weekend event planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

Take part in the Revolution when Prince's band stops here on Sunday.

It's holiday season, with many Houstonians enjoying a much-needed getaway. For those still here, it's a relatively quiet week of events: All the hardcore stuff happens Monday night — New Year's Eve — when we all count down to 2019.

Until then, enjoy these fun happenings:

Thursday, December 27

Tea with the Dames at the MFAH
If you're a huge fan of old, English ladies getting together and shooting the breeze, here's the new documentary Tea with the Dames, which will be playing Thursday through Saturday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This film features legendary British actresses Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith meeting up for a weekend in the country and just reminiscing about their glorious, award-filled careers as acclaimed dames. 7 pm.

Station Theater presents The SpaceCat Show: Thursday Night Comedy
Improv comedy can either be a fun or grating experience, depending on who's doing the ad-libbing. Hopefully, the folks who put on Station Theater's SpaceCat Show will be giving audiences more of the former. Every Thursday night, guests can see a line-up of local Houston improv comedy teams followed by SpaceCat Lab, the theater's signature house team, who debuts a new improv comedy form every season. 8 pm.

Friday, December 28

Jill Scott vs. Erykah Badu — Night Light Vibe and A Tribute to Jill Scott presented by Liz Vaughn
It appears that two different events on Friday night will be saluting neo-soul queen Jill Scott in very different ways. First up, there's the 3rd Ward Tours' Night Light Vibe, which will have people cruising the streets on Dutch bikes while listening to music from Scott as well as Dallas R&B diva Erykah Badu. Meanwhile, over at Martini Blu, local vocalist Liz Vaughn will be doing a tribute to Scott, performing some of her most well-known ditties. Both start at 7:30 pm.

Saturday, December 29

Save Drag Queen Storytime
Apparently, there are people who don’t like it when drag queens encourage children to read. When a branch of the Houston Public Library started a program earlier this year where local drag divas read to kids, some folks freaked out, even taking legal action over it. This is why the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library will be holding this protest, welcome to those who want their young offspring to learn more about literacy — and acceptance. 1 pm.

Kato Gentry's Last Day Party of the Year (Ugly Sweater Edition)
Just because Christmas is over doesn't mean you can't rock that ugly Christmas sweater one last time. The Davenport will be having a day party where guests are encouraged to show up in their tackiest yet most festive top. DJ MeekThaFreek will be spinning tunes, while the EaDeaux's food truck will be out near the patio. And after you're done partying, you can go home and finally put that ghastly piece of clothing in storage until next Christmas. 2-8 pm.

Divine Kegel at Cactus Music
Any band that named themselves after a memorable phrase from a Key & Peele skit has got our full attention. This El Paso band is a garage-punk two-piece featuring Daniel Lopez on guitar and Elijah Watson on drums. The group has been described as a trifecta of Death From Above 1979, Lightning Bolt, and Black Sabbath. Before they headline a show this Sunday night at the White Swan Live, you can sample them at this in-store performance. 3 pm.

Sunday, December 30

The Last Supper of 2018 at The Flat
Chef Casey Guhl of the Food Music Life food truck is laying out quite the spread for The Flat's year-end, blowout party. Let us just list some of the succulent items on this menu: bacon macaroni and cheese stuffed in whole roasted squash, pomegranate basil mahi mahi ceviche, pork ribs in adobo sauce served over polenta, and brisket lasagna and aged shredded cheddar cheese. 4-8 pm.

The Revolution at House of Blues Houston
It still hurts that Prince Rogers Nelson — better known as just Prince — was taken away from us a couple of years ago, at the way-too-young age of 57. Thankfully, his music lives on, as well as his backup band, The Revolution. The band he officially introduced to the world in the iconic 1984 movie Purple Rain, this quintet — Lisa Coleman, Wendy Melvoin, Bobby Z., Matt Fink, and Brown Mark — accompanied on the Purple One on his most classic albums, which they are now on performing on tour. 8 pm.

event-planner

Hottest Headlines of 2025

Ren Fest drama tops Houston's hottest entertainment headlines of 2025

Texas Renaissance Festival/ Facebook

The Texas Renaissance Festival returns October 11.

