Sacramento’s nightlife economy is on the come up — but can the city keep pace?

Sacramento’s nightlife is also in a moment of transformation. As the city continues to grow, so does its after-dark economy, bringing in new opportunities, a creative resurgence and plenty of challenges. From rising operational costs and shifting audience habits to regulatory hurdles and a renewed focus on equity and inclusion — venue owners, artists and promoters alike say they find themselves navigating a scene that’s vibrant, expanding and full of possibilities.

“The growth of Sacramento is a huge factor, and I think that everybody recognizes that the city is growing and is going to continue to grow,” says Rod Elliott, co-owner and booker at Harlow’s. “Now, with growth, come growing pains. … It’s really not that easy. So I think what’s going to happen is, through the growing pains, the cream will rise to the top and you will have a nightlife and an entertainment life that is going to be the best of the best. It just takes time.”

‘Ever-evolving, ever-changing’

Much like Sacramento’s identity through the decades, there have been different iterations of Harlow’s. From its roots as a bustling restaurant on J Street in the early 1980s, to its evolution into a multi-room venue embracing diverse genres, the club reflects the broader shifts shaping the city’s nightlife.

“There are a couple things that stand out to me. One is the ebbs and flows of the local live music scene. It’s gone through extreme highs, and some mediocrity, or even some lows over the years,” Elliott says. “Right now, it’s on the come up again. I think it’s showing some incredible pulse. It’s just ever-evolving, ever-changing.”

But venues are just one slice of the after-hours pie.

City leaders focused on Sacramento’s nightlife landscape — including Nighttime Economy Manager Tina Lee-Vogt and Convention and Cultural Services Assistant Director Dustin Hollingsworth — say they’ve made progress easing hurdles for venues and artists. One key change: a new, Limited Entertainment Permit aimed at helping small businesses, like cafes or coffeehouses, host live music without navigating the same costly and complex process required of full-scale venues, like Harlow’s.

“It used to be that we had a one-size-fits all permit, just a regular entertainment permit regardless of your size. So if you were a cafe that just wanted to have a live band every once in a while, or Faces, that has entertainment on the regular, you went through the same process,” says Lee-Vogt, referring to the nightclub on K Street. “What it does is allows smaller businesses that want to do entertainment as an accessory-use to have entertainment.”

With City Council approval in April, the new Limited Entertainment Permit comes with a significantly reduced fee of $750, down from the standard of $2,230. Both permits are valid for two years. It applies to spaces with occupancy under 299 and includes earlier closing hours — 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends — to suit businesses like restaurants, breweries and wine bars.

Hollingsworth says the city has already identified a couple of businesses to pilot the new process, with a goal to make the permit widely available by July 28.

Beyond permitting changes, city leaders have also consolidated efforts to make Sacramento more accessible for artists, venues and film productions. Last summer, Hollingsworth’s department launched the Entertainment Services Division, which brought together special event permitting (formerly with Parks and Community Enrichment), entertainment venue permitting (previously handled by Code Enforcement) and film permitting — all under one roof.

The move has helped reduce redundancy and improve coordination between overlapping industries, especially as many business owners and artists operate across multiple sectors. The city is also working to digitize its application system, replacing paper forms with an online platform that promises greater transparency and efficiency. Hollingsworth says he expects the city to have a contract ready to create the online platform within the next two months, and that it should be live within six to eight months.

“Honestly, I think the city’s on a great trajectory, and we’ve got the support of the appropriate officials within the City of Sacramento, both elected and in the city manager’s office to keep promoting this,” Hollingsworth says. “Their dedication is in the fact that they created the Office of Nighttime Economy, in the fact that they created this Entertainment Services Division. It really is an indicator of the commitment to the social and nighttime economies, and making sure that not only our businesses are allowed to thrive here, but also our artists.”

