ONCE UPON A TIME, A STUDY TRIED TO ARGUE that Houstonians don’t support live music. But if you live here, you know that major and emerging acts visit our town every year. As proof, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo recently announced its stacked 2023 concert lineup, and we’re gearing up for another year of major musical events in the Bayou City (including the Queen herself!). And although acts like Carrie Underwood, Arctic Monkeys, Sza and other recently announced tours won’t stop in Houston this year, they’re just a few hour’s drive away in Austin or Dallas. Mark your calendars. Here are some of the biggest concerts in Houston this year:

March 2023

Muse / Evanescence: Will of The People World Tour

Will of the People is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Muse, and for their spring tour, they won't be standing down.  Performing with special guest Evanescence, this tour will be one for the books.

• When: March 2 
• Where: Toyota Center  
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $40.

Wizkid: More Love, Less Ego Tour

Nigerian singer, Wizkid, will be showing Houston some love and bringing groovy sounds to Houston with his newest album More Love, Less Ego. Bring your friends and expect to dance—a lot!

• When: March 3
• Where: Toyota Center
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $49. 

Durand Bernarr: The Wanderlust Tour

The highly anticipated sophomore album, Wanderlust, by performance artist Durand Bernarr is one for the books. Frequently providing background vocals for Erykah Badu, Bernarr grew his digital fanbase through YouTube by covering popular songs by artists like Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Gnarls Barkley, and Beyoncé. And if you haven’t bought your tickets, bad news, it’s sold out. 

• When: March 10
• Where: House of Blues Houston
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $20. 

The Commodores

Fifty-five years after they formed, everyone’s favorite funk dance soul act is still bringing it! Even without the legendary Lionel Ritchie in the mix, the Grammy-winning group behind hits like “Brick House,” “Easy,” “Sail On,” “Nightshift,” and so many others, will be heating up The Grand 1894 Opera House in April.

• When: March 10 and 11 
• Where: The Grand 1894 Opera House
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $144. 

Static-X: Rise of the Machine 2023

This LA-based, multi-platinum selling heavy metal band rose to fame with their 1999 debut album Wisconsin Death Trip. After their founder and guitarist Wayne Static died in 2014, they’re back on the road with their much anticipated Rise Of The Machine North American tour, with special guests Fear Factory, Dope, Mushroomhead and Twiztid.

• When: March 12
• Where: House of Blues 
• Tickers are on sale now and start at $30. 

The Killers: Imploding the Mirage Tour

Led by charismatic front man, Brandon Flowers, this Las Vegas-based band with the Mormon pedigree (behind hits like “Somebody Told Me,” and “Mr. Brightside”), returns to the stage in support of their new album Imploding the Mirage, which Pitchfork called “one of their biggest and best albums, a marvelously absurd collection of synth-rock gems and arena anthems.”

• When: March 25
• Where: Toyota Center 
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $25.

MANÁ

This Mexican pop-rock band might be the biggest thing in music no one is talking about. Blending a catchy mix of calypso, reggae, and ska musical influences, Maná has become one of the best-selling Latin music artists and the most successful Latin American band of all time, selling more than 40 million records worldwide. Don’t miss your chance to check them out at the Toyota Center in March.

• When: March 30
• Where: Toyota Center
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $40.

April 2023

M83 Fantasy 2023 Tour

If you’re a fan of electronic dance music bands like Passion Pit, The xx, LCD Soundsystem, and Sigur Rós, then the “dream pop” project, M83 is worth a listen. Touring to support their latest album, Fantasy, the group, founded and fronted by Nicolas Fromageau, brings its unique sonic stylings, which includes heavy reverb effects and thundering instruments accompanied by softly spoken lyrics.

• When: April 15
• Where: White Oak Music Hall
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $40. 

