Emo's Austin

Emo’s has important policies that guests should take note of to ensure a smooth, seamless experience. Some must-know policies include:

• Re-Entry & Smoking: Smoking and vaping is prohibited at Emo’s. Re-entry is not permitted.³
• Payment Options: Emo’s is a cashless venue and only accepts card or mobile payment options.³
• Prohibited Items: Weapons, professional cameras, umbrellas, drugs or illegal substances, outside food and drink, masks, stuffed animals, or any object that has the potential to cause harm are all prohibited at Emo’s.³ Refer to the policy page for a complete list of prohibited items.
• Age Restrictions: Age restrictions are dependent on the event. If no age restriction is specified on the event listing, then all ages are welcome.³

Venue policies are subject to event and venue updates. For the most up-to-date guidance and information on regulations (including bag policies), check the official Emo's policy page.

Austin is a vibrant, culturally rich city with a big music and event scene. Some other can’t-miss venues in Austin include:

• The Moody Center: The Moody Center seats over 15,000 guests at premier concerts and sporting events. It is the home stadium for the University of Texas men’s and women’s basketball teams, and hosts hit artists like Ariana Grande, A$AP Rocky, and Louis Tomlinson.⁴
• The Concourse Project: This unique indoor-outdoor venue is located near the south terminal of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The Concourse Project is a modular warehouse, able to change its layout as needed for EDM concerts and dance music events.⁵
• Q2 Stadium: Q2 Stadium is the home turf of Austin FC, the city’s professional soccer team. This state-of-the-art venue is ecologically friendly and strives to blend high-quality fan experiences with environmental best practices. The stadium seats up to 20,000 people.⁶

Parking at Emo’s is quite limited, though there is some availability. Public transportation may be considered a more convenient way to visit the venue.

Public Transportation: CapMetro, Austin’s public bus system, serves the Emo’s area. There are several stops along Riverside Drive, several of which are only a short walk to Emo’s.⁷

Driving: Emo's is located at 2015 E Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741. Street parking near the venue is limited and can fill quickly on event nights. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, use rideshare services, or review the venue's parking map before traveling.

Be sure to check the map on Emo’s Parking & Directions page to confirm where street parking is available. Emo’s encourages guests to use ride share services or public transportation to reduce parking challenges.²

While Emo’s does not serve food, there is a full bar with beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages available. Guests who require food for accessibility reasons may bring food that remains in its factory-sealed packaging.⁸

Emo’s opened its doors as an indie rock venue in the early 1990s, and was a place for unique concerts and musicians that didn’t quite fit mainstream venues. The original venue was a former auto garage that featured a tiny indoor stage and invited audience members to dance in close quarters.

The venue was an anchor in the developing Red River music scene in the 1990s and early 2000s — many individuals who helped shape the iconic district of clubs and venues learned the trade at Emo’s.

In 2011, Emo’s left the Red River district and reopened in South Austin, but still kept its intimate, garage-concert feel despite having a larger venue. Today, concertgoers can enjoy indie rock, metal, hip-hop, electronica, and classic rock performances at Emo’s.⁹