Best Bets
Buddy Guy — Thursday: The 90-year-old blues master at Graceland, with admission to Elvis Presley’s Memphis included before the concert.
Rent — Thursday: Opening night for the University of Memphis’s student production of Jonathan Larson’s musical.
Shell on Wheels: Hallow’s Eve — Friday: Five worthwhile Memphis acts, a DJ and free admission at WISEACRE OG.
The Blood & Bass Revue — Friday: Burlesque, live music, drag-hosted variety and live painting at Growlers.
MEMREN — Saturday–Sunday: Memphis’s theatrical Renaissance faire fills the Overton Park Greensward with characters, musicians, dancers and courtly spectacle.
Otto in Antarctica — Sunday: French horn, electronics, field recordings, video and spoken word become an adventurous piece of interdisciplinary performance.
Indigo Girls with Linda Perry — Monday: A rescheduled benefit concert in the Overton Park Shell.
Boy My Greatness — Wednesday: A staged reading of a new play about Shakespeare’s boy actors rehearsing during the plague.
Thursday, October 29
4–6 p.m. — Night at the Museum
Art Museum of the University of Memphis, 142 CFA Building — University District · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Hands-on activities, crafts, scavenger hunts and refreshments offer a lively first look at the newly opened Best of Tennessee Craft: 2026 Biennial. memphis.edu6–7:30 p.m. — Invisible Listening: A Journey Through the Life and Career of Jon Hassell
Memphis Listening Lab, Crosstown Concourse — Crosstown · Price not posted
[ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
NDEYA Records curates a guided listening session devoted to Hassell’s influential “Fourth World” sound, hosted by Memphis journalist Jared Boyd. Memphis Listening Lab6–8 p.m. — Halloween Sip and Stroll
Memphis Botanic Garden — East Memphis · $30 members/$35 nonmembers · 21+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A guided nighttime walk explores the Herb Garden’s deadly drinks, medicinal plants and botanical folklore; two cocktails or mocktails are included. Memphis Botanic GardenGates 5:30 p.m.; concert 6:30–8 p.m. — Lina Beach
The Grove at GPAC — Germantown · $13 adults/$8 ages 5–18/free under 5; table seats $23
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The rising Memphis singer-songwriter and guitarist brings a roots-oriented set to GPAC’s outdoor lawn stage. Germantown Performing Arts CenterDoors 6 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Halloween-ish Punk Nite
Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $13.50
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The deliberately scrappy downstairs option for anyone who wants Halloween weekend to begin with a small-room punk show. Hi Tone CafeSign-up 6:30 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Speaker Box Slam
Hattiloo Culture Box — Overton Square · $10 advance/$12 door; participating poets free
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
Ten poets perform original work for audience-selected judges, with a $200 championship prize at stake. Hattiloo Theatre7–9 p.m. — Creepshow
Crosstown Theater — Crosstown · $5
[ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
George Romero and Stephen King’s lurid, practical-effects-heavy horror anthology gets a proper theatrical screening. Crosstown Arts7–10 p.m. — Poltergeist
Overton Square Courtyard — Midtown · Free
[FREE] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A free outdoor screening of the 1982 suburban-horror classic; bring a chair or blanket. Memphis Travel7:30 p.m. — Rent — opening night
UofM Mainstage, 3745 Central Ave. — University District · Approximately $25
[OPENING-NIGHT] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
Student actors and musicians open a compact four-day run of Jonathan Larson’s rock musical. Additional performances are Friday at 7:30, Saturday at 2 and 7:30, and Sunday at 2. Theatre and Dance7:30 p.m. — Buddy Guy: 90
Graceland Soundstage — Whitehaven · $59.50–$109.50 plus fees
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
One of the foundational figures in electric blues celebrates his 90th year onstage; tickets also include same-day admission to Elvis Presley’s Memphis from 3–6 p.m. smartseat.graceland.com8 p.m. — Sterling Elza
1884 Lounge at Minglewood Hall — Midtown · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A small-room stop for the Texas Panhandle singer-songwriter’s Red Dirt and country-rock material. Minglewood HallDoors 6 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Full Metal Racket
Hernando’s Hide-A-Way — South Memphis · $10–$15
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A local metal bill in one of Memphis’s most atmospheric roadhouse rooms. hernandoshideawaymemphis.com
Friday, October 30
5–11 p.m. — Shell on Wheels: Hallow’s Eve
WISEACRE OG, 2783 Broad Ave. — Broad Avenue Arts District · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
