Tulsa

Tulsa Live Events

Tulsa is a vibrant entertainment hub with excellent venues for live music and sports. The city's premier entertainment complex, BOK Center, hosts major concerts and events, while ONEOK Field welcomes baseball fans to watch the Tulsa Drillers.

Music lovers will appreciate Tulsa's legendary music venues, including the historic Cain's Ballroom and Tulsa Theater. The city also offers entertainment at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

Buy your tickets to all of Tulsa's hottest live events on TickPick, where you'll get the guaranteed best prices of any ticket marketplace and never pay any hidden fees.

Your Night Out in Tulsa

Tulsa's live event scene has a depth that catches first-time visitors off guard. This is a city of about a million people in the metro area, but the venue infrastructure, anchored by the BOK Center downtown and the legendary Cain's Ballroom, covers everything from 19,000-seat arena tours to 200-person listening rooms. Tulsa event tickets price well below comparable cities in Texas or the Midwest, and the venues are concentrated enough that you can walk between three of them in 15 minutes. Add in Tulsa's food and bar scene, which has quietly become one of the best in the region, and you've got a city that's genuinely fun to visit for a show.

BOK Center: Tulsa's Arena

The BOK Center is a 19,000-seat arena downtown that opened in 2008 and handles the big touring acts; think Morgan Wallen, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish. The building was designed by César Pelli (the architect behind the Petronas Towers), and it looks the part from the outside. Inside, the acoustics are above-average for an arena, and the bowl is steep enough that upper-level seats still feel connected to the stage. BOK Center concert tickets on TickPick typically start in the $50–$90 range for major tours, which is 25–35% below what the same act charges at the Paycom Center in OKC or the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Tulsa also hosts Tulsa Oilers (ECHL hockey) and occasional NCAA tournament events at the BOK Center. Parking downtown is plentiful and cheap; $10–$15 in the lots surrounding the arena, versus $30–$50 at most comparably sized venues in bigger markets.

Cain's Ballroom: A National Landmark

If you know one venue in Tulsa, it's Cain's Ballroom. Built in 1924 as a garage and converted to a dance hall, it became the "Carnegie Hall of Western Swing" as the home of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys in the 1930s and '40s. That history matters, but what keeps Cain's relevant is that it's still one of the best rooms in America to see a show. The capacity is about 1,800, the original maple dance floor is still there, and the sound is warm in a way that modern venues spend millions trying to replicate.

The Sex Pistols played their first US show at Cain's in 1978. The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, and Jason Isbell have all played here in the modern era. On any given week, Cain's books everything from Red Dirt country to punk to touring Americana acts. Tickets are absurdly affordable — most shows are priced at $20–$50 -- and the room rewards every dollar. There's a reason Rolling Stone and Paste Magazine have both named it one of the best music venues in America.

Where to Eat Before the Show

The Blue Dome District, the neighborhood surrounding the BOK Center and Cain's Ballroom, is where you want to be before and after a show. Andolini's Pizzeria on East 1st Street does wood-fired Neapolitan pizza that's legitimately great (the pepperoni cup with hot honey is the move). Dust Bowl Lanes & Lounge combines craft bowling with cocktails and a full kitchen; it's a solid pregame spot if you've got an hour to kill. McNellie's Pub has 365 beers on the menu and is the closest bar to Cain's Ballroom; it's where the post-show crowd ends up.

If you're willing to walk 10 minutes north, the Tulsa Arts District has the more upscale options. Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse is the splurge dinner before a BOK Center show. Valkyrie is the craft cocktail bar that takes itself just seriously enough. Laffa Medi-Eastern is the casual Mediterranean spot that locals love. And Soundpony Lounge, a dive bar with great DJs, is where things end up if the night goes long.

What's Happening in Tulsa This Season

Tulsa's event calendar runs year-round, but the peak season is spring through fall. The Tulsa Tough cycling festival (June) turns downtown into a multi-day criterium race with festival stages and food vendors lining the course. Mayfest is the city's four-day arts and music festival in May that takes over the Arts District. Oktoberfest Tulsa is one of the largest in the country; a three-day event at River West Festival Park with German beer, polka, and a surprisingly strong music lineup.

The Center of the Universe Festival (June) is a free, downtown outdoor music festival that's become one of Tulsa's signature summer events. And for something truly local, the Woody Guthrie Festival in nearby Okemah (about 70 miles south) celebrates Tulsa's deep folk and Americana roots every July. Tulsa literally has a Woody Guthrie Center; the city takes its music history seriously.

Tulsa Events FAQ

How much are Tulsa concert tickets?
On TickPick, BOK Center concerts typically start at $50–$90, which is 25–35% below comparable shows in Dallas or OKC. Cain's Ballroom shows are even cheaper -- most range from $20–$50 for national touring acts. No hidden fees on TickPick.

What's the best music venue in Tulsa?
Cain's Ballroom is the legendary pick -- a 1924 dance hall with an original maple floor, 1,800 capacity, and consistently ranked among the best live music venues in America. BOK Center (19,000 seats) handles arena tours. The Vanguard (capacity of 500) is the smaller venue for indie and electronic acts.

Where should I eat near BOK Center?
The Blue Dome District surrounds the BOK Center and Cain's Ballroom. Andolini's has great wood-fired pizza, McNellie's has 365 beers, and Dust Bowl Lanes is a fun pregame spot for bowling and cocktails. In the Arts District (10-minute walk), Prhyme is the steakhouse splurge, and Laffa is the casual local favorite.