Mark your calendars for 10 of the biggest events—including the Rodeo, a total eclipse, and the Rolling Stones—on the way to Houston in the first six months of 2024.
An eclipse, the return of a beloved theater, and the potential for a Lionel Messi sighting are just a few of the highlights coming to Houston’s calendar to start 2024.
We’ve gathered ten major events taking place on Houston’s horizon, so you can mark your calendars, secure your seats and plan ahead for happenings you won’t want to miss.
Take a look at some of the biggest events to come to Houston in the first half of 2024.
Top 10 Events in Houston to Start 2024
Good times roll in Galveston
Friday, February 2 to Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Mardi Gras arrives early this year and while plenty of good times can be had around Greater Houston, it’s the two-week celebration in Galveston that takes the king cake.
The third largest Mardi Gras in the United States, the Island’s big bash returns for its 113th year with two weekends of festive parades, balcony parties, family events, and live performers bringing the grooves deep into the night.
Single day General Admission starts at $14, with weekend passes available for $24 and 5-day passes for $53; free for ages 12 and under. Balcony parties are a separate ticket.
Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo lassos another year
Tuesday, February 27 to March 17, 2024
For more than 90 years, the Rodeo has been a cornerstone of the city’s ever-growing calendar of yearly festivities, and is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world.
The city’s signature event brings together more than two million people from all backgrounds and all regions of the Greater Houston area—and beyond—for three full weeks of carnival fun, adventurous eats, livestock shows, rodeo competitions and star-studded live concerts.
Check out the concert lineup and secure your seats, or go for the thrill of the festival with a grounds-only ticket, available for $20; $10 for ages 3 to 12 (carnival rides and games are an additional cost).
River Oaks Theater returns for a sequel
Opening in 2024
Crews are hard at work renovating the beloved Houston theater, which served as a sacred space for arthouse and independent films, as well as midnight movies and, of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
While the initial reopening date of late 2023 has passed, its current owners have shown progress of work in every facet of the cinema space and are expected to open the doors—at long last—some time in 2024.
When it finally returns, expect updated seating and decor, as well as the introduction of food and beverage service with a nod toward enhancing the cinema experience.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston celebrates 100 years
All Year Long
The MFAH celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024, marking a century since the original neoclassical museum building opened to the public at South Main and Montrose on April 12, 1924.
Since then, the footprint of the MFAH campus has expanded to include the Mies van der Rohe–designed Cullinan Hall, the Beck and Kinder buildings, as well as the Sculpture Garden and Glassell School of Art. All together, the several city blocks in Museum District house a collection of nearly 70,000 works of art created throughout human history.
Celebratory announcements are still to come, but three exhibitions will make their mark during the first half of the year.
From February through May, you can catch the ornate craftwork of silversmiths and goldsmiths at Crowning the North: Silver Treasures from Bergen, Norway; an exploration of Black identity and experiences in the United States in Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage; and the vibrant early 20th-century artform of Fauvism in Vertigo of Color: Matisse, Derain, and the Origins of Fauvism.
Astros open the season against the Yankees
Thursday, March 28 to Sunday, March 31, 2024
Late March brings another baseball season to Downtown Houston when the Astros open the year with a four-game visit from the New York Yankees.
The Astros will return to the diamond with much of their squad from 2023 intact, except most notably for the departure of “Uncle” Mike Brantley, who retired from baseball after a 15-season career.
Here’s hoping Houston is blessed with the good spring weather needed for an open roof to start the season. Make your plans now to duck out of work early for the 3pm first pitch on Thursday, March 28, or celebrate the whole weekend long with a Minute Maid full of ‘Stros fanatics.
The Great North American Eclipse comes to Texas
Monday, April 8, 2024 | Peak at 1:40pm
Houstonians were treated to an annular solar eclipse in 2023, catching a crescent of the afternoon sun as the moon passed between it and the Earth.
This year brings a different celestial treat as a total solar eclipse will pass through the state of Texas, providing nearly four-and-a-half minutes of time in the shadow of the moon.
Unfortunately, Houston will miss the path of totality but will still experience as much as 95% coverage which will bring a spectacular sight on a Monday afternoon.
But you won’t have to travel far to find the path of totality, as it will pass through areas just west of San Antonio and Austin, and directly through Dallas. Act quick, however, as the cosmic event is expected to bring millions of tourists to take in the sight.
World’s biggest Art Car Parade marks its 37th fest
Saturday, April 13, 2024 | 2pm to 4pm
The world’s oldest and largest celebration of creativity on two, four and sometimes more wheels returns to Downtown and Allen Parkway with the 37th Annual Houston Art Car Parade & Festival on Saturday, April 13.
From its humble beginnings of an 11-car parade in 1986, the Art Car tradition has grown to become the city’s largest free public event, drawing over 300,000 spectators and more than 250 rolling works of art.
Born from the minds of the Orange Show, the annual parade is preceded by multiple days of festivities that include sneak peeks at spots around Houston, as well as the Legendary Art Car Ball the night before the main event.
Rolling Stones bring the hits to Houston
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | 8pm
More than sixty years after forming in London, one of the most popular rock bands of all time will set out on the Hackney Diamonds tour—and its first stop is right here in Houston.
The Rolling Stones will descend on NRG Stadium for a show featuring the band’s biggest hits like “Start Me Up,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Satisfaction” and more, to go along with tunes from the new album for which the tour is named.
This will be the band’s first visit to Houston since the No Filter Tour in July of 2019, and it will kick off a 16-city romp through North America.
A double dose of Pride parades
Saturday, June 22 & Saturday, June 29, 2024
When Pride Month rolls around in the summer of 2024, Houston will have two celebrations parading the streets of Downtown.
The freshly formed New Faces of Pride will embark on their inaugural parade event on Saturday, June 22 with hundreds of festival vendors, plus parade floats in the spirit of inclusivity.
Then, a week later on Saturday, June 29, Pride Houston 365 will bring its 46th LGBT+ Pride Celebration to its familiar route in Downtown Houston, complete with the return of the festival to the steps of City Hall.
Taken together, the double dose of celebrations will wrap up Pride Month with events that gather hundreds of thousands of people to Downtown in a celebration of Houston’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community.
Copa América (& maybe Messi) arrives in Houston
Saturday, June 22 to Thursday, July 4, 2024
The 108-year old international soccer tournament from South America will be hosted by the United States this summer, including three matches at NRG Stadium.
Featuring all 10 South American teams, plus North American squads from the United States and Mexico, the event will bring together fans from across the American continent, and around the world to see soccer stars from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and more.
Houston is a lock to host two group stage games, including Mexico vs. Jamaica, and Colombia vs. Paraguay, as well as a knockout quarterfinal held on Independence Day, Thursday, July 4.
That high-stakes matchup will feature the winner of Group A and the Group B runner-up, which means Houston may host a match featuring Lionel Messi and Argentina—provided they win the group as projected.
Tickets go on sale at a later date, but the fastest and cheapest way to secure your spot will be through the pre-sale event held by Copa América.
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