe and Bar and The High Water Mark also host frequent punk and metal shows.
Jazz boomed in Portland after World War II and continues to flourish here today. Downtown’s Jack London Revue is a basement spot with speakeasy vibes and a calendar packed with live jazz — the Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group’s standing Thursday-night set offers an opportunity to see a living jazz legend. In North Portland, The 1905 demands a visit (it was voted one of the 100 best jazz clubs in the world by DownBeat magazine). Other spots offering live jazz multiple nights a week include Keys Lounge in Northeast Portland and Jo Bar in Northwest/Nob Hill. Radio Room in the Alberta Arts District hosts jazz every Sunday.
You can catch classical music at the major central city venues, of course, but Portland also has a top-notch option for classical in a laid-back, neighborhood setting: Mendelssohns on North Mississippi Avenue. Pay a visit to this only-in-Portland venue for creative cocktails, welcoming vibes, a unique space — and timeless music, of course. Lincoln Performance Hall at Portland State University, which hosts recitals by Portland Piano International and performances presented by Friends of Chamber Music, is another excellent, colorful venue for classical music.
The specialized offerings don’t end there — unique venues specializing in a wide variety of genres are tucked away throughout Portland, waiting to be explored. For the blues, don’t miss the Blue Diamond Bar & Grill on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. For soul, funk and R&B, get to The Goodfoot, where you’ll find a fun pub upstairs and a lively dance floor downstairs. For hip-hop, check out Portland’s long-running showcases The Thesis at the Black-owned Alberta Street Pub and Hungry Hungry Hip-Hop at the Atlantis Lounge at Mississippi Pizza. And for more avant-garde, experimental sounds, try Turn! Turn! Turn!, a unique spot that’s part venue, part record store and part bar.
More Portland Music Venues
Find more Portland music venues, each with its own unique style.
Bars With Live Music: A Track List & Liner Notes
Sometimes you’re not seeking out a specific band, or even quite sure what you want to hear — you just know you’re in the mood for a show. A bar that hosts live music is perfect for just such an occasion, and Portland has more than its fair share. Hit play on our track list of bars offering live music nearly every night, all across the city:
- Side 1: Downtown & Southwest Portland
- Kelly’s Olympian (Divey fun downtown since 1902)
- The Old Church (A stunning Victorian landmark built in 1882)
- Side 2: Southeast Portland
- Holocene (Intimate indie venue and nightclub)
- Landmark Saloon (A country bar where the shows are always free)
- Side 3: Northeast Portland
- Laurelthirst Public House (Local shows — most of them free — since 1988)
- LaVerne’s (Neighborhood watering hole; frequent shows, great chicken, cheap drinks)
- Side 4: North Portland
- Kenton Club (Historic digs? Raucous shows? Varnished wood? Check, check, check)
- Ponderosa Lounge & Grill (Live country music with a side of line dancing)
More Portland Music
Dig deeper into Portland's internationally renowned music scene.
Live Music Venues in Portland
From gritty rock to velvety jazz, Portland’s live music scene offers tunes for all types.
Portland Jazz
In Portland, it’s pretty easy to find small venues hosting intimate combos of world-class talent, or bigger, more boffo live shows.
Portland Music Festivals
Chart-Toppers
Every Fourth of July weekend since 1987, downtown Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park has played host to the Waterfront Blues Festival, one of the country’s largest blues festivals, featuring midnight blues cruises and headliners like Mavis Staples, Robert Plant and Steve Miller Band.
PDX Live brings major touring acts to the heart of downtown, transforming Pioneer Courthouse Square into Portland’s hottest outdoor venue for a run of shows each summer. Past performers include The Roots, Built to Spill, Sunny Day Real Estate, Patti Smith and The Flaming Lips, among many others.
Two newer festivals are also well worth checking out: The Sounds Like Portland festival debuted in 2025 with three weeks of concerts showcasing popular Portland acts playing alongside the Oregon Symphony. It’s a thrilling way to experience the best the city has to offer, blending genres and challenging perceptions of classical music. Coming in spring 2026, Soundscape Northwest is a brand-new international music festival featuring over 100 artists playing 10-plus Portland venues.
