Memphis Creative Week: October 8–14, 2026

Best Bets

• Mempho Music Festival — Friday–Sunday: Three major days spanning Pretty Lights, Widespread Panic, Gary Clark Jr., De La Soul, Ziggy Marley, Fishbone, Spoon and many more.

• Memphis Jazz Festival — Friday–Sunday: A new, entirely free downtown festival with Theo Croker, Dear Silas, the Memphis Jazz Orchestra and a deep local lineup.

• Poverty Slaps, But We Slap Back Harder — Thursday–Sunday: Norway’s Nordic Black Theatre launches Hattiloo’s ambitious international Black-theatre initiative.

• Opera Memphis’s 70th Anniversary — Saturday: Free opera at the Shell, promising love, lust, murder, revenge and formidable high notes.

• MSO: Dona Nobis Pacem — Saturday/Sunday: Vaughan Williams’s appeal for peace, performed by the Memphis Symphony and Symphony Chorus.

• Hayley Williams / Modest Mouse — Monday: An unusually strong Monday with two substantial touring concerts.

• Crosstown fall exhibitions — Friday: Two thoughtful exhibitions open with DJ LadyLove and a complimentary cocktail.

• Perfect Days — Thursday: Wim Wenders’s graceful, humane film for only $5.

Thursday, October 8

• 6–9 p.m. — Strange Celebrations: Charm opening reception
  Ugly Art Co., 635 Madison Ave. — Edge District · Free
  [FREE] [OPENING NIGHT]
  An offbeat exhibition opening devoted to Charm’s new work, well matched to one of Memphis’s most independent gallery spaces. Memphis Travel

• Gates 5:30 p.m.; concert 6:30–8 p.m. — Alice Hasen & the Blaze
  The Grove at GPAC, 1801 Exeter Rd. — Germantown · $13 adults; $8 ages 5–18; age 4 and younger free; $23 table seating
  [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Hasen’s fiddle-powered band moves fluidly through roots music, rock, folk and jazz. Germantown Performing Arts Center

• 7–9:30 p.m. — Crosstown Arts Film Series: Perfect Days
  Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave. — Crosstown · $5
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Wim Wenders finds dignity, mystery and beauty in the carefully ordered life of a Tokyo public-toilet cleaner. The Local Radar

• 7:30–9 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — John Németh
  The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $25 advance/$30 door
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A close-range set from the award-winning soul-blues singer, songwriter and harmonica player. Crosstown Arts

• 7:30–9:30 p.m. — Poverty Slaps, But We Slap Back Harder — opening night
  Hattiloo Theatre, 37 S. Cooper St. — Overton Square · $35 general; $32 student, senior or military
  [OPENING NIGHT] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Nordic Black Theatre combines movement, storytelling and ensemble performance in a work about economic struggle, dignity and resilience. Additional performances run through Sunday. Hattiloo Theatre

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Phil Nye with Austin Varner, Deion James and Curtis B
  Growlers, 1911 Poplar Ave. — Midtown · $10
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A compact bluegrass bill that gives emerging and local players a proper club-stage showcase. 901growlers.com

• 8 p.m.–midnight — Dyke Fright: La Femme Radical and DJ Shai
  Bar DKDC, 964 S. Cooper St. — Cooper-Young · Suggested $10 donation
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE RSVP]
  Memphis Dyke Night’s Halloween kickoff combines DJs, costumes and a community fundraiser in DKDC’s intimate room. Eventbrite

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Our Lady Peace
  Gold Strike Theatre — Tunica Resorts · From $29.50
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  The Canadian alternative-rock veterans bring a three-decade catalog that includes “Clumsy,” “Superman’s Dead” and “Somewhere Out There.” Gold Strike Ticketing

• 7:30 p.m. — Bored Teachers: “Is It Friday Yet?” Comedy Tour
  Graceland Soundstage — Whitehaven · Current price at checkout
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A PG-13 ensemble comedy show turning classroom exhaustion and faculty-room absurdity into staged sketches and stand-up. graceland.com

Friday, October 9

• From noon — Mempho Music Festival: Friday
  Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanic Garden — East Memphis · Single-day GA from approximately $189 at the current tier
  [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Friday’s lineup includes Pretty Lights, Spoon, STS9, Broken Social Scene, Degenerate Breakfast and Zoë Dominguez, plus the Incendia Dome and silent disco. Radians Amphitheater

• 6–9 p.m. — Memphis Jazz Festival: opening night
  Westin Memphis Beale Street lobby — Downtown · Free
  [FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [OPENING NIGHT]
  Strictly Jazz Entertainment hosts the first night of a new three-day festival pairing national artists with Memphis players. Events