The Entertainment Services Division also oversees Sacramento’s film permitting process — and efforts to market the city as a destination for on-location shoots are paying off. In February 2024, Warner Bros. spent more than two weeks filming “One Battle After Another,” a new film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor.

The shoot brought A-listers to town, including Taylor, who was spotted at a Kings game. It also helped spotlight Sacramento as a viable location for future major film productions.

Another recent project, the road trip comedy “Sacramento,” starring Michael Cera and Kristen Stewart, wrapped in May 2023 after filming in locations like Old Sacramento, outside of Gunther’s Ice Cream and along the R Street Corridor.

In 2024 alone, the local film industry generated an estimated $6.5 million in economic impact and more than 950 local hires — plus 4,000 hotel room nights booked during 136 permitted film days, according to Hollingsworth.

‘It’s crackin’ every Sunday’

On Sunday nights at the Torch Club, music flows freely.

LabRats, a genre-blending jazz fusion band, hosts a weekly jam session that packs the historic space and welcomes hip-hop artists, experimental musicians, R&B vocalists and more onto the same, intimate stage. The vibe is loose and joyful — part showcase, part open-mic and fully rooted in fostering community.

But even on busy nights like these, longtime bartender Melanie Tannehill says she’s noticed a shift in her fellow patrons going-out habits, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic hit pause on Sacramento’s dance floors, live music and late-night culture during the summer of 2020.

“Everything changed when that all went down,” Tannehill says. “At Torch Club, we were closed almost 17 months, and we were the last to reopen because we don’t serve food. So once everything started reopening, I realized that things were shutting down a lot sooner and more people just weren’t coming out after that. People just got comfortable staying at home and doing their own thing. We’re slowly starting to get back to things opening and staying open later, but it’s definitely a slow go.”

That’s even with the Friday night Concerts in the Park series booming with thousands of music-loving attendees just a few blocks away in César Chávez Plaza. Organized by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, the free concerts have drawn tens of thousands of people to the area annually for more than 30 years — all to catch big-name acts like XZIBIT and Phantogram alongside local favorites like Basi Vibe and Golden Cadillacs. Sure, it’s a boon for downtown, but Tannehill says it’s not always the case for nearby bars.

“We do feel a huge impact with Concerts in the Park going on Friday nights. We usually run with two bartenders. Now, we’re doing one at this point, because we just don’t have the traffic,” Tannehill says. “People go to the concert in the park and they either might be too intoxicated to get into our doors, or if they do get in, we can’t serve them, or feel comfortable serving them. We always expect as bartenders, like once CIP starts, through the end of that, we’re gonna suffer a little bit.”

It’s a testament to the growing appeal of Sacramento’s nightlife — but also a reminder that attention doesn’t always equal foot traffic for smaller, independent venues.

That’s why nights like Sunday Sessions at Torch Club matter so much to artists like Mahtie Bush, a veteran local emcee and longtime supporter of Sacramento’s music scene. Bush says there’s nothing quite like the high energy and unpredictability found on these evenings at the downtown venue.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but if you can imagine the cartoon, ‘The Aristocats,’ remember that part when it’s like, ‘Everybody!’ It’s rocking like that! Yeah, it’s crackin’ every Sunday,” he says, with a laugh. “I’ve even went just to go watch ‘cause it’s so live. I don’t think people understand how dope it is to go to that spot and see the LabRats rockin’ and seeing people exchanging instruments and jumping on and singing along to the songs — and it’s free.”

For Bush, the beauty of Sacramento is not only heard in its variety of music — it’s reflected in the people who show up for it. He says that same energy carries into a handful of open-mic events where hip-hop artists can sharpen their craft and connect with others in the scene.

Bush points to spots like Shady Lady and Twelves Wax, smaller venues that help strengthen the hip-hop community. He says Flip A Beat Club, a collective of local producers who host beat showcases and freestyle sessions every Wednesday night at Shady Lady, help create much-needed opportunities for emcees to network — especially those visiting from out of town.

