Music
Portland’s musical offerings are diverse as the city itself, with options including indie rock, jazz, classical, pop and more.
Home to indie darlings and internationally acclaimed artists alike (think Pink Martini, Esperanza Spalding, The Decemberists, The Shins and Elliot Smith), Portland is a haven for music lovers. Visitors can explore the city’s dozens of live music venues or take the stage themselves at one of Portland’s many open mic nights. Read on for our guide to the city’s thriving music scene, then head to our events calendar to discover upcoming music events in Portland.
Music Events in Portland
Portland overflows year-round with live shows, festivals and music-centered things to do.
Live Music Venues
These five venues showcase some of the best live music in each of the city's five quadrants.
Local Musicians
Check out these up-and-coming musicians making a name for themselves in Portland.
The New Class of the Portland R&B Scene
A new generation of artists is attracting more light to the Portland R&B scene than ever before.
The Portland Hip-Hop Scene
Take a deep dive into the past, present and future of the Portland hip-hop scene with our expert guide to the best rap artists, showcases, shops and more.
Meet Queer Indigenous Musician, Black Belt Eagle Scout
Portland artist Katherine Paul draws inspiration from the riot grrrl movement, Nirvana and her Swinomish roots.
Upcoming Music Picks

Piano Push Play
Piano Push Play invites local artists to transform old, donated pianos into whimsical works of art which are distributed across the city.

Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn
With acts that have ranged from Al Green to ZZ Top, McMenamins Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn are an annual rite of summer and the hottest ticket in town.

PDX Pop Now!
The rescheduled 2023 PDX Pop Now! Festival is taking place October 6th, 7th, and 8th at Speck’s, Red Fox, and the Electric Blocks in collaboration with Friends of Noise. All Portland artists + all ages + free Lineup is coming soon. PDX Pop Now! was created when 14 people envisioned local music emboldened by local…

Día de Los Muertos at the Portland Mercado
Join the Portland Mercado for its cultural celebration with local vendors, music, and a community altar. The Portland Mercado is a hub for Latino culture in Portland and an initiative of Hacienda CDC that provides affordable retail space for businesses to launch and grow.

Dia de Los Muertos Festival
Come and enjoy the Day of the Dead Festival to remember our loved ones who have passed on to Mictlan. It will begin with the Aztec Dance, with community altars, raffles, music, Mexican treats and much more. It is a family-friendly event, and everyone is welcome. Organized by: Mitotiliztli Tezkatlipoka and RISE EVENT SCHEDULE: 2:00…

Portland's Singing Christmas Tree
Come celebrate Christmas with Portland's favorite holiday tradition. Let the glory of Christmas come alive as the three hundred-voice choir creates a Christmas extravaganza for the whole family, featuring your favorite holiday songs, dancing Santas and a beautiful cinematic Nativity. It is an awe-inspiring presentation of the true gift of Christmas and an experience not…

Handel's Messiah
No composition kindles the warmth of the holiday season like Handel’s Messiah. Bringing to life the theatrical splendor that’s made Messiah an audience favorite for 300 years, the Portland State University Chamber Choir and a quartet of astounding soloists join your Oregon Symphony for Handel’s meditation on faith, hope, and redemption.

Gospel Christmas
Bring joy to your holiday season with the 24th annual performance of this beloved concert, featuring the region’s premier gospel singers alongside your Oregon Symphony. Experience the joy and spiritual uplift of gospel music, performed with passion and feeling by some of the finest musicians in the region.

Comfort and Joy
Join the Oregon Symphony for an evening of good cheer with season classics such as “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “White Christmas,” as well as a very merry sing-along. It will be a jubilant celebration sure to put you and yours in the holiday spirit. Artists: Deanna Tham, Conductor

Attilla Sautov + Dimitri Zhgenti
Internationally acclaimed virtuoso violinist Attilla Sautov and virtuoso pianist Dimitri Zhgenti are set to treat their audience to a musical feast at The Old Church Concert Hall, a historic and beautiful landmark and one of the best concert halls in the Portland area. Enjoy an unforgettable afternoon of exquisite music, all performed with mastery and…

Ain’t Misbehavin’
The incomparable Thomas “Fats” Waller rose to international fame during the Golden Age of the Cotton Club and that jumpin’ new beat, swing music. Winner of the 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical, Ain’t Misbehavin’ evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of this American legend as a versatile cast struts, strums, and sings the songs that he…

