Best Bets
Urban Bush Women — Friday: Essential, narrative-driven dance from the groundbreaking Black women-led company.
Collage Dance Collective: ORIGINS — Friday–Sunday: Four contemporary ballets, including work by Crystal Pite and Darrell Grand Moultrie.
Opera Memphis: Rigoletto — Saturday: Verdi’s tragedy with the Memphis Symphony at the Cannon Center.
Broad Avenue Art Walk — Saturday: A free, neighborhood-scale convergence of live music, dance, art demonstrations and 65-plus makers.
Cash Money & No Limit Tour — Saturday: A remarkable concentration of Southern rap history in one arena show.
Flightmares — Friday–Saturday: Aerial performance embedded inside three immersive haunted environments.
Roots of Sea and Land — Sunday: Closing performance of Hattiloo’s international, Pan-African theater collaboration.
Spamalot — Tuesday: Opening night for the touring revival of Monty Python’s gloriously foolish musical.
Thursday, October 22
10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Hot Off the Wall Art Sale
Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park Ave. — East Memphis · Free
[FREE]
Original work by emerging and nationally known artists is displayed salon-style and available for purchase, with proceeds supporting Dixon education programs. Dixon Gallery & GardensGates 5:30 p.m.; concert 6:30–8 p.m. — Memphis Wind Symphony
The Grove at GPAC, 1801 Exeter Rd. — Germantown · $13 adults; $8 ages 5–18; under 4 free; $23 table seating
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The 65-member ensemble moves easily among concert-band repertoire, pop arrangements and big-band favorites in an outdoor setting. Germantown Performing Arts CenterSign-up 6:30 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Speaker Box Slam
Hattiloo Culture Box, 37 S. Cooper St. — Overton Square · $10 advance/$12 door; participating poets free
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
Ten poets perform original work before audience-selected judges, with the evening’s winner advancing toward a championship and paid feature slot. hattiloo.org7–8:30 p.m. — Echoes in the Room with David Less and Robert Gordon
Memphis Listening Lab, Crosstown Concourse — Crosstown · Admission not posted
[ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Two deeply knowledgeable Memphis-music historians lead an audio-centered exploration using the Listening Lab’s extraordinary archive. memphislisteninglab.org7–9:30 p.m. — The Vanishing
Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave. — Crosstown · Ticketed; current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
George Sluizer’s original Dutch psychological thriller is a patient, pitiless film about obsession and the need to know. crosstownarts.org7:30–9:30 p.m. — Million Dollar Quartet
Lohrey Theatre at Theatre Memphis, 630 Perkins Extended — East Memphis · $15–$62
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
Theatre Memphis dramatizes the legendary Sun Records session involving Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins with a live rock-and-roll score. theatrememphis.orgDoors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Bobcat and the Burning Brigids
Hi Tone Small Room, 282–284 N. Cleveland St. — Crosstown · $18.50
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A properly intimate room for Bobcat’s raw one-man-band blues and the Burning Brigids’ folk-rooted sound.Doors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Journey to Jersey
Growlers, 1911 Poplar Ave. — Midtown · $20
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A touring classic-rock bill emphasizing the melodic, arena-sized side of the genre in a small club.
Friday, October 23
Friday is unusually strong; these are competing choices.