• 6–8 p.m. — Crosstown Arts fall exhibition opening
  Crosstown Arts Galleries — Crosstown · Free
  [FREE] [OPENING NIGHT]
  Corinne Jones’s Fugitive Signals and Carl Moore’s Ongoing: A Personal Retrospective open with DJ LadyLove, a special Art Bar menu and a complimentary cocktail. Crosstown Arts

• 7 p.m. — The Renaissance Orchestra
  Satellite Music Hall, 1291 Autumn Ave. — Crosstown · Current price at checkout
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A staged orchestral evening that recasts contemporary popular music with a large live ensemble and concert-scale presentation. instagram.com

• 7–8:30 p.m. — Ehud Asherie Duo featuring Zaid Nasser
  Highland Capital Performance Hall at GPAC — Germantown · Current price at checkout
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Piano and alto saxophone meet in an intimate onstage cabaret setting rooted in hard-swinging jazz tradition. Germantown Performing Arts Center

• 7:30 p.m. — John Waite
  Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center — Bartlett · $60
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  The veteran rock singer brings Bad English, The Babys and solo material—including “Missing You”—to Bartlett’s theater-sized room. Official Website

• 7:30–10 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Caroline Davis: Solo
  The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $20 advance/$30 door
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Davis uses saxophone and interactive technology to create a searching solo performance built from layered sonic textures. Crosstown Arts

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Headcannon, The Narrows and Joybomb
  Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $13.50
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A strong, inexpensive local-and-regional rock bill in Hi Tone’s downstairs room. Hi Tone Cafe

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Ronaldo Mercado & Friends
  Hi Tone Big Room — Crosstown · $18.50
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  The upstairs alternative for listeners who want a fuller ensemble showcase rather than a festival-scale crowd. Hi Tone Cafe

• 8 p.m. — Turnstyles vinyl release with Arc of Quasar and Hit Parade
  Bar DKDC — Cooper-Young · Cover not posted
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  A grassroots record-release show that places Turnstyles’ stripped-down Memphis garage sound alongside two complementary local acts. Next 8 Days

• 10 p.m.; doors 9 p.m. — Ernie Johnson From Detroit
  Hernando’s Hide-A-Way — Whitehaven · $10–$15
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  The large instrumental collective deals in Afrobeat, funk and jazz with enough rhythmic force for a late-night dance set. Hernando's Hideaway

• 11:30 p.m. — Pretty Lights official after-party
  Minglewood Hall — Midtown · $33 · 21+
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Maddy O’Neal, Motifv and Since Juleye extend Mempho into a bass-heavy late-night club program. Minglewood Hall

Saturday, October 10

• 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; late jam at 9 p.m. — Memphis Jazz Festival: workshops and two-stage program
  Main Street Mall between Union and Peabody Place — Downtown · Free
  [FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY]
  A morning masterclass leads into sets from Theo Croker, Dear Silas, Memphis Jazz Orchestra, Joe Restivo 4, Hope Clayburn, Henry Conerway III and others; the Hotel Pontotoc jam follows at 9. Events

• 10–11 a.m. — Playhouse on the Square: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
  Backyard Bluff at Memphis Botanic Garden — East Memphis · Included with garden admission; no registration · Ages 4+
  [FAMILY-FRIENDLY]
  Jody Davidson’s stage adaptation turns one cookie into an escalating chain of requests, mishaps and comic mayhem. Memphis Botanic Garden

• 10:30–11:15 a.m. — Peanut Butter & Jam: Songs by Jake
  Watkins Studio Theater at GPAC — Germantown · Pay what you can · Recommended age 8 and younger
  [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A compact mix of songs, storytelling, sketch art and puppetry designed specifically for younger audiences. Germantown Performing Arts Center

• From noon — Mempho Music Festival: Saturday
  Radians Amphitheater — East Memphis · Single-day GA from approximately $189 at the current tier
  [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Widespread Panic plays two sets alongside Gary Clark Jr., Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs, De La Soul, Maggie Rose, Dumpstaphunk and others. Radians Amphitheater

• 1–8 p.m. — Edgetoberfest and Edge Motor Fest
  Flyway Brewing and surrounding Edge District blocks · Free admission
  [FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  The district-wide afternoon combines live music, custom vehicles, vendors, food and the Steel Rose grand-opening celebration. I Love Memphis Blog