Editor's note: This year was a busy one for CultureMap's Entertainment section. A lawsuit brought changes to the Texas Renaissance Festival, country star Post Malone left a life-changing tip, and one of Houston's most respected pitmasters came up a little short on the national stage. Houston’s entertainment news proves the diversity of our city.

Read on for the 10 top Houston entertainment headlines of 2025:

1. Winner of Ren Fest lawsuit plans to keep the event mostly unchanged. The Texas Renaissance Festival got a new owner this year, following a contentious court battle. But what would that mean for the beloved fall festival that generations have come to love? Surprisingly little for attendees. The new owner vowed to keep RenFest mostly the same. “...We're sticking with what works,” said Anthony Laporte, the attorney representing the new owner. “...Both the old owners and the new ones are planning to give visitors a great time.”

Texas Renaissance Festival/ Facebook

The Texas Renaissance Festival has a new owner.

2. Judge rules Texas Renaissance Festival owner must sell his kingdom. For more than half a century, George Coulam reigned as king of the Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission. In 2023, he agreed to sell the beloved festival, then reneged on the deal. In May, a Grimes County judge ordered the sale to go through in the culmination of a long legal battle. The drama behind the festival was depicted in the HBO docuseries Ren Faire.

3. Star Houston pitmaster flames out on Food Network barbecue competition. On July 20, Houston pitmaster Greg Gatlin’s run on the Food Network show BBQ Brawl came to an end. Judges criticized his preparation of New York strip with grilled broccolini with Calabrian chili. The owner of Gatlin’s BBQ and Gatlin’s Fins & Feathers, took the disappointing news in stride. “It hurts, but I think I did my family’s name proud,” he said.

4. Premier Houston nightclub group reopening iconic strip club this month. This summer, the Colorado Club became part of The Clé Group’s portfolio. The strip club was a magnet for A-listers in the 1990s and early ‘00s. Following the death of founder Dallas Fontenot in September 2021, the venue passed to his son Dakota, who ultimately decided to sell the club. The new owners upgraded the food and implemented a host of other improvements like state-of-the-art lighting and sound, an updated design, and multiple stages.

5. Bun B, Ludacris, Keith Sweat, and more throw epic birthday bonanza at RodeoHouston. Houston hip-hop legend Bun B threw himself a birthday party on March 7, in his appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Black Heritage Day. TSU’s Ocean of Soul and Prairie View A&M’s Marching Storm bands performed sets, and video greetings from celebs were part of the pre-concert festivities. The concert had strong performances but some unfortunate technical glitches.

6. All the White Linen Night parties happening in the Heights and beyond. From its beginnings in the Heights, White Linen Night has spread across the Bayou City. This list gave readers a guide to 25 of the summer tradition’s parties and specials, from a build-your-own succulent bar to band performances.

7. Post Malone shocks Houston bartender with 'life-changing' $20,000 tip. When the music superstar stopped in to visit The Railyard on Christmas Eve 2024, bar regulars picked up his tab. But that didn’t stop him from leaving a $20,000 tip for bartender Renee Brown. "His generosity … blew me away,” she said. “This definitely wasn't the Christmas Eve I was expecting, but one I'm forever thankful to have had."

8. RodeoHouston taps Post Malone, Bun B, Reba McEntire, and more for 2025 concerts. One of Houston’s most anticipated lineups was announced in January, at a media event at NRG Center. Performers for the March 4-23 event represented a variety of genres, heavily focused on country, but also including pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, regional Mexican, and Christian music.

9. Nine Inch Nails hammers Houston at career-spanning Toyota Center concert. Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees Nine Inch Nails returned to Houston and the Toyota Center on September 12, opening the show with the industrial ballad “Right Where It Belongs.” “NIN has always had a forward propulsion,” wrote our reviewer Craig Hlavaty. “There’s no concept of nostalgia, just raw nerves endlessly being rediscovered by fresh ears.”

10. Post Malone's road show lifts up RodeoHouston with heart and soul. Months after headlining the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Post Malone was back in the Houston spotlight in a show that “was easily the hottest ticket of the season.” He used the evening to share his latest album F-1 Trillion, “a collection of expertly crafted pop-country.”

hot-headlines