5, 6:30 or 8 p.m. — Flightmares: Aerial Arts Haunted Experience
High Expectations Aerial Arts, 319 Cumberland St. — North Memphis · $30 · Recommended 13+
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
Audiences move through an abandoned asylum, graveyard and sinister attic while aerialists perform inside the environments. Also Saturday. Memphis Travel5:30–9 p.m. — Four Way Restaurant Legacy Concert
The Four Way, 998 Mississippi Blvd. — Soulsville · Ticketed; current price at checkout
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
The Shell on Wheels stage celebrates the landmark restaurant’s 80-year history with Memphis soul spanning multiple generations. overtonparkshell.orgWorkshop 5:30 p.m.; performance 7 p.m. — Urban Bush Women
Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s, 60 Perkins Extended — East Memphis · Workshop free; performance $40
[FREE WORKSHOP] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The influential Black women-led dance-theater company combines movement, music, social engagement and stories drawn from the African diaspora. Buckman Home6–10 p.m. — ArtoberFest
Off the Walls Arts, 360 Walnut St. — South Memphis · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY]
A grassroots celebration of independent artists across music, dance, visual art and other media. It continues Saturday from noon–10 p.m. Memphis Travel6 p.m. — Wonderland — opening night
Harrell Theatre, 440 W. Powell Rd. — Collierville · Current price at checkout
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [OPENING-NIGHT] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
New Day Children’s Theatre opens a fast, pop-inspired reimagining of Alice’s adventures, performed by young Mid-South artists. ColliervilleDoors 6 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — We Came as Romans with Varials and Cane Hill
Satellite Music Hall, 1291 Autumn Ave. — Crosstown · Current price at checkout · All ages
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY]
A substantial touring metalcore package pairs an established headliner with two harder-edged support acts.Doors 6 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Collective Dust with Pretty Much Over, Abigail & Starlings and Sleepless Nights
Growlers — Midtown · $10
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Four emerging alternative acts make this one of the week’s better inexpensive small-room discovery bills.Doors 6 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Willis Alan Ramsey with Mark Edgar Stuart
Hernando’s Hide-A-Way, 3210 Old Hernando Rd. — South Memphis · $35 advance/$40 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The famously elusive Texas songwriter is paired with one of Memphis’s sharpest narrative songwriters.7:30 p.m. — Collage Dance Collective: ORIGINS — opening night
Playhouse on the Square, 66 S. Cooper St. — Overton Square · Approximately $30–$50
[OPENING-NIGHT] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
Four ballets span Schubert-scored contemporary work, Aretha Franklin and choreography by Crystal Pite, Darrell Grand Moultrie and company founder Kevin Iega Jeff. Also Saturday at 2:30 and Sunday at 2:30. Oct 23-25, 2026Doors 7 p.m.; show 7:30 p.m. — Memphis Jazz Orchestra featuring Terell Stafford
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $25 advance/$35 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The veteran Memphis big band welcomes the commanding Philadelphia trumpeter and Temple University jazz director.7:30 p.m. — Little Women: The Broadway Musical — closing weekend
Germantown Community Theatre, 3037 Forest Hill-Irene Rd. — Germantown · Current price at checkout
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING-WEEKEND] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
The March sisters’ story receives an intimate community-theater treatment. Also Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday’s final performance at 2:30. gctcomeplay.org8–10 p.m. — Eureka Day
TheatreWorks at the Square, 2085 Monroe Ave. — Overton Square · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
New Moon stages Jonathan Spector’s barbed comedy about an ultra-progressive school board whose consensus collapses during a public-health dispute. Also Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 2. New Moon Theatre CompanyShows 8 and 10:30 p.m. — Teal Wright
Hattiloo Culture Box — Overton Square · $20 advance/$25 door; early show sold out when checked
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Wright’s neo-soul, R&B and hip-hop-informed vocals are presented in Hattiloo’s deliberately intimate Music Box format. Memphis8 p.m. — Clutch
Bluesville at Horseshoe Tunica — Tunica Resorts · Current price at checkout · 21+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A rare nearby appearance from the durable Maryland heavy-rock band in Bluesville’s 1,475-seat room. Horseshoe ...Doors 9 p.m.; show 10 p.m. — Vampire Masquerade Ball
Hi Tone Big Room — Crosstown · $7.50–$19.50
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Costuming, gothic pageantry and dancing make this more of a staged Halloween gathering than a routine club night.
Saturday, October 24
Saturday is exceptionally dense; think of these as alternatives, not an itinerary.
