NYC Music Venues

With a capacity of 19,000, the Barclay Center is a true stadium venue and an increasingly popular one for music fans throughout the region. This is where you will see the biggest of the big, the musicians and performers who are able to fill up every one of those 19,000 seats. But despite the huge capacity, Barclay Center shows routinely sell out, so you will want to act fast if you want to see your favorite musicians up close and personal – or even far away.

Located at 620 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, the Barclay Center is also one of the most popular attractions in this up-and-coming borough of New York City. Here you will find Brooklyn hipsters cheek to jowl with bridge and tunnel kids, curious tourists, and others who appreciate great music and long to share their passions with 19,000 of their closest and newest friends.

The Barclay Center is one of the newest entries on the New York City concert stadium scene, and it was sorely needed in a city filled with so many smaller performance spaces. Since it broke ground in 2012, the Barclay Center has been making waves and filling seats, much to the delight of music fans everywhere.

Opening all the way back in December of 1929, the Beacon Theater is one of the oldest and most venerated concert venues in the city of New York. Throughout the decades its stages have played host to a steady stream of singers, performers, and actors, all thrilling audiences in their own ways and all proudly singing their songs, playing their old favorites, and trying out their new material.

The Beacon Theater is also one of the best places to see a concert in the entire city, with amazing sightlines, a spacious balcony, and plenty of lush seating for happy ticketholders. With a capacity of just over 2,800, the Beacon is also a great place for both established and up-and-coming artists, and many of the biggest names in music have already graced its stages.

Located at West 74th Street and Broadway, the Beacon Theater is also in a thriving part of New York City, an area that is filled with sidewalk cafes, art galleries, specialty shops, and even the occasional chain store. As a result, you will probably encounter lots of fellow concertgoers having a bite to eat before the show, and maybe even a celebrity or two along the way.

When you think of New York City, you do not picture bucolic woodlands and rolling hills, but those amazing vistas are only a short drive away. If you long to get out of the city and feel the wind in your hair, the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts beckons, and it has been growing in popularity among long-time NYC residents and newcomers alike.

Located at 200 Herd Road in Bethel, this popular performance space has a capacity of 15,000, with plenty of room for the biggest acts. The space has also welcomed a number of smaller and less known performers throughout its history, with bands on their way up and performers with legions of adorning fans.

The town of Bethel is perhaps best known as the site of the Woodstock Festival, and there is still a distinct hippie vibe here. But you do not have to wear bell bottoms and sandals to enjoy a show here – all you need is a sense of adventure and a desire to leave city life behind for a day, a weekend or a bit longer.

The Bowery has a history of being a rough place, and the region has a long and storied history in the world of New York City. Settled by immigrants, the neighborhood has certainly seen its fair share of ups and downs, but through it, all the Bowery Ballroom has brought live music to local residents and happy visitors alike. This venerated and venerable music venue and concert hall has played host to some of the most iconic punk bands in the world, along with a steady stream of rock, pop, rap, and folk acts.

With a capacity of just under 600 people, the Bowery Ballroom is one of the most intimate concert spaces in the entire city, making it the perfect place to catch those up-and-coming acts that will soon be filling stadiums. Throughout the years the Bowery Ballroom has served as a launching point for countless household names, and local residents have fond memories of seeing those bands before they hit the big time.

The Bowery Ballroom is located at 6 Delancey Street, right in the heart of the Bowery neighborhood. There are plenty of bars and cafes in the region, and many concertgoers and music fans choose to have a bite to eat before making their way into the venue proper.

The well-named City Winery is much more than another NYC concert venue – it is also a working winery, with the vintages to prove it. You do not have to travel to Napa Valley or spend a fortune on plane tickets to sample some of the finest wines around, not when you have this hidden gem in downtown New York City.

With a seating capacity of 450 seated or 675 standing, this popular venue is a great place to catch an intimate show, and the calendar is always filled with the best of folk, rock, alt-country, and much more. The New Year’s Eve and holiday shows are legendary, but there is always something great to see here, no matter what the time of year.

