Upcoming Concerts in Kathmandu 2026 — Live Music Calendar

Kathmandu's live music calendar has never been fuller. What started as a handful of rock venues in Thamel has grown into a genuine scene — jazz clubs, folk revival nights, electronic music festivals, classical crossover events, and international touring acts stopping in Nepal for the first time. The pipeline runs from grassroots open mics in Boudha to 3,000-capacity festivals at outdoor venues.

Here's what to know about the 2026 concert scene in Kathmandu, and how to stay ahead of it.

The main live music venues

House of Music (Thamel) — The most consistent programme in the city. Multiple nights per week, genres ranging from rock and blues to jazz and indie folk. Capacity ~150; sound system is among the best in Thamel.

Moksh (Jhamsikhel) — Jazz, acoustic, and world music. Higher production quality than most; smaller capacity (~80) means intimate sets. Cover NPR 200–400 on live nights.

LOD (Thamel) — Rock and electronic. The biggest stage in Thamel, best for high-energy shows. Three floors; rooftop hosts DJs, lower level hosts bands.

Purple Haze (Thamel) — Metal, punk, and hard rock. Kathmandu's loudest room, in the best way. Cover often free, drinks reasonable. The local rock community's spiritual home.

Taragaon Museum (Boudha) — For classical and world music touring acts. Events are fewer but consistently excellent. Capacity ~200, beautiful brutalist building.

Dwarika's Heritage Terrace (Battisputali) — High-end folk and classical sets in a restored heritage courtyard. Special-occasion venue.

1905 (Kantipath) — Boutique hotel rooftop with occasional jazz and classical performances.

Bhrikutimandap and Tundikhel (open grounds) — Used for larger outdoor festivals (capacity 1,000–5,000+).

Lainchaur and Army Pavilion — Occasional big-ticket touring shows.

Genres thriving in Kathmandu in 2026

Nepali rock and metal

Jazz

Folk revival

Electronic

Classical crossover

Indie and singer-songwriter

Hip-hop and rap

International acts

Nepal's live music visa and logistics have improved. International touring acts now include Kathmandu more regularly — particularly bands doing India-Nepal circuits. The announcement pipeline is short (often 1–2 weeks), so following venues directly and setting up Kata Jaam? notifications is the best way to catch them.

Recent international acts that have come through: jazz trios from Mumbai and Bangalore, Norwegian folk acts, Korean indie bands, and several touring American jazz musicians.

Festivals

The year's biggest live music dates:

• Jazzmandu (October) — Nepal's flagship jazz festival, runs ~10 days, multiple venues.
• Echoes Festival (variable) — electronic music, outdoor venues.
• Nepal Music Festival (variable) — large outdoor, multi-genre.
• Hits FM Music Awards (annual) — Nepali mainstream music ceremony with live performances.
• Local rock fest circuit — multiple smaller rock festivals through the year.

How to get tickets

Concert ticketing in Kathmandu has standardised in the last two years:

• Khalti — most concert tickets are now sold via Khalti's events platform.
• Ticket Sanjal — alternative ticketing platform; some events use this.
• eSewa — increasingly common for larger events.
• Venue door — many smaller venues still sell at the door.
• Kata Jaam? listings — when an event has a ticket link, we link directly through.

Buy ahead for big touring acts; door tickets for smaller venues are usually fine.

How to stay ahead of the calendar

The simplest approach: browse live music events in Kathmandu and download the Kata Jaam? app. Set notifications for music events and you'll be alerted as soon as new shows are posted.

Several venues announce shows via Instagram first; following the right accounts (House of Music, Moksh, Purple Haze, LOD) gives 24–48 hours' notice on the most coveted shows.

Seasonal rhythm

• October–November — peak. Jazzmandu, Tihar concerts, and the start of clear-weather rooftop sets.
• December–February — winter indoor shows; less density but consistent.
• March–May — outdoor festivals pick up; the rooftop scene reopens.
• June–September — monsoon. Outdoor festivals pause; indoor venues continue.

Pricing guidance

• Cover for a local rock band — NPR 200–500.
• Touring international act — NPR 800–2,500.
• Jazz at Moksh / 1905 — NPR 300–600.
• Outdoor festival day pass — NPR 1,500–4,000.
• Dwarika's Heritage Terrace evening — NPR 5,000–8,000 inclusive of dinner.

Plan tonight

See tonight's live music events for the current calendar. If you're a musician or organiser running shows, submit through the organiser portal.

For more on the broader nightlife scene see our Kathmandu nightlife guide and the Thamel nightlife guide.