10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Broad Avenue Art Walk
Broad Avenue Arts District — Binghampton · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
More than 65 artists, makers and vintage vendors join two music stages, dance and art demonstrations, food trucks and a children’s zone. choose901.com11 a.m.–3 p.m. — Día de los Muertos Parade and Festival
Parade from Court Square to the Halloran Centre — Downtown/South Main · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Cazateatro’s celebration includes a public procession and performances by 123 Andrés, Danza Azteca, Cazateatro Dance, UofM’s marimba ensemble and Banda Konquistadora.Gates noon — Trucktoberfest
Southland Casino Hotel — West Memphis · Free · All ages
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Food trucks, a children’s zone and free live entertainment make this a low-cost afternoon festival option. southlandcasino.com2 p.m. — Chêne Fest
Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanic Garden — East Memphis · Free general admission; upgrades available
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Nate Smith headlines a country bill that also includes emerging artists, short-film premieres, vendors and an auction. facebook.com2:30 p.m. — 901 Wrestling live television taping
Growlers — Midtown · Price not posted
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Local professional wrestling supplies character work, improvised crowd interaction and athletic stage combat in a close-quarters setting.From 4 p.m. — Punk Rock Flea Market
Hi Tone, both rooms — Crosstown · Free
[FREE] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Hi Tone turns both rooms over to independent art, records, clothing and punk-adjacent makers.Doors 5:30 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Ole 60 with Arcy Drive and Garret Elias
Grind City Amphitheater, 76 Waterworks Ave. — Uptown · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Ole 60’s mix of country writing, folk and indie-rock sonics anchors a strong three-act outdoor bill. October 24, 20267:30–9:30 p.m. — Opera Memphis and Memphis Symphony: Rigoletto
Cannon Center, 255 N. Main St. — Downtown · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Verdi’s dark tragedy brings “Caro nome” and “La donna è mobile” to the Cannon Center, sung in Italian with English surtitles. operamemphis.org7:30 p.m. — Dru Hill with Ginuwine, Next and Troop
BankPlus Amphitheater, 6285 Snowden Ln. — Southaven · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A concentrated 1990s and early-2000s R&B package built around four substantial vocal catalogs. SouthavenShows 8 and 10:30 p.m. — Adrian Ace Kennard and Ashundra Bernard
Hattiloo Culture Box — Overton Square · $20 advance/$25 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Kennard’s gospel-rooted baritone is paired with Bernard, a vocalist and actor whose Memphis credits include Dreamgirls and The Color Purple. hattiloo.org8 p.m. — The Robert Cray Band
GPAC, 1801 Exeter Rd. — Germantown · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Cray’s sharply economical guitar playing and soulful voice come to GPAC’s intimate performance hall. Germantown Performing Arts Center8 p.m. — Cash Money & No Limit Tour
FedExForum — Downtown · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Master P, Birdman, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, B.G., Mia X, Silkk the Shocker, Boosie and others unite two foundational Southern rap catalogs. MemphisDoors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Joshua Ray Walker with Cecilia Castleman
Hernando’s Hide-A-Way — South Memphis · $20 advance/$25 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Walker’s expansive country songwriting and formidable voice meet Castleman’s bluesy, guitar-led Americana.Doors 7 p.m.; show 7:30 p.m. — Garrison Starr with Kristy Lee
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $35 advance/$45 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The Grammy-nominated Memphis-born songwriter returns on an album-release tour with Alabama roots artist Kristy Lee. crosstownarts.orgDoors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Halloween with MiniKISS
Gold Strike Theatre — Tunica Resorts · $25 · 21+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Costumes and KISS-style staging are integral to this high-energy tribute show, which includes a Halloween costume party. tickets.goldstrike.comDoors/show 9 p.m. — Emo Nite
Minglewood Hall, 1555 Madison Ave. — Midtown · Current price at checkout · 18+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A large-room, communal singalong devoted to emo and pop-punk staples. minglewoodhallmemphis.com9 p.m. — Rave Till Grave
Growlers — Midtown · $15 advance/$20 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A late electronic and Halloween dance option after Growlers’ afternoon wrestling show.Doors 8 p.m.; music 9 p.m. — Recent Future record-release show
Bar DKDC, 964 Cooper St. — Cooper-Young · Cover not posted
[ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Recent Future celebrates a new release with Wet Robot and Neon Glittery in one of Memphis’s smallest, most personable music rooms.7–11 p.m. — Art on Fire
Dixon Gallery & Gardens — East Memphis · $75 members/$95 nonmembers and day-of · 21+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Fire performers, live entertainment, food, drinks, a bonfire and access to the Hot Off the Wall sale turn the Dixon grounds into a theatrical fundraiser. Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Sunday, October 25
11 a.m.–6 p.m. — Mekong Memphis Festival
Cleveland Street near Crosstown — Midtown · $8–$10; all ages
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
An intergenerational Southeast Asian festival built around music, dance, food and cultural performances. eventbrite.com1–5 p.m. — Hot Off the Wall — closing day
Dixon Gallery & Gardens — East Memphis · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING-DAY]
The final opportunity to browse and buy from the Dixon’s wide-ranging annual art sale. Dixon Gallery & Gardens2 p.m. — Roots of Sea and Land — closing performance
Hattiloo Theatre Main Stage — Overton Square · Approximately $32–$35
[CLOSING-WEEKEND] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
A Garifuna man and an Indigenous woman anchor this multigenerational work, presented through Hattiloo’s new international Black-theater initiative. Memphis Travel2 p.m. — Eureka Day
TheatreWorks at the Square — Overton Square · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
Sunday provides the most convenient matinee for New Moon’s timely, uncomfortable comedy about institutional idealism and contested truth. New Moon Theatre Company2:30 p.m. — Little Women — closing performance
Germantown Community Theatre — Germantown · Current price at checkout
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING-WEEKEND] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
Final performance of GCT’s intimate musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel. gctcomeplay.orgDoors 5 p.m.; show 6 p.m. — Rev & Marcia
Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · Free
[FREE] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
An accessible early-evening local set in Hi Tone’s downstairs listening room.Doors 5:30 p.m.; show 6 p.m. — Notez&Flow: The Stax Edition
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $25 advance/$35 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The project merges Stax’s raw soul tradition with contemporary spoken word and musical interpretation. crosstownarts.orgDoors 6 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — No Survivors III Tour
Growlers — Midtown · $12 advance/$15 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A seven-band underground-metal package led by The Convalescence, with Knifeback, Red Mountain and multiple regional supports.
