a month of free concerts
2 concert series bring free performances to downtown Houston in May
Tom Sandoval will appear at Party on the Plaza on May 10.
Music fans will have plenty of chances to catch free concerts in downtown Houston in May, everything from folk groups to jazz to tribute bands.
On Thursdays, University of Houston Downtown returns with its weekly concert series at Discovery Green, highlighting a variety of genres.
The line up this year includes Grammy Award-winning Latin sensation Grupo Fantasma, a nine-piece funk orchestra from Austin that mixes traditional mariachi with a ‘70s soul vibe. They’ll be joined by Grupo Vadenagi, a rare all-female norteño group. The two bands will open the series on May 2.
Other bands that will perform throughout May are Canadian singer-songwriter Theo Lawrence (May 9), Latino new age/indie band Vortxz (May 16), and acclaimed Austin songwriter Mobley (May 23). All concerts are outdoors, free, and begin at 7 pm. Outside food and drink are welcome except for glass containers and alcohol, though beer and wine will be for sale at The Lake House. See Discovery Green’s website for more details.
“The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of celebrations in 2024, and this year’s UHD Thursday Night Concerts at Discovery Green is no exception,” said UHD President Loren J. Blanchard in a statement. “We are proud of our 13-year partnership with Discovery Green in bringing regional talent to the heart of downtown as part of our mission to serve as an anchor institution for the entire Greater Houston area, and we look forward to this year’s dynamic line-up.”
On Fridays, the concerts will be held at the Plaza at Avenida Houston. Party on the Plaza is presented by Houston First Corporation, which promotes arts and culture in the city. Not only will the concert series provide music, the plaza will be lit up with an energized dance floor.
For those who maybe couldn’t afford to go to Taylor Swift’s epic Eras Tour, Party on the Plaza has a reasonable facsimile. Lover: An Eras Tour Experience will perform on May 19 and hopefully recapture some of the Swiftie magic from last year.
Also on the bill are the EZ Band, a Latin folk act trying to reinvent the way that people see the genre (May 3), the party band side project of model and reality TV star Tom Sandoval (May 10), and another tribute act, The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience (May 24).
Again, all concerts are completely free and will start at 7 pm. Full information about the site, opening acts, and parking can be found at the Avenida Houston website.
