I have a theory that vacations without live entertainment are just "trips." A trip is fine — you go somewhere, you see things, you eat food, you come home. But a vacation? A vacation has a moment. That moment when the lights go down, the crowd roars, and you forget about your mortgage for three glorious hours. That's what concerts and shows do. They upgrade your trip to a full-blown experience.
The problem is that hotels near major entertainment venues know this, and they price accordingly. A Holiday Inn near Madison Square Garden charges $400/night. A Marriott on the Las Vegas Strip charges $300+. These hotels are banking on the fact that you need somewhere to sleep after the show. These resort deals are banking on the fact that you're smarter than that. Check our deals page for entertainment-area resort packages.
1. Nashville, Tennessee — From $79/Night
Nashville is live music condensed into a city. Broadway has honky-tonks with free live music every night of the week. The Ryman Auditorium (the "Mother Church of Country Music") hosts legends. The Grand Ole Opry continues its nearly 100-year tradition of Saturday night shows. And the listening rooms — places like the Bluebird Cafe and the Station Inn — feature singer-songwriters in intimate settings that you'll tell people about for years.
Resort packages start at $79/night at properties within driving distance of downtown. The Wyndham Nashville and Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties offer spacious suites that are significantly cheaper than downtown hotels. Uber/Lyft from most resort properties to Broadway costs $12-20 — still cheaper than parking downtown ($25-40) plus a $300+ hotel room.
The free live music on Broadway is legitimately excellent. These aren't struggling amateurs — many honky-tonk performers are professional musicians who chose Nashville for a reason. Walk into Tootsies, Roberts Western World, or the Stage, grab a beer for $6, and listen to musicians who are genuinely talented. Tip the band generously — they're making their living from those tip jars.
2. Las Vegas — From $69/Night
Vegas is the entertainment capital of the planet, and the show options are overwhelming in the best way. Residencies from global superstars, Cirque du Soleil shows (six running simultaneously), comedy specials, magic shows, burlesque revues, and tribute acts cover every entertainment taste imaginable. You could see a different show every night for a month and not repeat.
Off-Strip resort packages start at just $69/night — a fraction of Strip hotel rates. The Wyndham Grand Desert, the Cancun Resort, and several other vacation club properties offer spacious suites within 5-15 minutes of the Strip. The money you save on lodging can fund premium show tickets, which is where Vegas really shines.
For budget entertainment, the free shows on Fremont Street are surprisingly impressive. The Viva Vision canopy show runs hourly and covers the entire Fremont Street Experience with synchronized lights and music. Multiple stages host live bands nightly. And the people-watching on both Fremont and the Strip is entertainment in itself — Vegas attracts characters that defy description and sometimes clothing conventions.
3. Branson, Missouri — From $59/Night
Branson has over 100 live shows running simultaneously, which is insane for a town of 12,000 people. The entertainment ranges from country and gospel music to magic shows, comedy acts, acrobatic spectaculars, and tribute performances covering every era from the 1950s to today. The shows are affordable (many under $40), family-friendly, and surprisingly high-quality.
Resort packages start at an absurd $59/night. Combine that with $25-40 show tickets and you've got a full evening of entertainment plus a comfortable room for roughly what a single concert ticket costs in a major city. The Sight & Sound Theatre produces Broadway-caliber biblical musicals on a massive stage, and "Amazing Acrobats of Shanghai" rivals any Vegas show for athletic spectacle.
The "76 Strip" (officially Highway 76) is lined with theaters, restaurants, and attractions. Traffic can be terrible during peak season, so use the alternate routes that locals know (Highway 248 and the Indian Point Road shortcut). Silver Dollar City also hosts concerts during their festival seasons — major country acts perform on the park's outdoor amphitheater stage as part of regular park admission. Browse our destination deals for Branson show packages.
4. Myrtle Beach Shows — From $79/Night
Myrtle Beach has a strong live entertainment scene that most beach-focused visitors overlook. The Alabama Theatre, Carolina Opry, Medieval Times, and Pirates Voyage (a Dolly Parton production with dinner and a pirate battle show — it's exactly as amazing as it sounds) offer evening entertainment that complements your beach days perfectly.
Resort packages start at $79/night for oceanfront condos. The combination of beach by day and shows by night creates a vacation rhythm that works for families, couples, and groups. Most shows run $35-50 per adult, with kids' pricing significantly lower. The Alabama Theatre's "ONE The Show" is a multi-genre variety show that consistently ranks among the best in the Southeast.
Broadway at the Beach hosts seasonal outdoor concerts, and the House of Blues has touring acts performing regularly. For free entertainment, the boardwalk has street performers and the oceanfront bars host live music nightly. The talent level at Myrtle Beach music venues is surprisingly high — many performers split their time between Nashville and the Grand Strand.
5. New York City (Broadway) — From $109/Night
Broadway is Broadway. Nothing else compares. The energy of a live Broadway performance — the talent, the sets, the orchestra, the collective gasp of 1,500 people at a plot twist — is irreplaceable. And while NYC hotel prices are legendarily brutal, resort-style properties in New Jersey and the outer boroughs offer packages that make a Broadway trip achievable without a second mortgage.
