Scottsdale · Nightlife for grown-ups

Scottsdale Nightlife for Grown-Ups (Without the Club Scene)

The clubs in Old Town's entertainment district are loud and young. You can have a great night out in Scottsdale without them: a saloon band, a jazz room, a rooftop at sunset and a bar hidden under a coffee shop.

Researched and checked by the Trips for Grown-Ups team · Updated · How we research

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Live music

Rusty Spur Saloon

7245 E Main St, Old Town

  • $
  • Lively
  • Walk-in

Scottsdale's first saloon, open since 1951 in a 1921 building, with live country, blues and rockabilly every afternoon and evening, seven days a week, and never a cover charge. It turned 75 in September 2026.

Tip: Go in the late afternoon for the day band and a seat near the stage.

The Nash

110 E Roosevelt St, Downtown Phoenix

  • $$
  • Calm
  • Tickets in advance

A nonprofit jazz club named for Phoenix-born drummer Lewis Nash, with more than 300 performances a year, from touring artists to weekly jam sessions. The best jazz room in the valley.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Scottsdale Civic Center, Old Town

  • $$$
  • Calm
  • Tickets in advance

Old Town's theatre for touring singer-songwriters, dance and tribute shows. The 2026-27 season includes Paula Cole, BalletX, Parsons Dance and Killer Queen.

Rooftops and wine

Outrider Rooftop Lounge

Canopy by Hilton Scottsdale Old Town

  • $$
  • Lively
  • Reserve or walk in

The rooftop on top of the Canopy by Hilton, with 360-degree views; it shines at sunset, when the sun drops behind Camelback Mountain.

Aridus Wine Company tasting room

Main Street Arts District, Old Town

  • $$
  • Calm
  • Walk-in

A chandeliered tasting room among the Main Street galleries, pouring flights from Aridus's own vineyard and winery in southeast Arizona (Pearce and Willcox). One stop on Old Town's wine trail, along with Carlson Creek, Merkin and others.

UnderTow

Below Sip Coffee, 3626 E Indian School Rd, Arcadia

  • $$
  • Lively
  • Reserve ahead

A 44-seat tiki bar hidden beneath a coffee shop and built like the cargo hold of a 19th-century clipper ship, with rare rums and the odd simulated thunderstorm. Ten years old in 2026.

Tip: Seats are sold in 90-minute blocks, so book.

A few hands of blackjack

Talking Stick Resort

9800 E Talking Stick Way (Salt River)

  • $$
  • Lively
  • Walk-in

A AAA Four Diamond tribal casino resort with smoke-free gaming, a 24-hour casino floor, a big poker room, a 14th-floor spa and a rooftop restaurant with valley views. About 15 minutes from Old Town.

How to do an Old Town night

  • Eat at 6:30, not 8:30: dinner first, then the bars before the crowds arrive.
  • The Rusty Spur never charges a cover; the afternoon and early-evening bands draw a mixed-age crowd.
  • For jazz, take a rideshare to The Nash in downtown Phoenix and buy tickets in advance.
  • Please drink and gamble responsibly, and never drive after drinking.

Everything here was checked in September 2026. Opening days, seasons and heat closures change, so confirm before you go.

Questions people ask

Where do people over 40 go out in Scottsdale?

The Rusty Spur Saloon for live country, the Old Town wine tasting rooms, hotel rooftops at sunset, UnderTow for cocktails and The Nash in Phoenix for jazz. Talking Stick Resort is the grown-up casino option.

Is there live jazz in Scottsdale?

The main jazz room is The Nash on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix, about 25 minutes from Old Town, with more than 300 performances a year. ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho has live music on select weekend nights.