DJ Kid Mestizo hosts Recent Future at 5, Bailey Bigger at 6:15, Cyrena Wages at 7:30, Aquarian Blood at 8:45 and Country Westerns at 10. Overton Park Shell7 p.m. — Wonderland — closing weekend
Harrell Theatre, 440 W. Powell Rd. — Collierville · Current price at checkout
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING-WEEKEND] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
New Day Children’s Theatre reimagines Alice’s adventures with contemporary pop-influenced music, choreography and a youth ensemble. UNATIONDoors 6 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Pure Prairie League, Atlanta Rhythm Section and Firefall
Cannon Center — Downtown · $74–$134
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Three veteran country-rock and Southern-rock groups share one bill rather than presenting separate short nostalgia sets. Live Nation7:30–9:30 p.m. — Orchestra Unplugged: The Planets
Halloran Centre — South Main · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Robert Moody combines performance and explanation to unpack Holst’s cinematic orchestral suite in an intimate room. Memphis Symphony Orchestra8–10 p.m. — Eureka Day — closing weekend
TheatreWorks at the Square — Overton Square · Current price at checkout
[CLOSING-WEEKEND] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
New Moon stages Jonathan Spector’s sharp comedy about consensus, vaccination and a progressive school board discovering that nobody agrees on the facts. Also Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 2. New MoonDoors 7:30 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — The Blood & Bass Revue
Growlers, 1911 Poplar Ave. — Evergreen/Crosstown · $15 · 21+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Pan De Muerto’s classic burlesque and live performance joins hosts Marceline Vex and Mercy Cerebellum plus live painting by Sin Arta. 901growlers.com8 p.m. — Cosmic Charlie
1884 Lounge — Midtown · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A high-energy Grateful Dead tribute built around extended improvisation rather than note-for-note imitation. Minglewood HallDoors 8 p.m.; show 9 p.m. — F!rst, Switchblade Kid and Soft Violence
Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $13.50
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A compact local and regional alternative-rock bill in the downstairs room. Hi Tone Cafe9 p.m. — Devils Night: Black Widow Boogie
Bar DKDC — Cooper-Young · Cover not posted
[ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Heartbreak Hill Trio, Gurl Haggard, Turnstyles and DJ Witch Hazel turn the tiny room into a deliberately unruly pre-Halloween revue. October 30 @ 9:00 pm9 p.m. — Gasolina Reggaetón Party
Satellite Music Hall — Crosstown · Current price at checkout · 18+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A large-room dance party devoted to the 2000s reggaetón era and its foundational club records. 2026 Event Calendar
Saturday, October 31
10 a.m.–8 p.m. — IndiaFest Memphis
Agricenter International — East Memphis · $12 adults/$6 ages 12–18/free ages 11 and younger
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Music, dance, food, art and demonstrations explore India’s many regional and religious festivals under the theme “One Nation, Many Celebrations.” India Fest10 a.m.–5 p.m.; adult Vespers 6:30–10 p.m. — MEMREN
Overton Park Greensward — Overton Park · Advance options $15–$75; ages 1–3 free with adult ticket
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY—DAYTIME] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
Roaming performers, musicians, magicians, dancers, rival queens, games, artisan stalls and elaborate costuming make this far more theatrical than a standard craft fair. Sunday continues from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. 901tix11 a.m.–3 p.m. — 901KidsFest
Sunset Canopy at Tom Lee Park — Downtown riverfront · Free with RSVP
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Book and treat-bag giveaways, crafts, music and playground activities provide a genuinely child-centered Halloween daytime option. MEMPHIS RIVER PARKS11 a.m.–5 p.m. — Rahn Marion: Hit to the Soul — closing day
Sheet Cake Gallery, 405 Monroe Ave. — Edge District · Free
[FREE] [CLOSING-DAY]
Marion’s paintings combine queer Black Southern experience, medieval imagery, jazz-like structure and religious iconography. Sheet Cake GalleryNoon–5 p.m. — What Remains Visible — closing day
Marshall Arts, 639 Marshall Ave. — Edge District · Free
[FREE] [CLOSING-DAY]
Final opportunity to see a 55-artist exchange linking painters from Memphis, New York, London and Los Angeles. Memphis Travel2 or 7:30 p.m. — Spamalot — closing weekend
Orpheum Theatre — Downtown · $46.70–$162.15 · Recommended ages 8+
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING-WEEKEND] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
