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Girls’ Night Ideas: Live Music, Comedy, and More

7/10/2026 12AM

Alongside Allied Solutions Center's busy concert schedule, the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation offers an exhibit gallery open to visitors and a schedule of events. The annual screening of the 1954 musical "White Christmas" is a favorite for fans of classic songs and hoiliday nostalgia.


Enjoying arts with friends improves health and well-being

Key Takeaways

  • A girls' night out is more than just fun. Research shows that time spent with close female friends reduces stress, boosts mood-elevating hormones, and supports better long-term health.
  • Live music and comedy shows are among the most popular girls' night out ideas because they make an evening unique and memorable.
  • Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, offers one of the most dynamic entertainment lineups in the region, including internationally touring concert artists, comedy, compelling speakers and more.
  • A Create Your Own subscription package lets you save up to 20% on four or more performances in the Center Presents season — perfect for making girls' night a regular tradition.

Why Girls' Night Out Is Good for You

You already know it feels good. Turns out there's science to back it up.

 

A landmark UCLA study found that spending time with close friends helps calm women's stress hormones, releasing oxytocin — the mood-elevating hormone tied to feelings of closeness and well-being. Studies cited by the Mayo Clinic show that adults who prioritize friendships are less likely to experience depression and high blood pressure.

 

So if anyone needs a reason to stop scrolling and start planning, science says: Get out there.

 

Wondering where to go or what to do on girls’ night? Live music, comedy, and theater are some of the best additions to your itinerary.

Live Music: The Gold Standard of Girls' Night Out

There's something about live music that no playlist can replicate. The energy between the artists and the audience creates a powerful feeling of connection and shared experience.

 

A woman in a sleeveless dress smiles broadly and clasps her hands together.

R&B legend Gladys Knight performs Aug. 8.

For a concert-centered girls' night, Allied Solutions Center delivers like nowhere else in Central Indiana. The 2026-2027 Center Presents Season sponsored by Allied Solutions features more than 70 performances spanning pop, jazz, R&B, rock, folk  and classical. Plus, several upcoming shows are practically tailor-made for a group night out:

 

Tribute concerts are also a smart girls' night pick when the group has mixed musical tastes, because everyone can agree on the hits:

 

The Payne & Mencias Palladium, Allied Solutions Center's 1,500-seat concert hall, has the acoustics and intimacy to make every seat feel like the best in the house. See the full calendar of upcoming performances here.

Comedy Night Ideas: Laughter Is the Best Medicine

If live music is the heart of a great girls' night, comedy is its soul. Laughing together creates shared memories in a way that's nearly impossible to replicate. Research shows that laughter lowers cortisol levels, triggers the release of endorphins, and can even provide a short-term boost to the immune system.

 

A woman with wavy blonde hair smiling and wearing a frilly white dress.

Comic and writer Amy Sedaris appears Nov. 7.

Allied Solutions Center's comedy lineup this season is stacked:

History and Fun with the Great American Songbook Foundation

Allied Solutions Center also is home to the Great American Songbook Foundation, an affiliated nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of American popular music. The Foundation curates physical artifacts of the music’s creators, performers and publishers in its vast Songbook Library & Archives, drawing from the collections for multimedia installations in the Traditions Senior Communities Songbook Gallery at the Payne & Mencias Palladium. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and one hour prior to select performances in the concert hall.

 

Songbook Foundation events, also well suited for a girls’ night, include:

  • Songbook Academy in Concert (July 18): An annual summer highlight at Allied Solutions Center, this concert hosted by Michael Feinstein is the culminating event of the Foundation’s summer intensive for the nation’s most talented high school-age singers. The performance at the Payne & Mencias Palladium will feature standout solos and vibrant ensemble numbers that celebrate the growth of the 40 students under the guidance of Broadway stars and other arts and entertainment mentors.
  • White Christmas Film Screening (Dec. 7): This new holiday tradition centers on the classic 1954 Hollywood musical, featuring the timeless music of Irving Berlin and unforgettable performances by Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen. The Foundation’s archives include many items related to the heartwarming film.

Plan Ahead, Save More, and Make Girls’ Night a Tradition

One great girls' night has a way of turning into a whole season of them. Allied Solutions Center's Create Your Own subscription lets groups save up to 20% when purchasing four or more Center Presents performances. There's also the Suite Experience: a private box for up to 10 guests, complete with two complimentary bottles of wine and the option to pre-order snacks. That's a girls' night upgrade that speaks for itself.

 

Remember to book shows early. The most popular ones sell out fast! Tickets are available online, by phone at 317-843-3800, or in person at the Fifth Third Bank Box Office at 1 Carter Green, Carmel, Indiana.

 

Girls' night doesn't have to mean the same restaurant or another night on the couch. The best version — the kind you still talk about years later — usually involves doing something that surprises you. Whether that's watching Gladys Knight command a stage or losing it at a "psychic" comedian, Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts has the programming to make it happen.

 

View our upcoming performances and events, and put your next girls’ night on the books today.

 

Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts is a nonprofit organization that aims to engage and inspire the Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. The Center is responsible for the operation and programming of a multidisciplinary performing arts campus in Carmel, Indiana, that presents scores of events each year and provides space and support services for six resident companies: Actors Theatre of Indiana, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, Civic Theatre, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre and Indiana Wind Symphony. Explore our upcoming events and experiences, or support our work and the expansion of the arts today!