7 Days of Live Music in Knoxville
Emilie Stooksbury
7 Days of Live Music in Knoxville
Whether you’ve got a taste for bluegrass (welcome to Tennessee!), jazz (oh you fancy), or you prefer some acoustic strumming to accompany your beer sipping, here’s where to find FREE live music in Knoxville, Tennessee seven days a week. While our Nashy neighbor to the west may be more well known for her music scene, our favorite lil scruffy city (Knoxville, duh) certainly holds her own when it comes to live music opportunities. After all, Dolly herself would make the trek over from Sevierville to Knoxville to perform at just ten years old.
MONDAYS
⭐️ Barrelhouse by Gypsy Circus kicks off every week with an Open Mic Night!
⭐️ In the heart of downtown, Suttree’s High Gravity Tavern hosts a live podcast recording on Mondays featuring chats about beer aaand live performances from up-and-coming musicians.
⭐️ Steak frites with a side of saxophone, anyone? A few blocks south, Bistro at The Bijou hosts live jazz on Mondays from 7-9pm.
⭐️ The WDVX Blue Plate Special happens almost every single day. Seriously, Monday-Saturday. It’s is a live performance radio show held at noon inside Visit Knoxville in Downtown Knoxville (except for Fridays when they head over to Barley’s) & hosts a wide array of musicians from around the region!
TUESDAYS
⭐️ Tuesdays are more known for trivia here in Knoxville (seriously, there are endless options for Trivia Tuesday), but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch some live music! Head to Jig & Reel on Tuesdays to catch the Old Time Jam With Sarah Pirkle. Feel free to just listen and enjoy over some scotch – or take an instrument off the wall and join the party!
⭐️ Depending on the season, you can usually catch free jazz on Tuesdays as well! In the colder months, catch it inside The Emporium on Gay St. In warmer months, various jazz bands & trios take the Market Square outdoor stage and the vibe is IMMACULATE.
⭐️ And yes,The WDVX Blue Plate Special is still goin’ strong on Tuesdays at the Visitor Center!
WEDNESDAYS
⭐️ Come back to Jig & Reel on Wednesdays for their Singer Songwriter/Open Mic Night!
⭐️ Need even more Open Mics in your life? Alliance Brewing in South Knoxville has been hosting one on Wednesdays as well!
⭐️ The party continuuuues! Head to Ale’ Rae’s Gastropub for an Open Jam every other Wednesday in North Knox.
⭐️ Over in Farragut, Water into Wine hosts live music on Wednesdays for all our West Knox music lovers.
⭐️ Annnnd you probably sense a trend here, but the WDVX Blue Plate Special is still on at noon 😉
THURSDAYS
⭐️ In the summer, head back to Market Square every third Thursday of the month for variety concerts! Grab a pal & a lawn chair & make a day of it in Downtown Knoxville.
⭐️ Across downtown (but you may as well be across the pond), Jig & Reel hosts rotating Irish and Scottish sessions starting at 7:15pm on Thursdays in the Old City.
⭐️ Suttree’s High Gravity Tavern is home to “Honky Tonk Thursdays” where you can listen to live country bands or even jump on the dance floor for some two-steppin’!
⭐️ Earlier in the day – you guessed it – The WDVX Blue Plate Special is live inside Visit Knoxville at noon!
FRIDAYS
⭐️ Fridays are STUFFED FULL of live music! You can usually find it at places Scruffy City Hall & Preservation Pub, Pour Taproom, Backdoor Tavern, Barley’s Taproom & Pizzaria, Barrelhouse by Gypsy Circus, Ale Rae’s Gastropub, Schulz Brau Brewing and honestly like a zillion other places 😂🙌 Take a stroll through town & find your favorite!
⭐️ Enjoy jazz every Friday at Bistro by the Bijou!
⭐️ Out west? Hey Bear Cafe has live music (and food trucks & boba) out in their big, beautiful backyard!
⭐️ And we couldn’t forget our tried & true The WDVX Blue Plate Special! It still happens at noon, but on Fridays they take a field trip over to Barley’s Taproom so you can enjoy lunch as you listen 🙌
SATURDAYS
⭐️ Saturdays are a rinse & repeat of Friday! If you have a favorite spot in town, it’s worth checking to see if they’re hosting live music today.
⭐️ You’ll alsooo want to check out our dedicated Live Music page to see what concerts or music festivals are happening around Knoxville on any given weekend as well!
⭐️ Beyond thaaaat, The WDVX Blue Plate Special is back inside Visit Knoxville at noon.
⭐️ In the evening, pop over to Water into Wine in Farragut or Bistro by the Bijou in Downtown Knoxville for live jazz every Saturday. (Look at Knoxville just bein’ so CLASSY with all these jazz options 😉)
SUNDAYS
⭐️ On Sundays from 3-6pm, head over to the Old City to catch some live music at the Wagon Wheel. (She’s a rowdy country-western club at night but a pretty sweet spot to catch tunes at 3pm on a Sunday! 😂)
⭐️ Every third Sunday of the month, East Tennessee Bluegrass Association hosts a bluegrass jam out at Ijams Nature Center. Bring a banjo or just come enjoy the music!
⭐️ And with shockingly even more jazz, Crafty Bastard takes the torch & hosts it on Sundays!
EVERYDAAAY
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! Here are some spots in Knoxville with live music nearly every single scruffy day:
⭐️ Preservation Pub
⭐️ Scruffy City Hall (if they don’t have live music, they have some other fun entertainment on the calendar)
⭐️ Jig & Reel
⭐️ Barleys Taproom & Pizzaria
⭐️ Backdoor Tavern
⭐️ The Pilot Light
We hope you have fun enjoying the music scene in Knoxville, Tennessee! Find even more options right here.