A Bandsintown API alternative for apps that search by place, not by artist
By Elliot Harris, FindLocal · Last verified
| FindLocalEvents API | BandsintownPublic API / Partner Search API | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a key | Self-serve. Sign up, verify your email and create a key in a few minutes, with no reviewdetails | Public API keys come from an artist's profile and are tied to that artist. Any other use needs Bandsintown's written consent.source |
| Search by place and date | Yes, by city or near=lat,lng with a radius, plus date, category, price, time of day, performer and free textdetails | Partner Search API only. Search by GPS coordinates and radius (up to 200 miles), or by venue or artist id.source |
| Event coverage | Hyper-local: 4,166 trivia nights, 1,834 open mics, 1,514 karaoke nights and 2,096 storytimes among 89,042 upcoming events at 15,151 venues in 85 metros across the US and UK — counted live | Concerts and tour dates, mostly for artists who use Bandsintownsource |
| Free API tier | 100 calls/month, no card | No public pricing. Access is granted, not bought. |
| MCP server | Yes — same keydetails | No official MCP server |
| Free self-serve widgets | Yes — free, no key, one script tagdetails | Tour-dates widget for an artist's own site |
| Data source | The venues’ own websites — straight from the source | Bandsintown's artist and event database. Partners have to show Bandsintown branding and keep ticket and RSVP links visible.source |
We checked Bandsintown's details against their public docs on September 26, 2026. Things change, so follow the source links. FindLocal's numbers come live from our database. Bandsintown is a trademark of its owner, and this page isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them. Spotted a mistake? Email a correction.
What Bandsintown does well
A lot of artists keep their tour dates on Bandsintown, and fans follow them there. So its data is good and kept up to date by the artists themselves, and it has RSVP and tracking data too. The public API is there so artists and their teams can show those dates on their own sites and apps. For that it’s simple and reliable: ask for an artist and you get their upcoming shows.
Where it falls short for a discovery app
It starts from the artist. The public API tells you where a given artist is playing. A discovery app needs the opposite: what’s playing near the user. Bandsintown’s help center says each API key is tied to a single artist unless Bandsintown authorizes something else, and that the data can’t be used for other purposes without its approval.
Location search is for partners only. The Partner Search API does search by coordinates and radius, but you need a partner key from Bandsintown. You also have to agree to terms that require their logos, keep ticket and RSVP links visible, make you clear cached data promptly, and forbid sharing or modifying the content. There’s no signup form and no published price. You ask, and Bandsintown decides.
It’s also only music. Even with partner access, a city guide still needs another source for comedy, theater, readings, classes and community events.
How FindLocal handles it
FindLocal starts from location. Every event belongs to a venue with coordinates, so near=<lat>,<lng>&radius_km=<n> gives you events sorted by distance, and city=<slug> gives you a whole metro. Music is one category, and cat=music narrows to it. When a user does start from an artist, performer= matches names on the bill.
You create a key yourself and it takes a few minutes. Our API terms let you cache responses for up to 24 hours. On the Free plan you add a text credit link, and on paid plans there’s nothing to display.
Moving a Bandsintown partner integration over
| Bandsintown | FindLocal GET /api/events |
|---|---|
| GPS coordinates + radius (miles) | near=<lat>,<lng>&radius_km=<km> (max 200 km) |
| artist id | performer=<name> |
| venue id | venue=<uuid> |
| date range | when=week, when=YYYY-MM-DD |
Our radius is in kilometres, not miles, and it maxes out at 200 km.
Using both
If you build for an artist or a label, keep Bandsintown for the artist’s own tour dates, since that’s where fans RSVP. Use FindLocal to show what else is on around each tour stop, or for any feature that starts from a place.
When to pick Bandsintown
Pick Bandsintown if you work for an artist and want their tour dates on their own site, or if you’ve been accepted as a partner and your product is only about music. If you want a self-serve API that starts from a location, that’s what FindLocal is built for.
Try the same query on FindLocal
Music within 15 km of downtown Denver this week. You start from a location, so no artist id needed.
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FINDLOCAL_KEY" \
"https://findlocal.community/api/events?near=39.739,-104.990&radius_km=15&cat=music&when=week"No key yet? Run it in Explore to see the results and map, or use the keyless playground. Full reference: API docs · docs as Markdown for your LLM.
FAQ
Can I use the Bandsintown API for my app?
The public API is meant for artists and their teams, and each key is tied to one artist unless Bandsintown says otherwise. Anything broader, including location search, means accepting their terms and getting written consent.
Does Bandsintown have a location search API?
Yes. The Partner Search API searches by GPS coordinates and radius (up to 200 miles) or by venue or artist id, but only approved partners can use it.
Does FindLocal need an artist id to search?
No. You search by city, by a point and radius, by date and by category. If you do want to filter by artist, use performer= with a name.
What branding does FindLocal require?
On the Free plan, a text link reading "Event data by FindLocal" where the data appears. No logos. Paid plans don't need anything.
89,042 upcoming events, 15,151 venues, 85 metros across the US and UK. Start with 100 calls a month free — no card.
Get a free key All comparisons