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert
See the film that gave the world one of its greatest movie heroes in the grand adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Follow Indiana Jones’ (Harrison Ford) unforgettable quest on the big screen while your Oregon Symphony plays John Williams’ epic score live. Deanna Tham, Conductor Oregon Symphony

Live Music on the Village Green
Enjoy the sounds of talented local artists while exploring Bridgeport Village's new storefronts, restaurants and community gathering spaces. The highly anticipated Live Music on the Village Green series runs on weekends through the end of September. Plus, bring the family to enjoy Portland's top children's musical entertainers during Summer Saturdays in July and August on…

Raffi
Raffi, North America’s preeminent family entertainer, returns to the stage in 2023 with a series of #belugagrads concerts. Raffi is a singer, songwriter, producer, author, lecturer, and tireless advocate for children. He is best known for his work as a children’s entertainer and advocate whose string of gold and platinum-selling recordings includes his iconic song,…

Mishka Rushdie Momen
Mishka Rushdie Momen marks her PPI debut with a program weaving keyboard music of the English Renaissance with personal, poignant works spanning three centuries. From the jubilant sounds of church bells to a moving lament, the music of William Byrd evokes cinematic colors and intimate emotions that are mirrored in variations Mendelssohn penned to honor…

No Requests
Portland-based DJ Ambush and DJ Klyph help start off the week by playing a set of 90's era and influenced hip-hop. This monthly event features 2 DJs, four decks, and straight boom bap. "It's not a party; it's a vibe." There is no cover for this monthly event every 4th Sunday at McMenamins White Eagle…

Tango Tonight
9/17: Latin Grammy Winner Pianist Pablo Estigarribia plays a solo tango concert from 7 – 8 p.m. in Director Park. Estigarribia is proud to assume the tango tradition's teacher and transmitter role. He is delighted to showcase and share the beauty of tango's rich lineage, and he gladly invites both the experienced and uninitiated to…

Tracy Grammer
Tracy Grammer is one of the most beloved acts in contemporary folk music. Called "one of the finest pure musicians anywhere in folkdom," (Boston Globe), she has performed on coffeehouse, theater, and festival stages since 1997 and has been a guest on Mountain Stage, World Cafe, River City Folk, SiriusXM Radio, and Folk Alley. With…

Alex Jordan and Boy and Bean
Alex Jordan is a singer and multi-instrumentalist who has been surrounded by music his whole life. Alex started singing at a young age. The son of a high school music teacher, dabbled with brass instruments (playing primarily Jazz trombone), harmonica, ukulele, bass and piano before eventually discovering the electric guitar at age 17. Songwriting and…

Arctic Monkeys
With their nervy and literate indie rock sound, Arctic Monkeys arrived with a blast in 2005. Assisted by rave reviews and online word of mouth (they were one of the first bands to benefit from social media), they quickly became a sensation in the United Kingdom, where they were seen as the heir apparent to…

Hannah Jadagu
Fresh out of high school, Hannah Jadagu released her debut EP, What Is Going On?, a collection of intimate bedroom pop tracks recorded entirely on an iPhone 7, which was, at the time, Jadagu’s most accessible mode of production. An off-the-cuff approach to music making and instinctive ability to write unforgettable hooks belied the intensity…

The Body
The Body is a prolific musical force whose creativity is matched only by the astonishing weight of their sound. Duo Lee Buford and Chip King have established their own musical language that reimagines how rhythm, dynamics, and sonics can shape or dismantle song structure. Over the course of two decades, the duo has consistently challenged…

Prince Again
Very few artists are more legendary than Prince. When he died in 2016, millions mourned his untimely passing. However, this iconic multi-instrumental musical savant will never be forgotten. His inimitable musical styling, stage presence and undeniable genius remain imprinted upon hearts and minds. Prince's hits smashed the Billboard Charts and created memories for generations. Whether…

CHAI
The four women in the Japanese band CHAI don't like the concept of "kawaii" or cuteness. They call their music "neo-kawaii" and aim for authenticity and inclusion while making eye-catching videos expressing their idiosyncratic vision. They take their influences from a wide range of sources; everything from '90s hip-hop and bouncy alt-rock to scratchy post-punk…

