Music & Nightlife

Tunes with a View

If you like your music accompanied by scenic views, any of the area’s outdoor venues will suit you perfectly. Head to the Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park to enjoy live music riverside from national-touring acts managed by Live Nation. Greenfield Lake Amphitheater hosts regional and national acts in a picturesque lakefront setting. Artists from Michael Franti & Spearhead to the legendary Willie Nelson have played the popular venue, which offers seated and standing-view options. During the summer months, bring your chair and catch jazz in the courtyard of the Bellamy Mansion Museum, an exquisitely restored mid-1800s home. Summer Jazz Series at the Mansion takes place the second Thursday of every month beginning May to September. Or, enjoy live music while taking in the scenic beauty of the majestic Airlie Gardens during their Summer Concert Series, which takes place every first and third Friday of the month from June through September. Find upcoming concerts and local music events in Wilmington and our nearby Island Beaches. 

Eat, Drink & Enjoy Live Music

It’s no secret that Wilmington is a burgeoning destination for foodies and craft beer lovers, but most people don’t know some of these fabulous eateries are also home to live music. Head to Reel Café’s rooftop bar for views of the riverfront and plenty of great tunes. Local musicians frequently play on the back deck at Ogden Tap Room, a family-friendly restaurant with 40 beers on tap and a lawn. To experience a one-of-a-kind bar, craft cocktails and phenomenal acoustics, experience a night at Bourgie Nights. In South Front District, Satellite Bar and Lounge offers Signature Sunday Evening Live Bluegrass Jam for guest to dance the night away indoors and on the outside patio with their favorite beer or wine in hand. If craft beer is the name of your game, local musicians are known to frequent Waterline Brewing Co., Wrightsville Beach Brewery and Edward Teach Brewing.

Sing-Along Indoors

Wilmington is also home to more formal, indoor venues. The Wilson Center – the largest and most technically advanced performance center in Eastern North Carolina – proudly hosts Broadway shows, symphonies, concerts and more. If you’re looking for a historic venue, check out Thalian Hall Center for Performing Arts, operating since 1858. The facility hosts more than 500 performance events annually featuring musical genres ranging from pop to folk and jazz to country. As home to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), the city also attracts internationally acclaimed performers to Kenan Auditorium on the UNCW campus. Visit our events calendar for a list of upcoming arts, theatre and live performances in Wilmington. 

Jam in Unique Settings

Sometimes, good times are found in unexpected places. Check out funky artwork and hear a bluesy band at night at Beale Street Barber Shop. Art and music lovers should check out Cameron Art Museum to hear performances by piano and voice students of local teachers. These concerts are held a few times each year and feature music from Beethoven, Bizet and Chopin, as well as modern-day selections. For a nationally acclaimed band performance in a refurbished church (c.1888), visit the Brooklyn Arts Center + The Annex.

Festivals for Music Lovers

A winter tradition, the annual North Carolina Jazz Festival brings world-class artists to Wilmington for three nights of unforgettable performances. The event is one of the largest traditional jazz festivals in the Southeast and brings hundreds of jazz enthusiasts to the area.

Nearby at our island beaches, enjoy a lineup of nationally recognized performers. Get your dancing feet ready for one of the country’s largest running music festivals and the biggest and only music festival held along the North Carolina coast at the Carolina Beach Music Festival in June. Find more concerts and live music festivals.

Experience the Nightlife

To get a taste of Wilmington’s nightlife scene, head to local speakeasies like Blind Elephant, a 1920s Prohibition-style bar that serves timeless cocktails and signature elixirs. Or, swing by Earnest Money & Sons, a speakeasy that requires membership at a minimal fee and invites guests to taste refreshing, thoughtfully made libations, unique wines and beers. Visit The Ivey, a casual liquor-centric bar located in an alley and a few steps from the Riverwalk. Stop in for handcrafted cocktails, craft beer offerings and for those who want to enjoy a cocktail without the alcohol, try one of their signature mocktails. 

Wilmington's only full-time comedy club, the Dead Crow Comedy Room offers laughter all year long. Started as a basement venue in the heart of downtown Wilmington, this comedy club has grown and now shares a home with Lush and continues to host nationally and locally acclaimed live comedy acts. The updated venue features a spacious indoor bar and outdoor beer garden. Laugh the night away at one of Wilmington's upcoming comedy shows.

For more tunes, concerts and nightlife beach venues, check out all that nearby Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach have to offer those looking to hit the town once the sun goes down.