Live Entertainment in Memphis

B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street presents live blues nightly, named for the King of the Blues who got his start performing on this very street.

Beale Street is the most historically significant blues entertainment district in America — a Memphis street that has been the center of African American blues, soul, and gospel music since the 1860s, producing B.B. King, Muddy Waters (who recorded here), and the blues tradition that directly created rock and roll. Its extraordinary concentration of live music venues, its 24-hour entertainment license, and its role in Memphis's remarkable musical heritage create one of the most historically profound entertainment experiences in American music.

Cannon Center for the Performing Arts is Memphis's most versatile mid-size performing arts venue — a 2,100-seat hall hosting the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Broadway touring productions, and major concerts in downtown Memphis's entertainment core. Its role as the primary venue for Memphis's most formal performing arts programming complements the more popular music focus of Beale Street and FedExForum.

Hi-Tone is Memphis's most beloved independent music venue — a Midtown club presenting indie, alternative, and experimental acts for the Memphis music community in the most genuine neighborhood bar atmosphere in Tennessee's most musically significant city. Memphis's extraordinary musical heritage (Sun Studio, Stax Records, Muscle Shoals sessions) and the Hi-Tone's commitment to genuine independent music create a club of authentic musical significance.

Levitt Shell in Overton Park is the site of Elvis Presley's first public performance in 1954, presenting free outdoor concerts in one of Memphis's most historic music venues.

Minglewood Hall in Midtown Memphis presents touring rock and hip-hop acts in a converted warehouse concert venue.

Mud Island River Park is Memphis's most atmospheric outdoor concert destination — a Mississippi River peninsula with the extraordinary River Walk scale model and an outdoor amphitheater presenting summer concerts against the backdrop of the mighty Mississippi. Memphis's profound connection to the Mississippi River (the river that brought the African cultural traditions that became the blues) creates an outdoor concert setting of exceptional historical and geographical resonance.

Orpheum Theatre is Memphis's magnificent 1928 movie palace and premier performing arts venue — a 2,400-seat venue with an extraordinary Beaux Arts interior presenting Broadway touring productions and major concerts for Memphis and the mid-South. The Orpheum's role as both Memphis's primary Broadway house and as a historic preservation triumph reflects the city's commitment to maintaining its architectural heritage alongside its contemporary entertainment aspirations.

Orpheum Theatre in downtown Memphis is a restored 1928 movie palace presenting touring Broadway productions and concerts.

Rum Boogie Cafe on Beale Street presents live blues and rock nightly, decorated with hundreds of celebrity-autographed guitars.

Sun Studio, the 'Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll,' is where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis first recorded, still operating as a working studio and museum.

Tennessee Shakespeare Company produces professional Shakespeare and classical theater in Memphis — providing the cultural programming that complements Memphis's dominant musical heritage with high-quality theatrical entertainment. The company's productions serve Memphis's educational and cultural community alongside the city's more commercially oriented music and entertainment economy.