Monday, October 26
7 p.m. — The Rockin’ 88s
Blues City Café Band Box, 138 Beale St. — Downtown · Cover not posted
A lively piano-driven Memphis option for a comparatively quiet Monday.Doors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — winterforever with Livid Noise and Saw It Coming
Growlers — Midtown · $10
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Three young punk and alternative acts ensure Monday is not an empty live-music night.
Tuesday, October 27
10–11 a.m. — Adult Tap Class
Watkins Studio Theater at GPAC — Germantown · $20 drop-in
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
A participatory performance option for adults who would rather make rhythm and movement than simply watch it. Germantown Performing Arts Center6–7:30 p.m. — Amy Rigby: Girl to Country signing and performance
Memphis Listening Lab — Crosstown · Admission not posted
[ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The songwriter combines readings and songs for a hybrid literary and music event centered on her new memoir. memphislisteninglab.org6:30–8:30 p.m. — Fright-Tober: Halloween
Crosstown Theater — Crosstown · Ticketed; current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
John Carpenter’s lean, hugely influential original receives a proper theatrical screening shortly before Halloween. crosstownarts.orgDoors 6:30 p.m. — Toy Box: Karaoke & R&Bingo
Hattiloo Culture Box — Overton Square · Pay what you want
A participatory blend of performance, group singing and music-game night at Hattiloo’s intimate second space. hattiloo.org7 p.m. — Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra and 901 Jazz Band
Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center — University District · Current price at checkout
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
UofM’s large jazz ensembles trace big-band music from Ellington and Basie to modern arrangers, with student and faculty soloists. memphis.edu7:30 p.m. — Spamalot — opening night
Orpheum Theatre — Downtown · $46.70–$162.15 · Recommended ages 8+
[OPENING-NIGHT] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
The Tony-winning Monty Python musical returns with elaborate medieval silliness, tap-dancing knights and gleeful theatrical rule-breaking. The Orpheum Theatre ...Doors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Iron & Wine with DUG
Satellite Music Hall — Crosstown · Current price at checkout · All ages
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Sam Beam brings the literate, intricately arranged folk of Iron & Wine to Memphis’s newest large club. ticketmaster.comDoors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Open Mic Comedy Night
Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $13.50
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
Included because Memphis’s grassroots stand-up scene remains an important part of the city’s live-performance ecosystem.
Wednesday, October 28
Noon–1 p.m. — The Dance of Death: Bones and Skeletons in Art
Dixon Gallery & Gardens — East Memphis · Free
[FREE] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Dixon curator Ellen Daugherty explores how artists have used skeletal imagery, mortality and the danse macabre tradition. Dixon Gallery & GardensDoors 6:30 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Laugh Box: Bryant Hannah and Josh Johnson
Hattiloo Culture Box — Overton Square · $12 advance/$15 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
Two Memphis comedians share an intimate showcase emphasizing storytelling, sharp observations and Johnson’s energetic clean-comedy style. hattiloo.org8 p.m. — Hallow Night: LEDGXR, DJ Stargirl, Lifeguard and Palma
Growlers — Midtown · Free
[FREE] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A four-act, no-cover local bill closes the roundup with electronic, alternative and DJ-driven sounds rather than routine midweek entertainment.