“They play their beats and emcees show up, they chill, they drink, eat and there’s an open-mic, just sitting up there,” Bush explains. “So, you get on stage and start rapping over people’s beats. And then, they have workshops and stuff like that at Twelves Wax in Oak Park.”

Whether inside a dimly lit speakeasy lounge on R Street or a buzzing Oak Park record shop, pockets of entertainment like these reflect the city’s homegrown vibe that continues to make Sacramento a proving ground for local artists — and a magnet for national attention.

It’s all a part of a larger rhythm, one that’s drawing more big-name touring acts each year, along with larger crowds and fresh attention to the City of Trees. And local artists like Bush aren’t the only ones taking notice.

New venue on the block

When Jon Gunton and his team at Another Planet Entertainment first looked toward Sacramento, they saw more than just a growing city with a loyal fan base. They saw untapped potential for a mid-sized venue that could fill the gap between intimate clubs and arena shows.

Known for producing some of Northern California’s most recognizable music events, including San Francisco’s massive Outside Lands festival in Golden Gate Park and for operating landmark venues like the Fox Theater in Oakland, APE took a different approach here.

Channel 24, which marked its grand opening in April, is the company’s first venue built entirely from the ground up — a bold investment in Sacramento’s growing status as a viable stop for national touring acts and a city shaped by its deeply rooted DIY music scene.

“It’s a place that was on the rise in a lot of ways, not just population wise, but there’s a lot of cool stuff happening in Sacramento,” Gunton says. “It felt like a really great opportunity, knowing that there was that missing gap of a certain size capacity that brings a certain kind of artist.”

Channel 24, located in the Poverty Ridge neighborhood, now fills that gap with room for 2,150 fans and it’s already begun to reshape Sacramento’s live music landscape. The project, four years in the making, came together with what Gunton describes as a fairly smooth process in working with the city — a sign, he says, of Sacramento’s readiness to grow its entertainment footprint.

The venue currently employs five full-time, salaried managers, and on concert nights, it brings in 80 to 100 event staff — from bartenders and security to production crews and backstage managers — adding both jobs and energy to the 24th Street area.

Beyond the numbers, Channel 24 is already delivering on its promise to attract major touring artists. In May, rock ’n’ roll icon Jack White played two nights to sold-out crowds. But what made the moment even more meaningful to locals was who opened the shows: Sacramento bands Dog Party and The Snares.

“We want to be first and foremost a part of the Sacramento community and music scene. That’s important to us,” Gunton says. “It was great seeing those local bands play to a packed house. … any way that we can facilitate rising the tides of the local art scene and music scene, we want to do that as much as we can as we move forward.”

That night marked a career milestone for Lucy Giles, vocalist and drummer of Dog Party. Lucy Giles and her sister, guitarist and vocalist Gwennie Giles, have toured nationally, started their own label (Sneak Dog Records), appeared in the movie “SLC Punk 2: Punk’s Dead” and even performed alongside Green Day during their Revolution Radio tour in 2016. Still, opening for White was a dream come true, Lucy Giles says, as she’s been following his music since she was 5 years old.

“Sacramento will always be extra special for us because this is where we’re from. We’ve had insanely magical shows here, like our album release show [at The Starlet Room] was one to note. That was just incredible. You can easily compare that to the show that we played with Jack White,” Lucy Giles says. “I think that Channel 24 will definitely help cultivate the scene by bringing in new inspiration for younger kids. It takes one magical moment for a kid watching an artist on stage to be like, ‘Wow! This is something I want to do.’”

‘The legacy is unmatched’

While new venues like Channel 24 spark optimism, other downtown operators are still waiting for the city to fully embrace its potential as a nightlife destination.

Over on 7th and K streets, an area that’s experienced waves of openings and closures even in the shadow of Golden 1 Center, Tony Christ, a partner at Tiger Restaurant & Lounge, is trying to reimagine what’s possible.

