Clematis by Night 2026-27
Free live music on the waterfront every Thursday from October through April.
The weekly outdoor concert series the City of West Palm Beach has been running since June 8, 1995. 31 years in, free every week, with a different band on the stage behind the fountain and the Intracoastal behind them.
The series, in one table.
Schedule, location, admission, policies, and the context you need to plan a Thursday night downtown.
| When | Every Thursdays, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Season | October 22, 2026 through April 15, 2027 |
| Location | Nancy M. Graham Centennial Square and the Great Lawn, 100 N. Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 |
| Admission | Free |
| What to bring | A lawn chair or blanket. Beer, wine, and food available for purchase from on-site vendors; most people grab drinks on Clematis and walk them over. |
| Vibe | Family friendly, open-air, happy-hour energy. Dancing optional but encouraged. |
| Genres | Rock, reggae, R&B, country, blues, soul, swing, Latin. Local, regional, and national bands rotate week to week. |
| Awards | #3, USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Best Outdoor Concert Series (2026). Behind only Vail and Somers Point. |
| Produced by | City of West Palm Beach Community Events Division |
| Phone | (561) 822-1515 |
Sources: City of West Palm Beach, USA TODAY 10Best, The Palm Beaches, AOL. Details checked October 2026.
The same waterfront that hosts the GreenMarket, lit up on Thursday nights.
Clematis by Night happens on the same waterfront grounds as the Saturday-morning GreenMarket and the February Palm Tree Music Festival. Same address, three different crowds, three different vibes.
By car and parking
Free parking on Thursday nights at the City Center, Clematis, and Sapodilla garages. Banyan and Evernia garages charge $5 after 5 PM. Street parking on Clematis is metered until 8 PM.
By Brightline
The WPB Brightline station at 501 Evernia Street is an 8-minute walk. Easy option for a Thursday night out from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, since trains run late enough to catch the full set and ride home.
What to bring
A lawn chair or blanket. The Great Lawn fills in by 7 PM, so arrive early for a prime spot near the stage. Water bottles are fine; alcohol is sold on-site but easier to grab from one of the Clematis Street bars and walk over.
Dogs and kids
Family friendly, leashed dogs welcome. Expect strollers, dancing kids near the stage, and plenty of room on the lawn behind the main viewing area for a quieter sit.
The oldest free concert series in Palm Beach County.
After 31 years, the format has barely changed and that is the point. One stage, one band, three hours, waterfront behind them, Clematis Street a block away for the drink-and-food run. Nobody is trying to reinvent it. The city keeps booking different genres week to week, which means it never gets stale.
Rotating genres, local-to-national acts
Rock, reggae, R&B, country, blues, soul, swing, Latin. The city books local Palm Beach County bands most weeks with regional and national acts mixed in. You never know what you're walking into, which is part of the fun.
Everyone from kids to retirees
Thursday nights draw a true cross-section: downtown office workers unwinding, families with kids running around, visitors who stumbled in from Clematis, retirees who have been coming since the 90s. The least pretentious crowd downtown.
Lawn chairs, blankets, happy hour drinks
Bring a chair or blanket for the Great Lawn behind the main viewing area. Food trucks and vendors on the perimeter. Most locals grab drinks and apps on Clematis first, then walk the two minutes over.
December is its own thing
The Dec 3 Tree Lighting runs until 10 PM, Dec 10 shifts to Friday as Friday@5, Dec 17 is the tropical holiday spectacular, and Dec 31 is Sandi's New Year's Eve until midnight. See the schedule below for the full lineup.
Who's on the stage, week by week.
First half of the season. The city announces the January through April lineup as the holidays wrap up; check back after New Year's for the full run.
- Thu Oct 22 Dee Dee Wilde Band
- Thu Oct 29 Clematis by FRIGHT: Uncle Morty's Rhythm Cream Halloween edition
- Thu Nov 5 Cover to Cover
- Thu Nov 12 Terry Hanck
- Thu Nov 19 Big Al & the Heavyweights
- Thu Nov 26 No concert Thanksgiving
- Thu Dec 3 Holiday Tree Lighting Special hours: 6 PM to 10 PM
- Thu Dec 10 Friday@5 Friday instead of Thursday
- Thu Dec 17 Aloha Islanders Tropical Holiday Spectacular
- Thu Dec 24 No concert Christmas Eve
- Thu Dec 31 Sandi's New Year's Eve Special hours: 8 PM to midnight
A pizza vendor, a keg, and an 8-foot table in 1995.
Clematis by Night launched June 8, 1995. Then-Mayor Nancy Graham asked Mary Pinak, then the community events manager to make it happen, with two requirements: live music, and free. The first night drew about 300 people. Pinak described the setup as 'one pizza vendor, one keg of beer, and a stage that looked like an 8-foot table.'
Three decades later, those two requirements are still the whole thing. The city rebuilt the square (and named it for Nancy Graham), the stage got real, the production grew, but the format did not. 31 years, every Thursday from October through April, free.
In 2026, USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice ranked Clematis by Night #3 in the country for Best Outdoor Concert Series. Only Hot Summer Nights, Vail, Colorado and Somers Point Beach Concert Series, New Jersey placed higher.
Dinner before, drinks during, nightcap after.
Grab early dinner at Avocado Grill, Hullabaloo, or one of the Clematis sit-downs. Thursday reservations are easier than weekends. Walk to the lawn by 6 to catch the first set.
Three sets, give or take, with short breaks. Easy to run back to Clematis for another drink without losing your spot. Water bottles and water fountains on-site.
The crowd rolls directly back onto Clematis when the music stops. Forget Me Not for cocktails and dancing, Roxy's Rooftop for a late view, Lost Weekend for a lower-key close.
There is one every Thursday from October through April. Low-stakes commitment. The downtown restaurants guide covers all the pre- and post-concert dinner spots in the area.
The questions people actually ask us.
When is Clematis by Night?
Every Thursdays from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The 2026-27 season runs October 22, 2026 through April 15, 2027.
Is it free?
Yes. Free admission every week. Food and drink are available for purchase from on-site vendors or the Clematis Street bars and restaurants a block away.
Where is it held?
Nancy M. Graham Centennial Square and the Great Lawn, downtown West Palm Beach. Same waterfront grounds as the GreenMarket and Palm Tree Music Festival.
What should I bring?
A lawn chair or blanket. Water bottle. Sun layer in October and April; a light jacket for the colder January-February Thursdays.
Can I bring my dog?
Yes, leashed. The venue is dog-friendly and plenty of regulars bring theirs. Avoid directly in front of the stage speakers if your dog is noise-sensitive.
What time should I arrive?
By 6 PM for the opening set and the best lawn spots. The lawn fills by 7, and the main viewing area gets dense through the middle set.
What happens on holidays?
Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve are off. The Dec 3 Tree Lighting runs 6 to 10 PM. Dec 10 shifts to a Friday@5 edition. Dec 31 is Sandi's New Year's Eve from 8 PM to midnight. See the full season schedule above.
How do bands get booked?
The City of West Palm Beach handles bookings. Send an EPK (bio, live video, genre, song list) to events@wpb.org with "Entertainment Booking" in the subject line.
Is Clematis by Night really the best outdoor concert series in the country?
USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice ranked it #3 in 2026 for Best Outdoor Concert Series. Vail's Hot Summer Nights took #1 and Somers Point Beach Concert Series took #2. We would argue being 30 years in the game beats both.
See you Thursday.
The official city page has the week's band and any weather updates. Instagram is the fastest live feed from the lawn.