• 6–9 p.m. — Mid-South Fair Open Mic Night
  Mid-South Fair Main Stage at Landers Center — Southaven · $13 online/$15 gate adults; $8 online/$10 gate children and seniors; $5 parking
  [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING-WEEKEND] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Local performers take the fair’s main stage amid more than 50 rides, midway acts, food and youth arts programming. Landers Center

• 7 p.m. — Elevation Nights
  FedExForum — Downtown · Approximately $28–$160
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Elevation Worship, speaker Steven Furtick and opener Elevation Rhythm build a large-scale worship production around music, visuals and spoken presentation. Home of the Memphis Grizzlies

• 7–9 p.m. — Opera Memphis: 70th Anniversary
  Overton Park Shell — Overton Park · Free
  [FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  Seven decades of opera are celebrated through a lively program of romance, revenge, murder and vocal fireworks. Overton Park Shell

• 7:30–9 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Folk All Y’all: Roberta Lea
  The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $20
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Lea’s candid, sharply melodic Americana gets the benefit of the Green Room’s attentive listening-room environment. Crosstown Arts

• 7:30–9:30 p.m. — Memphis Symphony: Dona Nobis Pacem—Grant Us Peace
  Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center — University District · Current price at checkout
  [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Robert Moody conducts Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending and choral Dona Nobis Pacem, plus Michael Gandolfi’s Chickasaw-inspired work. Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. Memphis Symphony Orchestra

• 7:30 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — OmenBringer, Üga Büga, Viqueen and Thundergun
  Growlers — Midtown · $15
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Four doom and stoner-metal acts fill one of the weekend’s heaviest small-room bills. 901growlers.com

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Cowboy Fly Presents
  Hi Tone Big Room — Crosstown · $14.50
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A locally driven upstairs showcase with a club-scale alternative to the city’s competing arena and festival concerts. Hi Tone Cafe

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Rough Dreams, The Catastrophe’s, The 714’s and Serg
  Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $13.50
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Four bands share an inexpensive downstairs rock bill weighted toward punk and emotionally direct guitar music. Hi Tone Cafe

• 6 p.m. — Motionless in White with The Plot in You and thrown
  Satellite Music Hall — Crosstown · Current price at checkout
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  The headliner’s gothic costuming, horror imagery and elaborate lighting make theatrical presentation central to this metalcore show. open.spotify.com

• Doors 7 p.m. — Aquarian Blood, Lorette Velvette, Bluff City Backsliders, Diane Green and Roy Brewer
  Lamplighter Lounge — Midtown · Cover not posted
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  A deep Memphis bill spanning damaged folk, blues, roots music and underground rock in one of the city’s most intimate rooms. Next 8 Days

Sunday, October 11

• From noon — Mempho Music Festival: Sunday
  Radians Amphitheater — East Memphis · Single-day GA from approximately $189 at the current tier
  [ADVANCE TICKET] [CLOSING DAY]
  Widespread Panic closes with two more sets, joined by Ziggy Marley, JJ Grey & Mofro, Fishbone, MonoNeon, Sierra Hull and Devil Train. Radians Amphitheater

• 2 p.m. — Poverty Slaps, But We Slap Back Harder — final performance
  Hattiloo Theatre — Overton Square · $35 general; $32 student, senior or military
  [CLOSING-WEEKEND] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  The final chance to see Nordic Black Theatre’s Memphis residency production and Hattiloo’s new international collaboration in performance. Hattiloo Theatre

• 2 p.m. — Singalong Broadway
  Orpheum Theatre — Downtown · Approximately $35
  [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  More staged Broadway party than conventional concert, this audience-participation show encourages full-volume singing along to musical-theater standards. The Orpheum Theatre Group

• 3–7 p.m. — Memphis Jazz Festival: Sunset Jazz finale
  Court Square Park — Downtown · Free
  [FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [CLOSING DAY]
  Stephen Lee & In the Moment, Pat Register and Gary Topper & Symmetry close the festival outdoors. Events

• 3 p.m.; doors 2 p.m. — Second Sunday Drag Bingo
  Hi Tone Big Room — Crosstown · $8.50–$13.50
  [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A lively hybrid of drag performance, comedy and bingo rather than a standard afternoon club set. Hi Tone Cafe

• 5–6:30 p.m. — Tennessee Shakespeare Company: Love’s Labor’s Lost
  Overton Park Shell — Overton Park · Free
  [FREE] [FAMILY-FRIENDLY] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  Shakespeare’s comedy of romantic vows, courtship and self-inflicted confusion gets a professional outdoor staging. Overton Park Shell