Keshi: HELL & BACK  Tour

Sugarland’s own Keshi, who enjoyed a blockbuster year in 2022, primarily on the heels of his widely praised album (and accompanying documentary film), GABRIEL, finishes off his global “HELL & BACK” tour at 713 Music Hall in April. Earning notice for his unique musical style that combines chunky beats, bittersweet melodies, and lamenting lyrics of lost love, Keshi closes out his tour in front of his hometown fans. 

• When: April 17
• Where: 713 Music Hall
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $56.

Ha*Ash: Mi Salida Contigo Tour

Latin pop duo, Ha*Ash, comes to town to support the release of their recent hit album, Haashtag. The multimillion-album selling sisters from Lake Charles, Louisiana have been compared to everyone from Shania Twain to Loretta Lynn to The Chicks, with a blend of sounds that range from country to pop to funk.

• When: April 20
• Where: Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $49.  

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

This is a big one, folks. And, sad to say, unless you have friends in high places, you are never ever getting tickets. But shake it off. Keep tuning in to local radio stations and checking select websites for ticket giveaways, and stay fearless!

• When: April 21-23
• Where: NRG Stadium
• Tickets are currently unavailable online.

May 2023

Santana / Earth Wind & Fire: Miraculous Supernatural Tour

Talk about a match made in heaven! These two legendary acts have finally teamed up to present what might be the funkiest, danciest night out since Prince performed solo at the Sziget Festival back in 2011. Go for hits like “September” and “Evil Woman” and stay for lesser known but equally groovy tunes like “Diana” and “The Game of Love.” If nothing else it’s the best named concert tour of the year!

• When: May 7 
• Where: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $49.

Lewis Capaldi

It’s nearly impossible to pin down this Scottish sensation. Watch him singing his heart out, poolside in his skivvies, in the video for “Forget Me” and you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking he’s an adorably chubby adolescent goofball. Then he opens his mouth and that sweet smooth voice has you rethinking things. Then you find out about his line of frozen pizzas called Big Sexy Pizza and you're not so sure again. And then you hear he’s the first artist to sell out an arena tour before the release of an album and your head spins! Go to 713 Music Hall on May 11 and find out for yourself!

• When: May 11
• Where: 713 Music Hall
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $40.

YUNGBLUD: The Life on Mars Tour  

Melding a mix of pop, rock, punk, and ska, to name a few, YUNGBLUD borrows liberally and boldly from early influences, including My Chemical Romance, Iggy Pop, The Cure, David Bowie, and Madness. His upbeat, infectiously danceable songs cover an array of youth-centric topics like first love, bullying, gender identity, and racism. In his “The Life on Mars” tour, all of his identities and influences perform under one roof and on one stage at the House of Blues in May.

• When: May 13
• Where: House of Blues Houston
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $25. 

Ed Sheeran: +-=÷x Tour

Though sometimes called, perhaps unfairly, the male Taylor Swift, there’s no denying that Swift and Ed Sheeran bear some striking similarities. Both write and perform their own music; both write catchy, bouncy, emotionally rich and self reflective pop tunes; both have managed to achieve mega superstardom in the process; and both have world tours this year. Maybe the most telling difference between the two is that you can still get tickets for Sheeran’s shows. For now!

• When: May 13 
• Where: NRG Stadium 
• Tickets go on sale on October 12 at 10 a.m. 

Ashe: Fun While It Lasted Tour

Since her critically and commercially acclaimed debut album The Rabbit Hole was released in 2018, Ashe has been on a meteoric career trajectory. Her 2019 single "Moral of the Story" was featured in the Netflix film To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020) and was produced by Noah Conrad and Finneas O'Connell (yes, Billie Eilish’s big bro and collaborator). She released two more studio albums, 2021’s Ashlyn and 2022’s Rae. She also toured with Louis the Child, Lauv and Whethan, and was nominated for a Juno Award for her gold-certified single "Let You Get Away.” Now she brings her considerable talents to the White Oak Music Hall on her Fun While it Lasted tour.

