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Tennessee, United States

Beale Street & Downtown Memphis

Two nights downtown for Beale Street clubs, ribs and the midnight fireworks. We have mapped 1 activity, 1 outdoor spot and 3 places to eat here, each with a reason to go.

Plan Beale Street & Downtown Memphis with friendsBrowse 8 places
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Places
8

1 Do · 1 Outdoors · 3 Eat · 2 Drink · 1 Stay

Curated routes
1

Memphis New Year's Eve

Best season
Dec 30 – Jan 1

from our route notes

Warmest month
August

34°C / 93°F avg high

Coolest month
January

9°C / 48°F avg high

Wettest month
May

about 138 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages for Memphis, the nearest city we track.

Things to do in Beale Street & Downtown Memphis

8 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

Do

Hands-on ways to spend time in Beale Street & Downtown Memphis in Beale Street Historic District.

  • New Year's Eve on Beale in Beale Street & Downtown MemphisPhoto: Curt Hart · CC BY 2.0
    Do

    New Year's Eve on Beale

    Free 21-and-up street party along Beale Street with bands, a DJ stage and fireworks and confetti cannons at midnight.

    Tip Arrive by 9 p.m.; entry is screened and the street fills fast after 10.

    • Beale Street Historic District
    • Free
    • 4 hr
    • 9 p.m. to midnight

Outdoors

Trails, views and open space in and around Beale Street & Downtown Memphis.

  • Outdoors

    Tom Lee Park

    Rebuilt riverfront park below downtown with long views of the Mississippi and the lit Hernando de Soto Bridge.

    Tip Walk here at dusk on Dec 30 for the bridge lights before heading up to Beale.

    • Riverfront
    • Free
    • 45 min
    • Dusk

Eat

3 places to eat in Downtown, picked for groups who care about the food.

  • Eat

    Chez Philippe

    The Peabody's French dining room, serving a fixed-price four-course menu on New Year's Eve.

    Tip Take the early seating and you are on Beale well before the screening lines build.

    • Downtown
    • $$$$
    • 2.5 hr
    • Early evening
  • Eat

    Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous

    Basement rib house down an alley off Union Avenue, serving charcoal-cooked dry-rub ribs since 1948.

    Tip Go on Dec 30; it is closed Sundays and Mondays and fills early on holidays.

    • Downtown
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • Early dinner
  • Eat

    Majestic Grille

    Steaks and classic plates inside a restored 1913 silent-movie theater near the river.

    Tip Reserve for Dec 31; it has hosted New Year's Eve dinners with live music.

    • Downtown
    • $$$
    • 2 hr
    • Evening

Drink

2 bars & cafés in Beale Street Historic District for coffee, a round or a nightcap.

  • B.B. King's Blues Club in Beale Street & Downtown MemphisPhoto: Bjoertvedt · CC BY-SA 4.0
    Drink

    B.B. King's Blues Club

    The flagship blues club on Beale, with a house band, Southern food and a packed New Year's Eve stage.

    Tip Reserve a table package for Dec 31; walk-ins wait outside.

    • Beale Street Historic District
    • $$
    • 2 hr
    • After 9 p.m.
  • Rum Boogie Cafe in Beale Street & Downtown MemphisPhoto: Adam Jones, Ph.D. · CC BY-SA 3.0
    Drink

    Rum Boogie Cafe

    Long-running Beale Street blues bar at the corner of B.B. King Boulevard, with live bands nightly.

    Tip Its corner spot puts you right by the midnight stage.

    • Beale Street Historic District
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Evening

Stay

Places to stay in Beale Street & Downtown Memphis in Downtown.

  • The Peabody in Beale Street & Downtown MemphisPhoto: Heath Cajandig · CC BY 2.0
    Stay

    The Peabody

    Grand 1925 hotel two blocks from Beale, famous for the ducks in its lobby fountain and a ticketed ballroom party on Dec 31.

    Tip Watch the duck march at 11 a.m. or 5 p.m. before the evening crowds arrive.

    • Downtown
    • $$$

How to fit Beale Street & Downtown Memphis into a trip

Beale Street & Downtown Memphis is stop 1 of 2 on our Memphis New Year's Eve route. Follow it as-is or lift Beale Street & Downtown Memphis into your own plan.

Weather by month, based on Memphis

Our climate figures for Beale Street & Downtown Memphis come from Memphis, about 1 km (1 mi) away. Average daily highs run from 9°C / 48°F in January to 34°C / 93°F in August. May is the wettest month, with about 138 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages for Memphis. Memphis weather (covers Beale Street & Downtown Memphis) →

Near Beale Street & Downtown Memphis

8 other destinations from our guides within about 350 km (217 mi), measured in a straight line.

Beale Street & Downtown Memphis questions, answered

How many days do you need in Beale Street & Downtown Memphis?

Our route notes suggest 2 nights in Beale Street & Downtown Memphis. On our Memphis New Year's Eve route it is stop 1 of 2 in a 3-day trip. The listed visit times for our 8 places add up to roughly 14 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Beale Street & Downtown Memphis best known for?

Two nights downtown for Beale Street clubs, ribs and the midnight fireworks. Standouts on our list: Tom Lee Park (Rebuilt riverfront park below downtown with long views of the Mississippi and the lit Hernando de Soto Bridge); New Year's Eve on Beale (Free 21-and-up street party along Beale Street with bands, a DJ stage and fireworks and confetti cannons at midnight); B.B. King's Blues Club (The flagship blues club on Beale, with a house band, Southern food and a packed New Year's Eve stage).

When is the best time to visit Beale Street & Downtown Memphis?

Our Memphis New Year's Eve route is best Dec 30 – Jan 1. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages for nearby Memphis put the warmest highs in August (34°C / 93°F), the coolest in January (9°C / 48°F) and the most rain in May (about 138 mm).

What are the best things to do in Beale Street & Downtown Memphis?

Start with New Year's Eve on Beale and Tom Lee Park. Our guide lists 8 places in all, from 1 activity, 1 outdoor spot, 3 places to eat, 2 bars & cafés and 1 place to stay.

Where should a group eat in Beale Street & Downtown Memphis?

Our picks: Chez Philippe (Downtown); Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous (Downtown); Majestic Grille (Downtown). Take the early seating and you are on Beale well before the screening lines build (Chez Philippe).

What is near Beale Street & Downtown Memphis?

The closest destinations in our guides are South Main & the Riverfront (about 1 km / 1 mi), Memphis (about 1 km / 1 mi) and Helena-West Helena (about 84 km / 52 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Beale Street & Downtown Memphis with your crew

Open the Memphis New Year's Eve route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 8 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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