• 6 p.m.; doors 5 p.m. — Rev & Marcia free matinee
  Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · Free
  [FREE] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  A rare no-cover small-room performance and an easy early-evening counterprogram to the large festivals. Hi Tone Cafe

• 6–8 p.m.; doors 5:30 p.m. — Strictly Jazz: The Music of Dinah Washington
  The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $20 advance/$30 door
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Michaelyn Oby interprets Washington’s emotionally incisive jazz and blues repertoire in a dedicated concert program. Crosstown Arts

• 6:30 p.m. — Memphis Improv Alliance
  Lamplighter Lounge — Midtown · Cover not posted
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  Grassroots, audience-prompted comedy from a local ensemble—one of the week’s few independent improv options. Next 8 Days

• 8 p.m. — Joey Cash
  1884 Lounge at Minglewood Hall — Midtown · Current price at checkout
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A club-scale Sunday-night set for listeners seeking something more intimate than the festival circuit. Ticketmaster

Monday, October 12

• 6:30–8:30 p.m. — Artist Speed Date, Vol. 4
  Bar DKDC — Cooper-Young · From $10
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Memphis artists rotate through quick one-on-one conversations to share work, trade ideas and find future collaborators. Like Really Creative

• 7 p.m. — Modest Mouse with Caroline Rose
  Satellite Music Hall — Crosstown · Current price at checkout
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  One of indie rock’s most idiosyncratic catalogs comes to Memphis’s newest large club, with inventive songwriter Caroline Rose opening. Live Nation

• Doors 5:30 p.m.; show 7 p.m. — The Hayley Williams Show
  BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove — Southaven · Current price at checkout
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  The Paramore frontwoman headlines an unusually adventurous triple bill with Magdalena Bay and Rico Nasty. BankPlus Amphitheater

• 7 p.m. — Board Games, Bad Movies & Beer Bust
  Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · Free · 21+
  [FREE]
  Included despite being recurring because its communal games and deliberately questionable cinema remain one of Monday’s strangest low-cost options. Hi Tone Cafe

Tuesday, October 13

• 6:30–8:30 p.m. — Fright-Tober: Cure
  Crosstown Theater — Crosstown · Free
  [FREE] [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s unnervingly restrained detective-horror film is an ideal atmospheric October screening. crosstownarts.org

• 6:30–8:30 p.m. — Toy Box Karaoke & R&Bingo
  Hattiloo Culture Box — Overton Square · Pay-what-you-can/current admission at door
  A participatory blend of karaoke, R&B knowledge and game-show energy in Hattiloo’s smaller performance space. hattiloo.org

• 7 p.m. — Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen
  Satellite Music Hall — Crosstown · Current price at checkout
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Bingham’s weathered country-rock songwriting meets the Texas Gentlemen’s loose, muscular backing band. satellitemusichall.com

• 7:30–10 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Jazz Jam hosted by Victor Sawyer
  The Green Room at Crosstown Arts — Crosstown · $7; participating musicians free
  [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Emerging players and veteran Memphis musicians share the stage in an inclusive, genuinely spontaneous jazz session. crosstownarts.org

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Open Mic Comedy Night
  Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $13.50
  [ADVANCE TICKET]
  A useful grassroots-performance pick for seeing new material and local comics outside a formal comedy club. Hi Tone Cafe

Wednesday, October 14

• 5–8 p.m. — Food Truck Garden Party
  Memphis Botanic Garden — East Memphis · Included with regular garden admission
  [FAMILY-FRIENDLY]
  NA the Band performs amid food trucks, creative vendors, lawn activities and a 6–7 p.m. Wolf River Conservancy tarantula talk. Memphis Botanic Garden

• 6–7:30 p.m. — Brian Cullman in conversation with Robert Gordon
  Memphis Listening Lab at Crosstown Concourse — Crosstown · Admission not posted
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY]
  Musician and memoirist Cullman joins Memphis writer Robert Gordon for stories involving figures including Lester Bangs, Nick Drake and Big Joe Turner. Memphis Listening Lab

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Basic Printer and Spirit of the Bear
  Hi Tone Small Room — Crosstown · $13.50
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Experimental electronic “gloitchpop” and bright, maximal indie rock share an appealingly unconventional touring bill. Hi Tone Cafe

• 8 p.m. — Wub Wednesday: Fashionmobboss, Von Gögh, Lyelack and Alektricvibe
  Growlers — Midtown · $10
  [ONE-NIGHT-ONLY] [ADVANCE TICKET]
  Four electronic artists make this the week’s best inexpensive midweek option for bass music and local DJ culture.