The video above takes you on a nighttime walking tour through Houston's Theater District, one of the best areas to explore if you're looking for things to do in downtown Houston after dark. David Bridwell covers the major performance venues, a couple of solid food halls, and even squeezes in some live music footage from spots around the city. It's a good overview of what this part of Houston actually looks like from street level, including views of the skyline and the JP Morgan Chase Tower — the tallest skyscraper in Texas.
What Are the Best Live Music and Performance Venues in Houston's Theater District?
Houston's downtown Theater District spans 17 blocks and ranks second in the nation in size. It's home to nine performing arts organizations and an estimated 2 million visitors per year, with roughly 19,000 seats for live performances. Houston is actually one of only five U.S. cities with permanent professional resident companies covering opera, ballet, symphony, and theater. Here are the major venues in the district:
- Jones Hall — Home of the Houston Symphony, this is one of the anchor venues of the Theater District
- Wortham Theater Center — Where the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet perform regularly
- The Alley Theatre — The third oldest continually operating theater in the U.S., open since 1947 and known for bringing professional theater beyond New York City
- Hobby Center for the Performing Arts — The spot for touring Broadway shows and other large-scale performances
- Bayou Music Center — A large music venue inside the Bayou Place entertainment complex where you can catch well-known touring acts in a big room
Where to Eat and Hear Live Music Nearby
Restaurants aren't as dense in the Theater District as you might expect, but there are a few standout food halls worth checking out. The LC Market, located next to the LC Tower, is a newer food hall with a variety of options and a bar area that features live music — Guapo's Guru was performing during the visit shown in the video. Right across the street from the Lyric Market, Be Petes has been serving Italian food for over 50 years. They occasionally have live music as well, and the video captures a set from Bubba Neely playing there.
Live Music Beyond the Theater District
The video also heads over to Adir Kitchen in the Bellaire/West University area, where David Bridwell played a set to a good crowd. It's a reminder that Houston's live music doesn't stay boxed inside downtown — there's plenty happening in the surrounding neighborhoods too. The downtown Theater District history goes back to 1947 with the Alley Theatre, but the district designation itself wasn't formalized until 1995, when the area was divided into the Theater District, the Main Street Corridor, and the Market Square Historic District. Together they form what's sometimes called the Houston Skyline District.