Midland’s music calendar runs wider than most people expect, from touring acts in a purpose-built concert hall to a three-piece playing a taproom on a Friday night. Here are a few of the rooms we keep an eye on, plus how the local scene has shifted this year.
The Big Rooms: Wagner Noel and the Horseshoe
1Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center at 1310 N FM 1788 is the region’s flagship venue, sitting on the University of Texas Permian Basin campus off State Highway 191 between Midland and Odessa. It holds an 1,800-seat main concert hall plus a 200-seat recital hall, and the schedule spans touring country and rock acts, comedy, Broadway tours, symphony performances, and community programming. Tickets and the full calendar live at wagnernoel.com.
2Midland County Horseshoe Arena and Pavilion at 2514 Arena Trail covers more than 100 acres on the east side of town and handles the larger-format shows. The outdoor amphitheater seats up to roughly 4,300, including about 1,300 reserved floor seats, and the indoor arena scales considerably higher. The Horseshoe also hosts rodeo, trade shows, and county events, so the music calendar sits alongside a lot of other programming. Check midlandhorseshoe.com for what’s booked.
3Barbara and George H.W. Bush Convention Center at 105 N Main Street downtown books concerts and ticketed events in addition to conventions. It is worth checking when you’re scanning for a show, since it does not always turn up in the venue-specific listings.
What Happened to The Tailgate
If you’ve searched for The Tailgate at 4401 N Big Spring Street, here’s the current picture. The outdoor venue closed in January 2026 after several years of running summer concert series and community events. Its founders, Sean Elphick and Ariel Herrera, launched a live entertainment company called Out West with partners Aidan Acosta and Logan Acosta, and Out West now books its shows at the Midland County Horseshoe instead of operating its own room.
That shift matters if you’re planning a night out. The concerts that used to sit on The Tailgate’s calendar now land on the Horseshoe’s, under the Out West name. A March 2026 Out West show drew a reported 5,235 people, the largest concert crowd the Horseshoe has hosted.
Rooster’s Backyard in Greenwood
4Rooster’s Backyard at 6221 FM 307 in Greenwood, a short drive east of Midland, has become the default answer for a lot of Midlanders when someone asks where the music is on a Friday or Saturday night. It is a family-owned bar and kitchen with a big covered porch, a cornhole area, an enclosed backyard and a large covered stage with a dance floor.
The lineup runs from local guitarists on the porch to ticketed concerts by touring Texas and Red Dirt artists. For the big shows, doors usually open at 7 PM, general admission is paid at the door, and tables for six are sold ahead of time and often sell out, so book early. The Coop, an upstairs outdoor section, is 21 and up with its own bartenders.
See upcoming Rooster’s Backyard shows on our events calendar, or follow @roostersbackyard.mtx on Instagram for the weekly lineup.
The Venue at Live Oak in Northeast Midland
5The Venue at Live Oak at 3201 Elkins Road is best known for weddings, but it also books concerts, live music nights and festivals. The setting is the draw: an industrial-style space with indoor and outdoor room, tucked into a stand of live oak trees that makes it feel a long way from the rest of West Texas.
Recent shows have included Texas country artist Stoney LaRue and a Halloween edition of Howl at the Moon dueling pianos. See The Venue at Live Oak in our directory for upcoming shows, or follow @thevenueatliveoak on Instagram.
Cotton Flat Records on Cotton Flat Road
6Cotton Flat Records at 1402 Cotton Flat Road is a used record store and live music venue rolled into one. By day it’s a shop for used vinyl, CDs, cassettes and vintage stereo gear. On show nights the room turns into a stage for local and regional bands.
It’s one of the few places in town where you can catch a band and walk out with a record. Show dates are posted on Facebook and @cotton_flat_records on Instagram, so check there before you go.
Taprooms and Bars With Regular Live Music
Smaller rooms are where the local and regional acts play, usually with no cover.
7Tall City Brewing Co. at 3303 W Golf Course Road is Midland’s longest-running craft brewery and books music in the taproom.
8The Waystone at 2101 W Wadley Avenue is the other dedicated Midland brewery and runs its own events calendar. Both post their lineups on social rather than a formal ticketing page, so following them is the reliable way to know who’s playing.
9The Public House West Texas opened at 3200 Mockingbird Lane, Building 7, Suite 100, and runs live music alongside an 84-foot bar and weekend brunch.
10Pi Social at 203 W Wall Street downtown programs live music and DJ nights.
11Hoop and Barrel at 3211 W Wadley Avenue, Suite 21, also programs live music and DJ nights.
12The Blue Door at 4610 N Garfield Street, Suite D-1C, is a cocktail bar that hosts acoustic sets.
13La Hacienda Event Center at 12600 State Highway 191 books Tejano and Spanish-language acts and dance nights, which fills a lane the other venues largely don’t.
Theater, Seasonal Shows, and Free Music
14Midland Community Theatre at the Yucca Theatre, 208 N Colorado Street downtown, runs Summer Mummers, the long-running melodrama and vaudeville revue with live musical numbers, through the summer months. It is the closest thing Midland has to an institution you inherit from your parents.
Outdoor and free music shows up seasonally.
15Centennial Park at 200 W Wall Street downtown hosts concerts and events on its lawn.
16Downtown Midland Farmers Market at 404 N Colorado Street books musicians on market mornings.
17Momentum Bank Ballpark at 5514 Champions Drive occasionally pairs postgame music with RockHounds home games.
How to Find What’s Playing This Week
There is no single feed that catches everything in Midland. In practice, checking the two big venues’ own calendars covers the ticketed shows, and following the taprooms and bars on Instagram covers the rest, since small-room bookings often get announced a week out. Our own events calendar pulls from venue sources and reader submissions, so it’s another place to scan.
This is not a complete list, just a few of the rooms you’ll find us at. Midland’s smaller venues open, close, and change bookers, and 2026 has already proven that.
Keep exploring: Where to Watch the Game in Midland, A Guide to Breweries and Taprooms in Midland, and Fall Events in Midland, Texas: A Seasonal Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see live music in Midland, Texas?
Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center and the Midland County Horseshoe handle the large touring shows, and Rooster’s Backyard in Greenwood books Texas and Red Dirt acts on its outdoor stage. For smaller acts, Cotton Flat Records, Tall City Brewing Co., The Waystone, The Public House West Texas, Pi Social, Hoop and Barrel, and The Blue Door all program live music regularly.
Where is Rooster’s Backyard?
Rooster’s Backyard is at 6221 FM 307 in Greenwood, a short drive east of Midland. It has live music most weeks, with ticketed concerts on its outdoor stage.
Is The Tailgate in Midland still open?
No. The Tailgate closed in January 2026. Its founders launched Out West, a live entertainment company that now books concerts at the Midland County Horseshoe Arena.
How big is Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center?
The main concert hall seats about 1,800, with a separate 200-seat recital hall. It sits on the UTPB campus off State Highway 191 between Midland and Odessa.
Are there free live music events in Midland?
Yes. Taprooms and bars usually book local acts with no cover, and seasonal outdoor events at Centennial Park and the Downtown Midland Farmers Market often include live music.
What is the largest concert venue in Midland?
The Midland County Horseshoe Arena and Pavilion. Its outdoor amphitheater seats roughly 4,300 and the indoor arena holds significantly more.
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