Resort properties in northern New Jersey (20-30 minutes to Midtown via bus or train) start at $109/night. The Wyndham Midtown 45 is actually in Manhattan and occasionally offers promotional rates. PATH train and NJ Transit connect NJ resort properties to Penn Station for $3-8 per trip, putting Times Square within easy reach.
TKTS booths in Times Square sell same-day Broadway tickets at 20-50% off face value. Line up at the booth around 2 PM for evening shows. The digital lottery for many shows (Hamilton, Wicked, The Lion King) offers $30-40 tickets via apps like TodayTix. Seeing a Broadway show at full price is nice; seeing one at half price is delicious. And the pizza afterward at Joe's on Carmine Street is non-negotiable.
6. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee — From $69/Night
Pigeon Forge is Branson's southern cousin, with a heavy emphasis on dinner shows and Dollywood performances. Dolly Parton's Stampede (a dinner show with horses, stunts, and an alarming amount of rotisserie chicken), the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud, and the Smoky Mountain Opry offer unique entertainment you won't find anywhere else.
Resort packages start at $69/night, and the dinner shows run $50-65 per adult including the meal. That's entertainment AND dinner for the price of a single concert ticket in most cities. Dollywood's seasonal festivals include concert series featuring major country, bluegrass, and gospel acts as part of regular park admission.
The Island in Pigeon Forge has free outdoor concerts on the Island Stage during summer, and the restaurants and shops stay open late. The Ole Smoky Moonshine distillery offers free tastings (of legal moonshine, because it's Tennessee and they've figured out how to monetize their reputation). The combination of mountain-adjacent location and concentrated entertainment makes Pigeon Forge uniquely positioned as a vacation destination.
7. Atlantic City Shows — From $79/Night
Atlantic City's entertainment scene has evolved far beyond the casino floor. The Borgata, Hard Rock Hotel, and Ocean Casino Resort host touring acts from major artists year-round. The smaller venues like the Music Box at Borgata feature intimate performances from comedians and musicians. And the free beach concerts during summer are a genuinely delightful bonus.
Resort-style properties near the Boardwalk start at $79/night. The Wyndham Skyline Tower and the Atlantic Palace Suites offer condo-style accommodations with kitchens and Boardwalk proximity. Casino resort rooms can sometimes be snagged for even less through comp programs and midweek specials — if you plan to do any gaming, sign up for player's cards for free room offers.
The Steel Pier amusement rides, Boardwalk concerts, and the new Orange Loop creative district add non-casino entertainment options. AC's restaurant scene has improved dramatically, with celebrity chef restaurants (Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay all have spots) and excellent Italian-American dining in the Ducktown neighborhood. Check our resort brand pages for Atlantic City properties.
8. Austin, Texas — From $89/Night
Austin is the "Live Music Capital of the World" — a title that's not just marketing but statistical fact. On any given night, there are 250+ live music performances happening across the city. From the legendary Sixth Street honky-tonks to the Continental Club to massive outdoor venues like Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater, the musical diversity and quality are unmatched.
Resort-style packages in the Greater Austin area start at $89/night. Properties along I-35 and in the Arboretum area put you 15-20 minutes from downtown's entertainment district. Sixth Street (particularly the "Dirty Sixth" block between Congress and I-35) has free live music in dozens of bars nightly — cover charges are rare, and the talent is exceptional.
The Continental Club on South Congress is a legendary venue where you might catch a Grammy winner playing to a crowd of 200 people. Stubb's BBQ hosts outdoor concerts under the Texas stars. And the ACL taping at the Moody Theater (free tickets available through lottery) lets you attend a taping of the famous Austin City Limits TV show. The food trucks on South Congress and East Sixth serve late-night eats that pair perfectly with a post-show buzz.
| Destination | Starting Price | Show Type | Avg Ticket Price | Free Entertainment? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $79/night | Country, Americana | $0-75 | Broadway honky-tonks |
| Las Vegas | $69/night | Residencies, Cirque | $60-300 | Fremont Street |
| Branson | $59/night | Variety, musical | $25-50 | Some outdoor venues |
| Myrtle Beach | $79/night | Dinner shows, variety | $35-50 | Boardwalk music |
| New York City | $109/night | Broadway | $79-250 | Street performers |
| Pigeon Forge | $69/night | Dinner shows | $50-65 w/dinner | The Island stage |
| Atlantic City | $79/night | Casino headliners | $40-150 | Beach concerts |
| Austin | $89/night | Live music (all genres) | $0-50 | Sixth Street bars |
A vacation without a show is like a sandwich without bread — technically it works, but it's missing the thing that holds everything together. These eight destinations deliver world-class entertainment at prices that won't make you feel like you need to sell plasma to afford the tickets. Book the resort deal, buy the tickets, and go have that moment when the music starts and the real world dissapears for a while. That's what vacations are supposed to feel like.