Cactus Cafe, Concert hall in West Campus, Austin, United States

Cactus Cafe is a live music venue and bar inside the Union Building on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The room is small and known for its acoustics, with a full bar. The building itself dates from the Great Depression and was constructed with New Deal funds.

The venue opened in 1979 as a new platform for emerging musicians on the university campus. It grew to become a launching ground for many artists who went on to national recognition.

The room sits inside the Texas Union Building, a Great Depression-era structure built with New Deal funds, and the cafe opened there in 1979. Lyle Lovett told the Austin Chronicle that for a long time the Cactus was the only place he played in Austin. The orange longhorn plaque over the door marks the entrance.

The venue is located on the university grounds and is easiest to reach on foot or by public transportation. Plan for crowds since performances take place in tight quarters with limited seating availability.

In 2010 the university announced the Cactus would close; Austin musicians and students opposed the decision, and the non-profit Friends of the Cactus Café formed to save it. The venue stayed open under the management of KUT, the university's public radio station.