Live music in Iowa City, IA

Enjoy a free evening of live music at the Ped Mall Stage with a double bill featuring Silt Creek and The Whiskey Fund. Silt Creek is a trio of seasoned local musicians, Ryan Bernemann, Chris Dimond, and Ben Schmidt, delivering refined vocal harmonies and polished songcraft that span alt country, blues, and soul. The Whiskey Fund, an Iowa City supergroup with veterans from Shade of Blue, The Fez, and more, brings a genre-blending set that includes covers of legends like Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, and Bob Marley. Expect a mix of original tunes and eclectic, danceable covers in the heart of the Ped Mall. If weather moves in, the performance shifts to the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp. Food and drinks are available nearby, and lawn chairs are welcome for comfortable listening.

Mad Existence brings The Unscannable Tour to the stage with a lineup that also features Sinnerholica, Anti-Kingdom, and Clark Colburn Band. Doors open before the show begins, followed by a full set of performances.

Wildhorse and Sandburr Rodeo Productions bring the sixth stop of the Battle Series Rodeo Tour to Iowa City, delivering a full night of rodeo action and entertainment. Families can arrive early for a pre-show featuring free pony rides, stick horse races, and a chance to meet the cowboys and cowgirls for autographs. Food trucks and a beer tent will be serving before the main event. When the dust settles, The Outlaw Band keeps the momentum going with live music. Presented with support from Deery Brothers Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram of Iowa City. Admission is $20 in advance or $25 at the gate for adults, $10 in advance or $15 at the gate for ages 3 to 12, and children 2 and under are admitted free. Tickets are also available at Theisen’s Home Farm and Auto Store in Coralville and Cedar Rapids.

Enjoy free live music from Sam Day, a classically trained cellist who earned a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. His experience includes performances with the Abilene Philharmonic and Waco Symphony, plus a Carnegie Hall appearance in Weill Recital Hall with his string quartet after winning the Semper Pro Musical competition in May 2022. He also performs on electric cello with his own arrangements of popular and classic rock songs, blending a classical foundation with familiar tunes.

An upbeat block party in Coralville will take over a city street, featuring live music, food, and drinks. The announcement encourages attendees to bring their whole crew for a lively gathering.

Chauncey Swan Park hosts a live set from Fork in the Road, delivering classic rock, blues, and select jazz standards. Expect covers of songs by the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, Jerry Garcia, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, the Eagles, and more. The group features Deb Kennedy on lead vocals and flute, Layton White on lead vocals and guitar, Jeanette Welch on bass and vocals, Pat Smith on guitar, and Forrest Heusinkveld on drums. This event is free and open to the public.

A neighborhood block party featuring live music from James Tutson & Birdchild, a variety of food trucks, local craft brews, a children’s area, and plenty of classic fun. The event is free for the community, with food and drinks available for purchase.

Struggle Jennings brings a live set to Wildwood with support from Loess Hills, plus another act still to be announced. The show is open to all ages, and advance tickets are $25.

A Midwest tribute to Slipknot from The Subliminal Verses takes place at Gabes. The show is open to all ages, and advance tickets are $20.

Settle in at Riverfront Crossings Park for an easygoing night of music rooted in country blues and conjunto with Iowa City musician Dave Moore & Friends. Moore is a celebrated singer songwriter and a versatile player on guitar, harmonica, and button accordion. He has toured throughout the United States and Canada and made frequent appearances on A Prairie Home Companion. Expect engaging stories and skillful performances in a relaxed, open air setting. Support from Iowa City Community Theatre helps make the show possible by providing the stage. Food and treats will be available from Luna’s Tacos, Marco’s Grilled Cheese, and MooMoo’s Ice Cream Truck. Families will find activities for kids, a welcoming atmosphere in Iowa City’s newest park, and plenty of room for picnics and lawn chairs. Parking is available at the park, including spaces reserved for guests with limited mobility, as well as across the street at the Johnson County Administration Building. The venue is very accessible by bike via the Iowa River Corridor and the Highway 6 and Highway 1 trails. Lawn chairs and dancing shoes are welcome, and it is a festive way to start the holiday weekend.

Catch Catfish Keith live in concert at The James Theater in Iowa City. The show is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM.

Trophy Dads will appear in Tiffin, Iowa for the first time, delivering their debut performance in the city.

Lucy's at The Highlander features live local music from Kimberli Maloy. Admission is free, and guests can enjoy dinner alongside the performance. The setting is family friendly, and kids can have fun with classic arcade games nearby.

An appearance by Clara Lynch is set for Foundry Food + Tap in Coralville, Iowa.

Travel back to the jazz age with Brick Street Ramblers, an eight-member ensemble from Iowa City that showcases traditional New Orleans jazz. The group performs classics from the 1920s and 1930s with lively, soulful brass that brings energy to neighborhood gatherings. Expect free live music in a welcoming, family-friendly setting with a community-centered feel. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and snacks to relax and enjoy the performance.

Burlington Street Bluegrass Band performs live at Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon, bringing an upbeat set of bluegrass. Expect lively rhythms and warm melodies throughout a show tailored for fans of this timeless genre.

At Harvest Preserve Foundation, The Stonekeeper’s Sound Healing Series gathers within a circle of standing stones where sound supports memory and connection. The series invites people into ceremony, careful listening, and relationship with the land and the ancestral stories rooted in Iowa’s soil. This session, The Listening Stones: A Sound Immersion, centers on sensing subtle qualities in the stone circle. Through resonance and quiet, participants explore how vibration interacts with stone, earth, and the body, opening new avenues of perception and connection. Crystal singing bowls, a drum, and gongs guide the experience, creating a gentle space for presence and reflection. Participants are led through an opening ceremony with grounding practices, attentive listening with the landscape, an immersive sound experience with bowls, drum, and gongs, and time to consider lineage, belonging, and place. The atmosphere is rooted, spacious, and respectful, and all who feel called to sit with the land in presence are welcome. For comfort, bring a yoga mat, blanket, or chair, and dress for the weather.

Think & Drink brings Music Bingo to Joe’s Place in Iowa City, blending classic bingo with a music twist. Instead of numbers, you will hear parts of songs. When you know the song title, place a chip on your card, and five in a row makes you a winner. Phones, devices, and apps are not allowed to keep the game fair. The night mixes bingo, name-that-tune challenges, and plenty of sing-alongs. It is free to play, and winners can collect free prizes. A sample clue goes like this: “Shawty had them apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, the whole club was lookin’ at her.” If it does not say Think & Drink, it is not the same Music Bingo experience.

Jeffrey Nothing, a co-founding vocalist of Mushroomhead, headlines at Wildwood with performances by Dizasterpiece, Switchblade Saturdays, Catatonic, and Visions of Terror. The show is open to all ages, and advance tickets are $20.

Farm Sessions is a weekly live music series at Wilson's Orchard & Farm, curated and hosted by J. Knight. Enjoy multiple local acts in a relaxed outdoor setting with picnic tables available. Admission is free. The event is family friendly, and kids and dogs are welcome. Musicians interested in performing can contact J. Knight at 319.338.6713. For questions, call 319.354.5651 or email market.ic@wilsonsfarm.com.