Jazz Festivals
The largest and oldest free jazz festival west of the Mississippi River, July’s Cathedral Park Jazz Festival fills Cathedral Park with three days of world-class jazz, soul, blues and R&B acts beneath the St. Johns Bridge — no admission required. Come September, head to the Montavilla neighborhood in Southeast Portland for the Montavilla Jazz Festival, a weekend of original progressive jazz composed and performed by skilled Portlanders.
The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival is a multi-venue, Portland-wide celebration that brings together jazz legends, up-and-comers and local performers each March. The festival also offers jazz education via lectures, films and other events at some of Portland’s top venues. In North Portland, the Vanport Jazz Festival honors the historic city of Vanport and celebrates trendsetters in Portland jazz — pick up the tune at the University of Portland in August.
Credit: PDX Jazz
Classical Music & Opera
Portland’s premier chamber music organization kicks off the summer with the Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival, a multi-week concert series filling venues across the city from June–July with Grammy-winning quartets, world-class pianists, open rehearsals and opportunities to meet composers over a cup of coffee. Founded in 1998, the William Byrd Festival explores the life and work of beloved early English composer William Byrd with a series of concerts, lectures and liturgical services each July.
Opera in the Park Portland believes “Opera Is for Everyone,” and you can experience it for yourself each July. Attend the free, family-friendly show in a public Portland park with thousands of other Portlanders and visitors.
Rock, Pop & Rowdy Porches
Travel half an hour southeast of Portland to pastoral Pendarvis Farm for four days of independent music and zero-waste camping at August’s Pickathon music festival, led by folk and indie headliners like Andrew Bird, Beach House and Jeff Tweedy. In September, PDX Pop Now! is a free, all-ages music festival that’s been held since 2004. It’s a truly “Portland” enterprise: nonprofit, funky and fiercely local. The organization also produces a killer compilation album each year.
Billed as the Northwest’s most nostalgic music festival, the adults-only Harefest music festival in nearby Canby features performances by the region’s best tribute bands every July. Visitors can expect imitations of such bands as Metallica, Heart, Journey and Bon Jovi, to name a few. Another July festival, the Shady Pines Festival, highlights local artists, offering multiple days of great Portland performers, camping, art and more community fun.
Local porch fests are another great way to experience a huge range of Portland artists, from hip-hop and pop to Latin and folk, at a price that’s hard to beat (in other words: free!). Check out North Portland’s Overlook Porchfest or venture southeast for Milwaukie Porchfest, both held during the summer months and alive with local music. Half an hour south of Portland, Oregon City Porchfest features over 80 artists across 50 porches each August.
Music Events in Portland
Portland overflows year-round with live shows, festivals and more music-centered things to do.
Classical Music in Portland
Portland’s celebrated orchestra and ensembles offer top-notch classical music — enjoy inspiring performances of timeless works and modern interpretations.
Oregon Symphony
Since 1896, the Oregon Symphony has drawn many of the world’s finest musicians to Portland, where they perform classical, pop, movie scores and more. More than 250,000 people each year enjoy performances under the direction of David Danzmayr at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, the orchestra’s home venue.
Fear No Music
Creating curiosity about modern and contemporary classical music through live ensemble performance and their youth mentorship programs, Fear No Music presents the music of the 20th and 21st centuries in a chamber ensemble.
Portland Baroque Orchestra
The Portland Baroque Orchestra is a period ensemble that performs classical music on historical instruments in intimate settings.
Portland Taiko
The performers in the award-winning Portland Taiko Asian American drumming ensemble weave rhythm, melody, humor and movement together into an exhilarating musical experience.
Third Angle New Music
Pulling the classics into the new age, Third Angle New Music strives to create “a soundtrack for our time” by commissioning new works by living composers. They present innovative, site-specific performances in collaboration with theater companies, sound artists, and local and international guest performers.
Upcoming Music Picks
Check out our events calendar to find music around the city.
Was this page helpful?