Christ and his business partner, Robbie Metcalf, have been creating entertainment experiences in Sacramento since 2008 under the name H.O.F., recently rebranded as H.E.R.E. Together, they blend dining, craft drinks and nightclub culture with the kind of experimental programming he believes Sacramento needs more of — a youthful edge and a little more risk — no dress code required.

“Tiger was an evolution of who we were as a company,” Christ says. “Robbie and I were doing events and collaborating with a lot of different bars in the city to do block parties and things like that, before we had done Tiger. So it was really like a culmination of all of our learnings over the last 15 years that I think made Tiger what it is.”

Notable artists who have performed at Tiger include rapper and producer 50 Cent, Oakland-based R&B artist Kehlani and melodic hip-hop artist Don Toliver.

Still, Christ says it’s a constant battle to operate on K Street. Foot traffic is inconsistent. Tourism is limited. And Christ says too often, the burden falls on small business owners to make their venues destinations on their own — without enough city support.

“There’s a lot of great conversations being had, and I think there’s a big push, publicly, that we’re trying to be this nightlife city, this music city, but on the ground floor, it doesn’t really feel like that,” Christ says. “It seems like the city is so focused on making sure things don’t happen, instead of making sure that things do happen.”

He’s especially frustrated by how difficult it is to get city permits for things like block parties or outdoor events. “You need 90 days before you can even have a conversation with somebody sometimes. You might miss the whole summer because you didn’t have something planned immediately,” he says.

While cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles have more fluid systems for outdoor drinking and public activations, Sacramento’s process, he says, is complex and slow to adapt.

Now, the city is trying to change that.

Sacramento officials are looking to establish designated “entertainment zones” — areas where alcohol can be consumed outside during special events. Modeled after successful initiatives in San Francisco, the zones are designed to let businesses participate more directly in large-scale events happening right outside their doors.

City officials say safety concerns, however, remain a top priority as Sacramento considers expanding its entertainment options. Lee-Vogt, the city’s nighttime economy manager, says her office works closely with police, code and fire to help businesses operate responsibly. But they’re also mindful of striking the right balance, ensuring people feel secure without creating a stiff atmosphere that dampens the vibe.

“No one wants to go to a club with like 20 cops standing in front of it, but we also want to make sure people feel safe,” she says. “So it’s all about really working together with them and partnering on how to be strategic about how we’re safe.”

Lee-Vogt explains that the proposed changes would update the city code to allow customers to grab a drink from a bar in a designated zone — for example, a stretch of K Street during Pride festivities — and enjoy it outdoors while the approved event is happening. She notes that under the proposed special event permit, people 21 and over could carry their drinks between participating venues and public event areas, potentially using designated cups as one option.

The city plans to bring the proposal to the City Council this month. If approved, it would take 30 days to go into effect. Each zone would require a detailed public safety plan, coordination with the Alcoholic Beverage Control agency and a designated lead, most likely a local business improvement district such as the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, for example, to organize participation.

Christ is cautiously optimistic. He keeps in contact with city leaders, including Assemblymember Matt Haney in San Francisco, and sees potential in the changes. But he also believes Sacramento needs to think bigger.

“We should be in competition with these major destination spaces that are attracting people globally to their city — that’s the only way the city is going to change,” he says. “And that’s the level of intensity we have to come at it for it to actually change.”

Back at Harlow’s, Elliott is also keeping his finger on Sacramento’s entertainment pulse. With decades of live music reverberating through the walls of his longstanding venue, Harlow’s continues to be a cornerstone of Sacramento’s cultural nightlife — and not by chasing trends, but through a steadfast commitment to the community who stands in line waiting to see their favorite artists.

“The legacy is unmatched here in Midtown and downtown,” Elliott says. “It’s a bunch of hard-working people trying to figure out the right way to do things, and these things take time. I think that everybody’s on the right path. We just have to exercise patience to see these changes, these improvements come to fruition.”