Masters of Hawaiian Music
Masters of Hawaiian Music features three of the most popular musicians from Maui’s renowned “Slack Key Show,” sharing Hawai‘i’s unique “slack key” –- open tuning — guitar styles that trace its roots to 19th-Century paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) culture. Growing up in rural Hawai’i, slack key masters George Kahumoku, Jr., Led Kaapana, and Jeff Peterson were…

Menucha's Blues Staff Concert
No less an authority than legendary Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna guitarist Jorma Kaukonen admiringly described MARY FLOWER as "a national treasure in your own backyard." Indeed, the internationally renowned award-winning Portland, Oregon-based singer/guitarist/songwriter is a prodigious talent whose seasoned skills have established her as one of America's foremost roots performers. Flower combines deep historical knowledge with…

Jamie Cullum
Blessed with a raspy croon and deft piano chops, England's Jamie Cullum has gained acclaim for his stylistically broad mix of jazz, melodic pop, and rock. Just as likely to cover a song by Radiohead as Thelonious Monk, Cullum broke into the mainstream with 2002's Pointless Nostalgic and 2003's Twentysomething, the latter of which earned…

Sting
Sting rode the new wave expansion to superstardom. Once he topped the charts worldwide, he returned to the progressive fusion roots he left behind so he could play a nervy blend of reggae, punk, and pop with the Police. He went solo after the trio's 1983 album Synchronicity and its accompanying hit "Every Breath You…

The Avengers
In 1977, The Avengers established themselves as one of the US's preeminent punk bands. Fusing incisive guitar hooks, explosive rhythms, and adolescent venom, the group forged some of the most in-your-face songs of the era. Classics like "We Are the One" and “The American in Me” earned them a spot opening for the Sex Pistols…

The Tallest Man On Earth
Kristian Matsson has never remained in one place for very long. Having spent much of the last decade touring around the world as The Tallest Man on Earth, Matsson has captivated audiences using, as The New York Times describes, “every inch of his long guitar cord to roam the stage: darting around, crouching, stretching, hip-twitching,…

The Mission UK + The Chameleons
Described by critics as melodramatic and bombastic, the Mission nonetheless attracted a core audience of goth rock fans. The group was formed in 1986 by guitarist/singer Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams, who both left the Sisters of Mercy to do so. (Hussey had also played with the Walkie Talkies and Dead or Alive.) The…

Rainbow Kitten Surprise
As if channeling another dimension where genres don’t exist, Rainbow Kitten Surprise finds harmony in unpredictability – weaving together lyrical poetry, hummable melodies, and a rush of instrumental eccentricities. The genre-defying band first began building their devoted fanbase with independent albums “SEVEN + MARY” (2013) and “RKS” (2015). Arriving in 2018, their full-length debut for…

Alice Wallace with Hayley Lynn and Ronnie Carrier
When ALICE WALLACE picked up and moved to Nashville in December 2019 from her longtime home in Southern California, she could never have predicted that three months later the world would come to a grinding halt. But the Americana singer/songwriter, whose early 2019 album Into the Blue earned her accolades from across the country and…

Bijoux Cone
Bijoux Cone (Formerly Bryson Cone) is a musician, producer and multimedia artist based in Portland, OR. Her music explores themes of love, loss and identity paired with lush, melodramatic synth-pop and disco synth grooves. A transgender woman, her music celebrates and defends queer perspective. Bijoux Cone performs and tours actively as a solo artist and…

Talisk
Ground-breaking, chart-topping, genre-bending, globetrotting, instantly enthralling… It’s little wonder that Talisk ranks highly among the most in-demand folk-based groups to emerge from Scotland in the last decade and more. Mohsen Amini (BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Musician of the Year), Graeme Armstrong and Benedict Morris (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year) fuse…

The Walkmen
The Walkmen are an influential NYC art rock band that released six full-length albums before disbanding. Now reunited, 2023 brings their first shows together in a decade. The band is made up of five Washington DC natives: Hamilton Leithauser, Paul Maroon, Matt Barrick, Walter Martin and Peter Bauer.

