Best Live Music Venue – Large: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Musicians (or their publicists) are forever talking about taking listeners “on a musical journey.” The bands which literally are able to do that for many Houstonians are the big national and international acts which play Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Unless you live in the immediate vicinity, taking in a show at The Woodlands area amphitheater requires some time and gas money.
But, as we noted last year and previously when CWMP earned these honors, the trek is so worth it. This year’s milder summer season made the outdoor venue even nicer than its natural woodsy setting generally allows for, so anyone with a ticket to see touring artists like Weird Al Yankovic or locals done good like Khruangbin or Parker McCollum could scarcely believe they were even in the Houston region. Those nights out felt like trips to music fests where our favorite artists performed under the stars while we sat on a hill sipping Saint Arnold beer. That’s CWMP’s weird flex, you get to feel like you’re in a distant (really distant) music locale when you’re actually close (or fairly close) to home.
2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands
281-364-3010
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
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