Outdoor music at restaurants, breweries, and event venues in Lowell requires an entertainment license and must end by 10 p.m. in residential zones.
Restaurants, breweries (Navigation Brewing, Moonlight Meadery satellite events), and venues hosting outdoor live or recorded music in Lowell must hold an entertainment license issued by the Lowell License Commission, in addition to any liquor license. Licenses specify allowable days, hours, sound level caps, and whether amplification is permitted. Outdoor music in or near residential neighborhoods generally must end by 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Signature events like the Lowell Folk Festival, Winterfest, and Mill No. 5 programming operate under special event permits with agreed sound limits. Complaints trigger sound meter readings by the Police Department; repeated violations can result in license suspension or non-renewal by the License Commission.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle outdoor music.
See how Lowell's outdoor music rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.