Live music in Pasadena: Halloween weekend and early November

Pasadena closes October and opens November with music. Halloween night lights up Old Pasadena with trick-or-treating and entertainment, the Canadian fiddler April Verch plays a folk show at Knox Presbyterian Church, Club 54 throws its Halloween costume party, the Pasadena Community Orchestra opens its 44th season free of charge on Friday, November 6, and Sid the Cat Auditorium packs the first week of November with four indie shows. I am Alejandro Espitia, a Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, licensed in California (01213999) since 1996, with 200+ homes sold serving Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, fluent in English and Spanish. Pasadena is my home turf, I check the local listings each week, and every event below comes from a current public listing, with sources at the bottom of the post.

October 31: Halloween night in Old Pasadena

Old Pasadena Halloween, the district's signature family celebration, fills the streets on Saturday, October 31, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm with trick-or-treating, music, and entertainment up and down the pedestrian mall. The full Halloween celebration runs all month, but Halloween night is the big one, and it is free to wander. Details are on the Old Pasadena signature events page.

October 31: April Verch and Joe Newberry at Knox Presbyterian

Later that evening, Canadian April Verch, the fiddle player and step dancer, shares a stage with Joe Newberry for a roots and folk show at Knox Presbyterian Church, starting at 7:30 pm. Verch is one of the most energetic performers in bluegrass and old-time music, and Newberry brings a warm, award-winning streak of banjo and song, so this one is a treat for anyone who likes their music close and acoustic. The listing appears in the Pasadena Now music listings; confirm the doors and ticket details with the venue before you head over.

October 31: Halloween costume party at Club 54

If you would rather dance than trick-or-treat, Club 54 at 54 E. Colorado Boulevard hosts its 2026 Halloween Costume Party on Saturday, October 31, at 8:00 pm, with DJs and three dance floors in one of the bigger rooms in Old Pasadena. Costumes are the whole point, and tickets and details are on the Eventbrite Pasadena listings.

November 6: the Pasadena Community Orchestra opens its season, free

The Pasadena Community Orchestra opens its 44th season on Friday, November 6, from 8:00 to 9:30 pm at First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Boulevard, with a pre-concert discussion at 7:15 pm. Admission is free, parking is free, and the orchestra has not yet announced the full concert program, so check the PCO events page for the repertoire as it is posted. A free professional-level orchestral concert in an intimate church hall is one of Pasadena's best-kept secrets.

November 1-5: four indie nights at Sid the Cat Auditorium

Just down the road in South Pasadena, Sid the Cat Auditorium at 1020 El Centro Street stacks its first week of November with an indie run: kelz on Sunday, November 1, Squirrel Flower on Tuesday, November 3, Dummy on Wednesday, November 4, and Liana Flores on Thursday, November 5. The room is a lovingly restored 1928 schoolhouse auditorium, and the calendar keeps filling with exactly these kinds of thoughtfully booked shows. Dates and tickets are on the Sid the Cat Auditorium site, with more Pasadena listings on ConcertFix.

Also on the calendar

Before and after that stretch, the month stays busy: the Pasadena Symphony opens its Classics season with Brahms Symphony No. 1 at the Ambassador Auditorium on Saturday, October 24 ( live music in Pasadena this fall), MUSE/IQUE closes its season with a free Open House at the Ambassador on Wednesday, October 28 ( free and local live music this month), and Moby and Underworld headline Brookside at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, November 7, while the Pasadena Symphony and PLAVE both fill Saturday, November 14 ( live music in Pasadena this November).

A note on times: concert listings can shift, and details like start times, ticket availability, or program order are occasionally updated by the presenters. Please confirm directly with the venue before you head out, and use the links below for the latest. If you have a favorite Pasadena music event I missed, text me and I will add it to the next edition.

Sources: Old Pasadena Halloween, Pasadena Now music listings, Halloween events, Eventbrite Pasadena, Pasadena Community Orchestra, 2026-27 season, PCO season begins November 6, Sid the Cat Auditorium, and Pasadena concerts, ConcertFix.