The touring musical turns Monty Python and the Holy Grail into an intentionally overproduced parade of songs, absurd props and theatrical sabotage. The Orpheum Theatre Group6 p.m.–2 a.m. — South Main Halloween Hootenanny
South Main Sounds and Max’s courtyard — South Main · Free; donations accepted · 21+
[FREE] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The 20th neighborhood Hootenanny combines live music, a hidden courtyard dance party and costume revelry. Memphis Travel6–11 p.m. — Memphis Halloween Nightmare on the River
Beale Street Landing — Downtown riverfront · From $30 · 21+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Multiple DJ stages, roaming performers, costume competitions, installations and a concluding costume-and-golf-cart parade create a staged city-scale party. Memphis TravelDoors 6 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Halloween at Hi Tone
Hi Tone Big Room — Crosstown · $18.50
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Hi Tone’s upstairs Halloween production is the venue’s larger live-performance option, leaving the downstairs room for a separate underground bill. Hi Tone CafeDoors 7:30 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Pestilence Presents
Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $13.50
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A heavier, more intimate alternative to the simultaneous upstairs celebration. Hi Tone Cafe8 or 10:30 p.m. — Yella P
Hattiloo Culture Box — Overton Square · $20 advance/$25 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The Memphis multi-instrumentalist moves among blues harmonica, guitar, gospel, jazz, funk and hip-hop in two intimate concerts. Hattiloo TheatreDoors 7:30 p.m.; show 8–11 p.m. — Haunted HOUSE: Digital Tech and Qemist
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $15 advance/$20 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Two WYXR DJs transform the listening room into a costumed dance environment built around deep cuts and heavy grooves. Crosstown Arts8 p.m. — Blac Youngsta: Sammie Krueger Fest
Minglewood Hall — Midtown · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The Memphis rapper returns home with a large-room Halloween hip-hop production rather than a conventional tour stop. Live NationDoors 8 p.m.; show 8:30 p.m. — Love in the Club
Satellite Music Hall — Crosstown · $24.50 · 18+
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A Y2K hip-hop and R&B dance production built around the era of Usher, Missy Elliott, Akon and music-video choreography. Memphis TravelShow 9 p.m. — Nightmare on Poplar Avenue
Growlers — Evergreen/Crosstown · $15
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
South Memphis Jeff, Qemist, fDJ and DJ Wurz provide the late-night electronic and dance alternative. 901growlers.com8 p.m. — Monsters Ball
Bar DKDC — Cooper-Young · Cover not posted
[ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Ill Stu and Just Josh lead a densely packed Halloween party in one of the city’s smallest music rooms. Next 8 DaysDoors 6 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Tribute
Hernando’s Hide-A-Way — South Memphis · $15–$20
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Jordan Dean leads a full-band Petty tribute in a setting suited to the music’s roadhouse roots. hernandoshideawaymemphis.com
Sunday, November 1
9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. — Memphis Japan Festival
Memphis Botanic Garden and Radians Amphitheater — East Memphis · $12 adults/$10 seniors/$7 students and ages 2–12/free under 2 and members
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Taiko, martial arts, sumo, cosplay, fashion, robots, bands and hands-on cultural activities fill both the garden and amphitheater. Memphis Japan Festival1–5 p.m. — LOCOmotion Community Block Party
Off the Walls Arts, 360 Walnut St. — South Memphis · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Marcella Simien & Her Lovers perform while visitors tour new murals, make sidewalk art and see an exhibition of work from the organization’s fall workshops. OFF THE WALLS ARTS1 or 6:30 p.m. — Spamalot — closing day
Orpheum Theatre — Downtown · $46.70–$162.15
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING-PERFORMANCES] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
Sunday provides the final two chances to see the Broadway tour’s lavishly silly musical comedy. The Orpheum Theatre Group2 p.m. — Rent — closing performance
UofM Mainstage — University District · Approximately $25
[CLOSING-PERFORMANCE] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
The student company concludes its short run with the most convenient matinee. Theatre and Dance2–4 p.m. — Eureka Day — closing performance
TheatreWorks at the Square — Overton Square · Current price at checkout
[CLOSING-PERFORMANCE] [ADVANCE-TICKET]
Final performance of New Moon’s topical ensemble comedy about public health, ideology and the collapse of polite consensus. New MoonDoors 5:30 p.m.; show 6–8 p.m. — Otto in Antarctica
