Alternative Venues in Dallas, TX

AM/FM Dallas is a 100-capacity all-ages neighborhood diner, lounge, and backyard stage in Dallas designed to run from morning through late night without missing a beat. The backyard stage gives the room an outdoor character that sets it apart from the standard indoor bar setup. Sound is provided for performers.

Adair's Saloon is a 200-capacity 21+ Dallas institution established in 1963 with live music running six nights a week, Tuesday through Sunday. Wednesdays are reserved for open mic hosted by Scotty Isaacs. The room has a genuine dive bar character that has made it a fixture of the Deep Ellum area for decades.

Bowlski's Lakewood Theater is a 300-capacity all-ages entertainment venue in Dallas combining ten steampunk-style bowling lanes with music videos on a large screen, a full-service restaurant and bar, and a dedicated stage for live acts. The combination entertainment format gives performers an audience that is already in the building and in a good mood.

Brookhaven College is an all-ages community college campus in Dallas with performance spaces and a student newspaper. Programming is handled through student activities. Acts comfortable with a diverse community college audience are a good fit.

Club Dada is a 400-capacity 21+ venue in Deep Ellum, Dallas, capable of hosting live music up to seven nights a week. All shows are 21+ unless otherwise noted. Bookings are handled through one of Dallas's primary independent booking companies.

Dusty's is a 21+ bar in Dallas, formerly known as CheapSteaks, with outdoor patio seating, a food program, and live music available any night of the week. The casual neighborhood character suits a wide range of acts.

Granada Theater is a 1,150-capacity all-ages Dallas landmark and one of the most consistently voted best live music venues in the city, running shows any night of the week. The room has real production capability and programs across a wide range of genres.

Green Elephant is a 250-capacity 21+ underground venue in Dallas that hosts charity events, art galleries, local bands, hip hop, and national touring acts, with an anything-goes programming ethos that keeps the calendar genuinely unpredictable.

LAUNCH Music Conference is an all-ages music conference and festival in Dallas taking place in early November, combining industry programming during the day with live performances at night. All submitting artists are considered for performance opportunities and no performance fees are charged.

Lee Harvey's is a 100-capacity 21+ South Dallas dive bar running live music outside on Friday and Saturday nights all year round, weather permitting. The outdoor patio and no-pretense dive bar character give it a reputation as one of the most beloved small music spots in the city.

Off the Record is a 21+ bar in Dallas with 24 craft beers on tap and over 2,000 curated records lining the walls courtesy of Good Records. Shows run Wednesday through Saturday nights and the room has the feel of a music lover's living room scaled up to bar size.

Puzzles Deep Ellum is an all-ages live music venue and event space in the heart of Deep Ellum, formerly known as Quixotic World, running most shows on Friday and Saturday nights. Booking is handled through a dedicated entertainment company.

Richland College is an all-ages community college campus in Dallas with performance spaces and a student newspaper.

Ruins is a 200-capacity all-ages agave and cane spirits bar in Deep Ellum, Dallas, with artfully crafted cocktails and live music programming handled through Banjos to Beats. The Deep Ellum location and specialty spirits focus give it a distinct character among the neighborhood's music venues.

Southern Methodist University is an all-ages private university campus in Dallas with performance spaces and a Program Council that handles live entertainment for students.

The Alley Music House is a 300-capacity 21+ Dallas speakeasy-style cocktail and music venue with events running Tuesday through Sunday. The room has house sound provided and the combination of upscale cocktails and live music suits a wide range of original and jazz-adjacent acts.

The B is a 75-capacity all-ages music venue and rehearsal space in Dallas's Lake Highlands neighborhood, on the B Side of Zounds Sounds School of Music. The venue provides a sound system and is available for shows as well as private events.

The Cottage in Dallas is a 21+ bar with an open jam on Fridays and karaoke on Wednesdays, with live music shows possible any other night of the week. The casual neighborhood bar character suits acts looking for a low-pressure Dallas booking.

The Doublewide is a 150-capacity 21+ Deep Ellum Dallas bar with an unpretentious dive bar character, cold beer, stiff drinks, and some of the best live music bookings in the neighborhood. The room suits original and rock acts that thrive in an energetic bar environment.

The Free Man is a 180-capacity all-ages Dallas bar combining food, music, and atmosphere in what the owners call a new destination for the city. The venue has a house sound system and lighting rig provided for performers. A press kit or EPK is expected when you reach out.

The Goat is a 104-capacity 21+ Dallas bar running one-off shows on Friday and Saturday nights and a Delta Blues jam on Tuesday nights. The house sound system is provided.

The University of Texas at Dallas is an all-ages public research university campus in Richardson with performance spaces and a Student Union Activities Advisory Board programming live events for students.

The Wild Detectives is an all-ages bookstore bar and venue in Dallas's Bishop Arts District, a genuine gathering place for readers, thinkers, and music lovers that hosts live music outside on Thursday nights. The house PA is provided, and the combination of books, cocktails, and culture gives the room a character that is completely its own.

Three Links is a 125-capacity 18+ Deep Ellum bar with no cover charge ever and a genuine commitment to presenting national, regional, and local artists with equal enthusiasm. The room has been a cornerstone of the Dallas independent music scene and the kind of place where both emerging artists and seasoned road warriors feel right at home.

Trees is a 650-capacity 18+ Deep Ellum institution and one of the most storied live music rooms in Dallas, originally opened in 1991 and home to hundreds of legendary performances that have shaped the city's music identity. The room books local, regional, and national acts and carries the kind of reputation that makes a Trees booking mean something on an artist's resume.

Twilite Lounge is a 49-capacity 21+ Deep Ellum neighborhood bar that serves craft draft beer and authentic New Orleans cocktails alongside live music and the kind of warm, unpretentious atmosphere that Deep Ellum used to be built entirely on. The venue provides both a sound system and a sound tech for performers, which is a genuine rarity for a room this intimate.