Thundercat
In recent years Thundercat, aka Stephen Bruner, has completed his transition from virtuoso bassist to bonafide star and cemented his reputation as a wholly unique voice, transcending genre. He has become a cornerstone of the Brainfeeder label having released “The Golden Age of Apocalypse” (2011), “Apocalypse” (2013), “Drunk” (2017), and his 2020 album “It Is…

Philip Mandel
Join Philip for his 70th Birthday celebration at The Reser. Enjoy music by Grieg (his wonderful Holberg Suite), Schubert’s heavenly Impromptu in G-flat, Beethoven’s best-known piano piece (Moonlight Sonata), two works by Chopin (Nocturne in C-minor and Revolutionary Etude), and more. Come for the concert, stay for the reception at Grey Raven Gallery (two blocks…

San Holo
Dutch electronic musician San Holo is a genre-bending EDM producer and songwriter whose work touches upon future bass, ambient, trap, and pop styles. He initially garnered attention in the 2010s, posting remixes of tracks by Dr. Dre, Outkast, and other hip-hop performers. After founding his own Bitbird label, he broke through with his 2017 debut,…

Young Fathers
Their recorded music can be dark, dense and ambiguous lyrics, but when you watch them live, that kinetic energy is unmistakable. Apparent, visceral and highly addictive. Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and G. Hastings met as kids and set their bodies against the tide. From the beginning, they were obstinately not going to do what was…

Daniel Caesar
An acute sense of intimacy, emotional boldness, and a soft touch with rough feelings all give Canadian R&B singer/songwriter Daniel Caesar one of the more unique voices of his craft. Collaboration became the backbone of his success, first in the form of several breakthrough singles from his 2017 debut album, Freudian. Duets with peers like…

Cryptic Cypher
Presented by Rated Ill and Skilfest Productions, Cryptic Cypher PDX promises an unforgettable evening of music, dance, delectable cuisine, prize giveaways and more. This interactive hip-hop extravaganza is a unique gem in Portland's event landscape. Taking place at Morrison Market on Stage 722. Audience members take the reins as judges in the Emcee Battle, where…

Pansy Division
There have been gay musicians hidden throughout rock music history, but Pansy Division, when it began in 1991 in San Francisco, they were the first to be so boldly open about it. Founded by guitarist/singer Jon Ginoli and soon joined by bassist/vocalist Chris Freeman, with the intent of forming a gay rock band, Pansy Division…

Vallis Alps
Blending synth-pop, downtempo, and hip-hop influences into wistful but not too nostalgic songs, Vallis Alps is the project of vocalist Parissa Tosif and producer David Ansari. Though the pair originally lived thousands of miles apart — Tosif was from Canberra, Australia and Ansari from Seattle in the U.S. — they met during their gap year…

Lucky Chops
Lucky Chops is big, brassy, and unapologetically bold. The six-piece band has united audiences in more than 30 countries in thousands of shows, hard-driving grooves and potent singable melodies. The irresistible groove that is Lucky Chops is led by co-founder Josh Holcomb’s soulful trombone, Daro Behroozi’s soaring sax and Joshua Gawel’s powerful trumpet. Born in…

Fall in Love with Lents: Really Free Night Market
The Fall in Love with Lents Friday Really Free Night Market is inspired by the “Really, Really Free” Market (RRFM) movement, which is a temporary market that aims to counteract capitalism by sharing. Sharing includes resources, caring for one another, and improving the collective lives of everyone in the community through giving and receiving. This…

Billy Strings
A master of the guitar, banjo, and mandolin, Billy Strings is a singer and instrumentalist whose music starts with the sound and speed of bluegrass and folds in elements of rock, jazz, and psychedelia. Strings deals in acoustic music, but his lyrics are rooted in contemporary issues ("Dust in a Baggie" sounds like a classic…

Owl City
Since first breaking onto the alt-pop scene in 2007, Owl City has built a global following on the strength of his heart-on-sleeve songwriting and endlessly inventive sound. Along with earning a monumental hit with the diamond-certified "Fireflies," -a 2009 release that reached No. 1 in 26 countries-the, the Minnesota-bred artist otherwise known as Adam Young…

Shreya Ghoshal
RASIKA presents Bollywood’s most popular and iconic diva singer Shreya Ghoshal Live in her first-ever appearance in Portland, OR. This is her only concert on the West Coast on this tour. Rasika thanks the national tour organizers, Shreya and the entire team for their loving gesture to perform for Rasika in our 25th performing art…

Chris Farren
On Born Hot, Farren fully embodies the sensitive-goofball dichotomy found in all his work, especially his exuberant live show: a solo performance in which he plays to live-recorded backing tracks while projecting purposely wacky visuals (his face duplicated thousands of times, text that reads "ANOTHER PERFECT SET" at the end of each closing song). By…
Was this page helpful?