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $15 advance/$20 door/$10 students
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
Kyra Sims blends French horn, video, Antarctic field recordings, electronics and spoken word in an autobiographical performance developed after playing on all seven continents. Crosstown ArtsAfternoon — Chicken Sh*t Bingo with Hillbilly Mojo
Hernando’s Hide-A-Way — South Memphis · No cover
[FREE]
Included despite recurring because a live country band and a chicken determining the bingo result remain a genuinely distinctive Memphis-roadhouse experience. hernandoshideawaymemphis.comDoors 7 p.m.; rave 8 p.m. — Día de Muertos Rave
Growlers — Evergreen/Crosstown · $15
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
DJ Oddyssey, SERG. and Daniel del Cuzcatlán extend the weekend with a Latin-oriented electronic dance night. 901growlers.com
Monday, November 2
9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. — Artists’ Link: The Gift of Giving — opening day
Memphis Botanic Garden Visitors Center — East Memphis · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [OPENING-DAY]
A broad selection of small works by local artists opens for “cash and carry” purchase, supporting both participating artists and the garden. Memphis TravelDoors 5 p.m.; Linda Perry 6:30 p.m.; Indigo Girls 7:45 p.m. — Indigo Girls with Linda Perry
Overton Park Shell — Overton Park · $42 general admission; VIP sold out
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The rescheduled benefit pairs the enduring folk-rock duo with songwriter and producer Linda Perry in the Shell’s historic outdoor setting. Overton Park Shell
Tuesday, November 3
Open throughout the day — Día de los Muertos Community Altar — final day
East Atrium, Crosstown Concourse — Crosstown · Free
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING-DAY]
Visitors may add photographs, copied mementos, flowers, artwork or offerings honoring departed people and pets. Come Curious6–7 p.m. — The Mystic
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · Free
[FREE]
Music, storytelling, silence and conversation are combined into a participatory hour concerned with creativity, emotion and differing beliefs. Crosstown Arts7 p.m. — University Singers Fall Concert
Plough Hall at the Scheidt Center — University District · Free ticket required
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
UofM’s flagship choir welcomes Bartlett High School for an intergenerational concert showcasing emerging regional vocal talent. memphis.eduDoors 7 p.m.; show 7:30 p.m. — Basic Needs
Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $18.50
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A touring heavy-music option that keeps Tuesday from being reduced to recurring open-mic entertainment. Live Music & Events Near You
Wednesday, November 4
Doors 6:30 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — Laugh Box: Jeremy Roach and Chris Ingram
Hattiloo Culture Box — Overton Square · $12 advance/$15 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET]
Two veteran Memphis comedians bring contrasting storytelling and observational styles to Hattiloo’s intimate room. Hattiloo Theatre7–9:30 p.m. — Boy My Greatness
TheatreWorks at the Square — Overton Square · RSVP required; price not posted
[ADVANCE-RSVP] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
New Moon’s PHASES series presents Zoe Senese-Grossberg’s new play about six boy actors rehearsing Shakespeare amid plague, religious conservatism and political uncertainty. New Moon7 p.m. — University of Memphis Percussion Ensemble
Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center — University District · Free ticket required
[FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A useful chance to hear student percussion repertoire and ensemble playing in the university’s acoustically polished hall. University of Memphis Percussion Ensemble7–9:30 p.m. — Hidden Colors 6: The Culture of Resistance
Paradiso Cinema, 584 S. Mendenhall Rd. — East Memphis · Current price at checkout
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A special screening of the documentary series’ examination of Black American history, resistance, innovation and cultural memory. Paradiso CinemaDoors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Prof with Khantrast
Satellite Music Hall — Crosstown · Current price at checkout · All ages
[FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
The Minneapolis rapper is known for animated delivery and a highly physical, personality-driven stage show. TicketmasterDoors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m. — Ouija Macc: America’s Most Wicked Tour
Growlers — Evergreen/Crosstown · $20 advance/$25 door
[ADVANCE-TICKET] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
A horrorcore package with Billy Marchiafava, Darby O’Trill, Mikey Rotten and GL00M—one of the week’s most overtly theatrical concert bills.
