“The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful” – Jimmy Buffett
That’s right y’all, Summer through the Fall there’s no better place to be than Western North Carolina!!!
The Asheville area is a top travel destination for exploring the outdoors, award-winning cuisine, a vibrant arts scene, and many memorable experiences — Oh, and MUSIC!!!
If you are reading this post, there’s more than a 62% chance that you got here from an internet search! With dozens of offerings every day of the week, nobody covers the local music scene better than we do and the search engines recognize us as the most relevant source to find local live music.
Along with the weather, the outdoor season brings a number of musical events to help make your time more enjoyable here in the mountains. Listed below are just a few that we are excited about and you may be too!!
Arbor Evenings at The North Carolina Arboretum – Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! Arbor Evenings runs Wednesdays and Thursdays June 10 through September 18 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. https://www.ncarboretum.org/arborevenings/
Pisgah Brewing Outdoor Concert Season – Founded in 2005, Pisgah is known for producing some of the most sought after craft ales in Western North Carolina. Pisgah Brewing Company currently operates an indoor taproom/music venue throughout the year and an outdoor music venue in the summer and fall months with live music frequently on WNC’s premier outdoor music venue, the Pisgah Brewing Outdoor Stage. See what’s coming up at pisgahbrewing.com/events
Downtown After 5 – Asheville’s favorite free concert series returns to Pack Square Park for four incredible nights of music, community, and celebration. Occurring on the third Friday of the month starting April 17th and continuing in May, June and August. Each evening includes a headlining band plus one of the area’s outstanding local bands to open the show. https://www.ashevilledowntown.org/events
Independence Day Block Party – Join us in Downtown Asheville’s South Slope on Saturday, July 4 for a full day of celebration from Noon – 9:30 PM, ending with fireworks lighting up the night sky! From South Slope favorites to patriotic fun for the whole family, this beloved tradition is back and bigger than ever. Gather your friends, wear your red, white, and blue, and celebrate Independence Day in the heart of Downtown Asheville! https://www.ashevilledowntown.org/events/independence-day-block-party-jxbdg-2y9m7
Shindig On the Green! – Saturday Nights from July 11 through August 29. Bring your instruments, families, friends, lawn chairs and blankets and join us for good times at the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Stage. In 2025 Shindig on the Green, which features a stage show and informal jam sessions around the park, continues at its original location — formerly known as City County Plaza, now transformed into the new Pack Square Park. Locals and visitors alike come together downtown “along about sundown,” or at 7:00pm for those who wear a watch, until 10:00p.m. Concessions are available. Come experience the beautiful music and dance traditions of Southern Appalachia on a summer evening in the mountains. https://folkheritage.org/
French Broad River Brewery Outdoor Concert Series – As part of our larger commitment to supporting live music, community events, and diverse entertainment experiences, these open-air concerts highlight everything from regional bands to touring artists across a variety of genres. Guests can enjoy craft beer, delicious food, and an unforgettable atmosphere while gathering with the community for a one-of-a-kind outdoor music experience in Asheville. From seasonal festivals and large-scale shows to intimate indoor performances and community events, the brewery is a hub for music, art, and celebrations all year long, and this year’s concert series no exception! https://www.frenchbroadbrewery.com/outdoor-concert-series/
AVL Sounds Fest – AVLfest’s spirit lives on in AVL Sounds Fest. Showcasing Asheville’s vibrant venue ecosystem and genre-bending lineups. The Southeast’s premier venue-based music festival. Coming Aug. 6-9th, 2026, to Asheville. https://avlsoundsfest.com/home
Boomtown Arts & Heritage Festival – Labor Day Weekend, September 4-6. Boomtown brings together an array of artists, musicians, and storytellers, creating an immersive experience that highlights the city’s diverse cultural tapestry. Attendees can look forward to a dynamic lineup of main stage performances, interactive workshops, heritage exhibits, and trail tours that highlight Asheville’s architectural marvels, pioneering figures, and stories of resilience. https://www.boomtownfestavl.com/
Of course we’re expecting interesting outdoor lineups from several other local venues and we will have all their live music shows listed on our weekly updates,
Listed below are just a few of our favorite spots to catch live music. We cover dozens and dozens more, all within a 20 mile drive of downtown Asheville, on our weekly Wednesday updates. Each of these purveyors of live music not only supports local music, but also in some way, supports our efforts to bring you the Asheville area’s most complete and reliable music calendar. We hope you will support them!!
Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain opened up a brand new indoor taproom early last year and boasts what we consider one of the best sounding rooms in the area. You’ll find a wide variety of live music throughout the week as well as their famous Pisgah Sunday Jam most Sunday evenings with some of the finest talent in the area. Onsite food trucks are available during most music events. pisgahbrewing.com
Jack Of The Wood is a downtown hot spot for food, brews and drink since 1997 and founders Joan and Joe Eckert who still own it, have maintained the original lively English and Irish vibe. The old-time mountain and Irish music jams continue, including a hot bluegrass jam Thursdays and brunch every Sunday. You’ll also find local and regional bands every Friday and Saturday night. The venue extends a welcoming feeling to regulars and newcomers to this day. https://jackofthewood.com/
Fitz and the Wolfe is a new cocktail and music venue located in downtown Asheville. Here, every night brings a new soundtrack. Jazz, swing, honky-tonk, and sometimes things a little more esoteric. The music fills the space like a second heartbeat, sometimes rowdy, sometimes intimate, always memorable. It’s not background noise. It’s the reason you’re here. https://fitzandthewolfe.com/
The Crowbar Downtown – Asheville’s Best Flockin’ Bar!! Live Music Every Thursday & Saturday. Check out their upcoming lineup https://livemusicasheville.com/venue/crowbar-asheville/
5 Walnut Wine Bar is a brick-walled wine bar with handcrafted decor, area-sourced nibbles & local beer, plus live music every night of the week. Find their music schedule: click here!
Shamrock Irons Pub is Asheville’s newest Irish Pub experience! They’re bringing back the fun with a fresh look, perfect pours, and some exciting new live music downtown including a Thursday Jazz Showcase. shamrockirons.com
French Broad River Brewery is located, conveniently at the edge of Biltmore Village. French Broad River Brewery is your go-to spot for craft beer, delicious pizza, and live entertainment in Asheville. You’ll find weekly residencies including Reggae Sunday, Monday Friends, Wednesday Jam Grass, Thursday Dead plus weekend local bands. Drop by to enjoy a wide selection of our beers, wines, ciders, and non-alcoholic beverages. Whether you’re here to listen to live music, or simply relax with friends and family, the tasting room offers something for everyone. There is also a great selection of bar games and family-friendly board games to keep the fun going. https://www.frenchbroadbrewery.com/
The Mule’ – Tasting Room – a full-service bar/event space in the home of Devil’s Foot Beverage’s production facility. Draft soda, beer, & wine – as well as delicious cocktails & mocktails featuring Devil’s Foot craft sodas and the largest collection of NC-made spirits in Asheville – all at your fingertips just outside of Biltmore Village! Hosting a variety of interesting and often eclectic events, you’ll find live jazz nights, latin nights and more with local bands and dj’s. devilsfootbrew.com/the-mule
Little Jumbo is proud to have become a local hub for the Montford and Five Points neighborhoods. From day one the focus has been on being a welcoming, comfortable haven that happens to have great cocktails. Since 2018 they have presented live jazz, and they’re proud to be one of the nerve centers of Asheville’s jazz scene, with a rotating cast of world-class musicians playing every Monday & Tuesday with no cover charge. https://www.littlejumbobar.com/
Shiloh & Gaines – Your neighborhood bar ….. No matter where you live!!! Situated south of downtown, on the edge of the Shiloh community, this welcoming upscale dive bar features a pool table, darts and games with weekly live music, trivia, music bingo and karaoke. shilohandgaines.com
One World Brewing – With two unique locations, built inside buildings that were previously cast aside, One World brews with the intention of fostering nourishing interaction and artistic cultural experiences. From live music to art shows, “One World Brewing” is born from the magic that happens when the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Their West Asheville location is home of “The Monday Night Mashup”, arguably one of the local’s favorite events of the week, 4 years running! oneworldbrewing.com
The Double Crown – A West Asheville institution, the Double Crown hosts Western Wednesdays, karaoke, DJ’s and rousing Gospel & Soul nights each month. It’s a great place for an intimate evening of dancing, drinks and fun, especially if you love a good dive bar.
Hotel Eve Jazz and Cocktail Bar – Downtown Asheville’s newest venue for carefully crafted cocktails and intimate listening in a historic basement and hidden courtyard. Mysteriously, not a hotel. A jazz lover’s dream. hotelevejazz.com