Fort Lauderdale Beach and the Las Olas corridor pack a real live-music and bar scene into a short stretch of A1A and the riverfront. It’s a smaller footprint than South Beach, which makes it easier to actually cover on foot in one night. Every venue below links to its full profile in our venue directory.
Elbo Room
Right on the beach, Elbo Room has been a Fort Lauderdale Beach landmark for decades, with live bands and DJs on rotation seven days a week plus karaoke nights. 21 and up (get directions).
Rock Bar Fort Lauderdale
Across the street from Las Olas on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, Rock Bar Fort Lauderdale mixes craft cocktails, hookah and live entertainment with weekend DJs, a spot built more for lounging than dancing. 21 and up (get directions).
Voodoo Bayou
On Las Olas Boulevard, Voodoo Bayou brings a Cajun soundtrack and rotating live bands Friday through Sunday to the restaurant row a few blocks from the beach. 21 and up (get directions).
Tin Roof Fort Lauderdale
Near Las Olas downtown, Tin Roof Fort Lauderdale runs a dedicated stage with local, regional and national cover bands on Fridays and Saturdays, plus Karaoke Idol nights. 21 and up (get directions).
Fishtales
A few minutes north near the Intracoastal, Fishtales runs live bands Wednesday through Saturday, with a themed night every one of those days: a Wednesday pro jam, a Thursday rock night, and party bands taking over Friday and Saturday. 21 and up (get directions).
The pattern here is pretty consistent: stay right on A1A for a beach-facing dive bar experience at Elbo Room or Rock Bar, or head a few blocks inland to Las Olas for a slightly more upscale live-music night at Tin Roof or Voodoo Bayou. Both directions are walkable from most of the beachfront hotels, and Fishtales up near the Intracoastal is worth the short drive on a Wednesday or Thursday when its themed nights are running.
Parking and Getting There
The beach strip runs along Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard with metered spaces and a few garages behind it, all of which fill from late afternoon at weekends. The downtown and Las Olas rooms are a short rideshare away and have their own garages, which is usually the easier end of the night to drive to.
More Fort Lauderdale Guides
Making a night of it in Fort Lauderdale? Our other guides cover Fort Lauderdale clubs and Wilton Manors DJ nights, Fort Lauderdale bars and restaurants with live music, karaoke in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale dive bars and jazz and blues clubs in Fort Lauderdale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bar is closest to Fort Lauderdale Beach with live music?
Elbo Room and Rock Bar Fort Lauderdale both sit directly on the beach strip along A1A.
Is there live music on Las Olas Boulevard?
Yes. Voodoo Bayou and Tin Roof Fort Lauderdale both book rotating live bands within a short walk of the beach.
Are Fort Lauderdale beach bars 21 and up?
Most of them are, including Elbo Room, Rock Bar Fort Lauderdale and Tin Roof Fort Lauderdale.
For more on how the scene here has grown, read our look at Fort Lauderdale’s live music moment.
Shooters Waterfront
A long standing Intracoastal restaurant and bar on the water, with live music running outdoors. You can arrive by boat, which tells you most of what you need to know about the room.
The Wharf Fort Lauderdale
An open air riverfront spot at the west end of Las Olas built around food trucks and a long bar, running open format, house and hip hop sets. It works better as an early evening room than a late one.
Rhythm + Vine Beer Garden
An open air beer garden mixing DJ sets with live bands. The garden setting keeps the programming eclectic rather than tied to one scene.
Tarpon River Brewing and Voodoo Bayou
Tarpon River Brewing, just south of the New River, runs a full events calendar with country, rock and acoustic acts in the brewery itself. Voodoo Bayou on Las Olas Boulevard is a Cajun and Louisiana themed room where live bands play to match the theme, working a variety set rather than one genre all night.
Beyond the Sand
The beach strip is only part of the picture. Downtown and Las Olas sit a short ride away and hold the bigger rooms: Revolution Live for touring rock and alternative acts, Culture Room on North Federal Highway for indie and metal, and Original Fat Cat’s for live music every single night of the week.
If karaoke is what you are after rather than a band, Fat Tuesday downtown runs Wednesday and Thursday, Cheers Food and Spirits runs Tuesday and Thursday, and Munchie’s Pizza Club takes Wednesday.
Header photo: Leonard J. DeFrancisci, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
