The best bars in Fort Lauderdale are spread across four pockets that are easy to combine in one night: Las Olas Boulevard, the downtown blocks around Himmarshee Street, the Flagler Village and FAT Village arts district, and the beach. This guide leans toward places with bands, DJs or a real stage, and every venue links to its profile in our venue directory where we list it, plus a map link.
Bars on Las Olas Boulevard
Las Olas is the city’s main walking street, running from the New River downtown east toward the beach. The busiest stretch for bars sits in the 700 block of East Las Olas, and the west end meets the Riverwalk. These three are the strongest picks on or right off the boulevard.
Voodoo Bayou
A New Orleans style Cajun restaurant and bar at 715 East Las Olas, Voodoo Bayou is the most reliable live band room on the boulevard. Its own calendar books bands on Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30pm to 12:30am, plus daytime sets from noon to 3pm during weekend brunch. The bar leans on a long bourbon and whiskey list, so it suits a group that wants dinner, a band and a nightcap in one place (get directions).
American Social
Next door at 721 East Las Olas, American Social is the boulevard’s big sports bar and the easiest place to catch a game before heading out. Social Hour runs Monday through Friday from 2pm to 7pm, weekend brunch runs from 10:30am to 3pm, and the bar stays open until 2am Thursday through Saturday, which makes it a practical first or last stop on a Las Olas crawl (get directions).
The Wharf Fort Lauderdale
At the west end of the boulevard, The Wharf Fort Lauderdale is an open air bar and event space on the New River, open Thursday through Sunday. Expect live DJs and themed nights, and on Sundays the venue runs Sundays on the River with live music, local vendors and a frozen drink bar. It stays open until 3am on Friday and Saturday, so it works as a late stop for a younger crowd that wants to be outside (get directions).
Stache Drinking Den
A few blocks from the river at 109 SW 2nd Avenue, Stache calls itself a cocktail lounge, nightclub and concert hall, and it delivers on all three. The room has a 1920s speakeasy look, serious cocktails, and a mix of bands, DJs and burlesque or cabaret shows. Recent nights on its calendar include an Old School Vinyl party and a Sunday afternoon house music session called Our House. Come here for cocktails early, dancing late (get directions).
Revolution Live
The anchor of the Himmarshee district, Revolution Live at 100 SW 3rd Avenue is a concert club booking touring rock, indie, punk, hip hop and electronic acts most weeks. Shows usually start early in the evening, so a ticket here pairs well with drinks at Stache around the corner before or after (get directions).
Tarpon River Brewing
Just south of downtown at 280 SW 6th Street, Tarpon River Brewing pours its own beer inside the restored Snyder Stables and runs a gastropub kitchen. Its events calendar lists free live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, with local acoustic, rock and singer songwriter sets, and brunch every Sunday from 11am to 4pm. It is the relaxed pick for a group that wants food, a beer flight and a band without a cover (get directions).
Rhythm + Vine
In Flagler Village at 401 NE 5th Terrace, Rhythm + Vine is a bar built around a big outdoor garden, open Wednesday through Sunday and until 3am on Friday and Saturday. Happy hour runs Wednesday through Friday from 5pm to 8pm, Wednesdays from 8pm give Fort Lauderdale residents half off their tab, and Sundays from 2pm to 5pm bring bottomless drink specials. It is one of the cool bars in Fort Lauderdale for a laid back crowd that wants space to spread out (get directions).
511 Bar and Lounge
A neighborhood bar in the Flagler Village Arts District, 511 Bar and Lounge mixes its cocktails from scratch and keeps a busy weekly calendar: trivia on Tuesdays at 7pm, a live DJ on Thursdays from 8pm, and food trucks parked outside most nights. Hours run 4pm to midnight on weeknights, later on Friday and Saturday, and it suits locals more than tourists (get directions).
Culture Room
North of downtown at 3045 North Federal Highway, Culture Room has been booking concerts for 25 years and remains the city’s go to small club for touring bands. Its current calendar runs from The Linda Lindas and In Flames to A Flock of Seagulls and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, with doors usually at 7pm or 7:30pm. Buy tickets ahead for anything on a weekend (get directions).
Elbo Room
Open since 1938, Elbo Room sits where Las Olas reaches the beach, with only the two lane beach road between the bar and the Atlantic. Live bands are part of the routine here, the bar streams its stage online through its own band cam, and there is a second floor bar upstairs. It is the one beach stop on this list worth making for the music, and it gets crowded on weekends and during spring break (get directions).
Planning a Night Out in Fort Lauderdale
Downtown and Las Olas are walkable, and the Himmarshee bars, Revolution Live, Stache and The Wharf all sit within a few blocks of the Riverwalk. Flagler Village is a short ride north, and the beach is about ten minutes east by car. Downtown has city garages and metered street parking, but on Friday and Saturday nights rideshare is simpler, especially if you plan to end at the beach. Friday and Saturday are the busiest nights everywhere. A good route: dinner and a band at Voodoo Bayou, drinks at Stache or a show at Revolution Live, then a late stop at The Wharf or Rhythm + Vine. For more on the sand, see our guide to beach bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best bars in Fort Lauderdale for live music?
Voodoo Bayou on Las Olas has bands on Friday and Saturday nights, Tarpon River Brewing has free weekend sets, Elbo Room has live bands on the beach, and Revolution Live and Culture Room book touring acts.
What are the best bars on Las Olas?
Voodoo Bayou for live bands and bourbon, American Social for sports and brunch, and The Wharf at the west end for an open air riverfront bar with DJs.
Where are the cool bars in Fort Lauderdale?
Look in Flagler Village and the Himmarshee area. Rhythm + Vine has a large outdoor garden, 511 Bar and Lounge is a local arts district bar, and Stache is a speakeasy style cocktail lounge with DJs and shows.
Where is the best Fort Lauderdale nightlife late at night?
The Wharf and Rhythm + Vine stay open until 3am on Friday and Saturday, and Stache runs late DJ nights in the same downtown blocks as Revolution Live.
Are there Fort Lauderdale bars with live music on weeknights?
Yes, but fewer. Concert clubs like Revolution Live and Culture Room book shows on weeknights, and 511 Bar and Lounge has a live DJ on Thursdays. Check each venue’s calendar before you go.
Header photo: Rob Olivera, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