• When: May 17
• Where: White Oak Music Hall
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $35 

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Chili Peppers keep rocking. And they’re not just rolling out their long list of hits. This summer, their Return of the Dream Canteen tour, in support of their eponymous new album, features a whole set of new songs. And they’re bringing their friends. The special guests they’ve invited to join them are equally as enduring and compelling. Iggy Pop, The Roots, St. Vincent, and The Mars Volta? Those are just a few acts Houstonians won’t get to see. But don’t fret. Opening for the Peppers at Minute Maid Park on May 25 will be The Strokes and Thundercat. 

• When: May 25
• Where: Minute Maid Park
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $50.

Matchbox Twenty

In their first tour since 2017, platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, pop rock legends, Matchbox Twenty, will embark on a six-month North American tour, kicking off in Vancouver in May and finishing up in August. Don’t miss their show at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on June 30th.  The "Matchbox Twenty 2023” tour is their first since 2017, when they reunited for the “A Brief History of Everything” tour to mark the 20th anniversary of their RIAA Diamond-certified debut album Yourself or Someone Like You.

• When: June 30
• Where: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $36.

July 2023

Blink 182: North American Tour

They’re baaaaaack. Everybody's favorite post-punk/pop-rock bros from California, Blink 182 rose to fame in the early 2000s with hit songs like “All the Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again?” They return to the stage after a 10 year hiatus, and if their new single “Edging” is any indication, they’ll be  bringing all the same adolescent angst, relationship silliness, and other personal trials and tribulations with them. For true fans, that’s music to their ears.

• When: July 8
• Where: Toyota Center
• Tickets are on sale on October 17 at 10 a.m. and start at $30.

Paramore

After a nearly five-year hiatus from releasing music and performing, Paramore dropped their sixth album, This Is Why, in February, and officially announced a new tour. Simply titled “Paramore in North America,” the popular pop-punk trio kicks things off in Charlotte, N.C., on May 23 and plays in Houston at the Toyota Center on July 11.

• When: July 11
• Where: Toyota Center
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $40.

Shania Twain

With the release of Queen of Me, Shania Twain’s sixth studio album, and first full-length record in nearly six years, the country icon will embark on a global arena tour spanning 49 dates, including stops at Houston’s own Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on July 22.

• When: July 22
• Where: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $56

August 2023

Foreigner

It feels like the last time for the classic rock band Foreigner who announced their farewell tour for this year. Formed in New York City in 1976, the group has a string of hits over those 47 years, including “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Urgent,” and “Juke Box Hero.” In 1984 they finally notched their first and only Number One in the United States with the iconic power ballad, “I Want to Know What Love Is.” With this final tour, they’re about to find out.

• When: August 12
• Where: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $30.

September 2023

PINK: Summer Carnival Tour

It’s time to get the party started with Pink this summer as she hits major ballparks and arenas on her massive North American, 22-show in support of her new album Trustfall. The “Summer Carnival 2.0” tour marks her first return to the road since her “Beautiful Trauma” world tour in 2019. The new record will make listeners want to “take their clothes off and dance,” Pink said. She’ll be joined on the road with special guests including Brandi Carlile, Pat Benatar with Neil Giraldo, Grouplove, and DJ Kid Cutup.

• When: September 27
• Where: Minute Maid Park
• Tickets are on sale now and start at $40.

Beyoncé

When Queen Bey took to Instagram in February to announce that her long-awaited Renaissance World Tour 2023 will officially kick off this year, you could feel the roof of NRG Stadium raise just a little bit. Bey's 41-show global trek will launch in Stockholm on May 10 and grace her Houston hometown faithful for two nights, September 23rd and 24th. If the image that accompanied her post was any indication of the kind of show she plans to put on, her 294 million Instagram followers better hold on to their hats.

• When: September 23 and 24
• Where: NRG Stadium
• Tickets are on sale now, but they're going fast and they're not cheap. (As of this writing, StubHub has prices as low as $127; SeatGeek has them going for as low as $117 for the Sunday show and $148 for the Saturday show; and Ticketmaster, in typical Ticketmaster fashion, wants you to join a queue and wait for further info.)