One of the things that make City Winery so special is the chance to enjoy your favorite wines at home – artists who appear at the venue often issue their very own vintages, complete with take-home bottles, so you can remember the concert in a very special way. It is hard to beat the intimacy of this venue, especially considering the caliber of acts that routinely graces its stage. Concert goers can choose their seats when they buy their tickets, getting as close to, or as far away from, the stage as they like.

With a capacity of just under 500 people, the Gramercy Theater is one of the smallest and most intimate concert venues in the city of New York, and through the years its stages have played host to the best acts in the worlds of rock music, pop music, folk music, rap and every other venue you can think of. This iconic New York City institution serves a wide range of musical tastes, and a quick glance at the upcoming calendar will reveal the eclectic nature of the place.

The Gramercy Theatre is also one of the oldest concert venues in the entire city, opening its doors all the way back in 1937. Since then the stages have been home to some of the best performers in the world, including household names you will surely recognize. Located at 127 E. 23rd Street, a vibrant neighborhood lined with sidewalk cafes, specialty stores, bagel shops, and art galleries. If you are lucky enough to get tickets to a show at the Gramercy Theater, you will want to come early to check out the other great things the neighborhood has to offer, and you will no doubt want to go out for a nightcap once the show is over and the band has played its final encore.

If you ask locals where they love to go, you will probably hear the Hammerstein Ballroom mentioned a time or two. This popular concert venue is a favorite with New York City residents, including the natives who have seen musical history play out on its stages.

Throughout its long and storied history, the famous Hammerstein Ballroom has played host to some of the most venerable names in the history of music. It was here that the Grateful Dead played a sold-out show, welcoming deadheads from throughout the nation and giving NYC a little taste of the hippie culture. On the other side of the cultural divide, the Hammerstein Ballroom also played host to Britney Spears, with teenyboppers aplenty dancing the night away. With a capacity of 2200, there was lots of room for everyone to dance and have a great time.

In addition to its musical acts, the venerable Hammerstein Ballroom has also set the stage for professional wrestling events, with fans coming to New York City from miles around to see all the slamming action. This popular venue was first opened in 1906, but by 1997 it was showing its age, and it underwent a major renovation in this year, much to the delight of music fans everywhere.

Irving Plaza has long been the place to see and be seen, and this iconic concert venue has played host to a wide variety of acts, from the punk bands of the 1970s and 1980s to the afro punk acts of the 2000s to the most well-known names of the 2010s and 2020s.

With a capacity of 1200, Irving Plaza is the iconic midsize venue, perfect for up and coming bands, acts whose heyday have passed but are still able to maintain a loyal fan base, and of course acts that are still making a name for themselves. Long-term lovers of Irving Plaza point to its open floor plan where fans can get up and personal with their favorite singers, its warm and welcoming staff, and its highly efficient ticket-selling practices. They also point to its convenient midtown location, a space that is easy to get to by bus and subway, and a huge draw for local residents and visitors alike. If you have been to Irving Plaza, you already know how special this place really is. If not, why not check out the calendar and get your tickets today?

The Knitting Factory has a long and storied history in the annals of New York City, and the Brooklyn venue has been gaining popularity in recent years. This popular nightspot is a great place for Brooklyn hipsters to check out the latest musical acts, but it also attracts music fans from all across the city – and far beyond.

With a capacity of just 300 people, the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn is small enough to feel cozy and intimate, and many folk musicians, singer-songwriters, and others prefer to perform in this kind of setting. The great thing about seeing a show at this kind of venue is that there is literally not a bad seat in the house. With just 300 seats in total, music fans are never far from the action, and never more than a few dozen paces from the stage.

The small capacity of the Knitting Factory Brooklyn means that it is the home to many up-and-coming artists, including a number who have graced its stages more than once. Every fan has their favorites, and everyone in the neighborhood has an opinion about the calendar and which concerts are worth seeing, but you can check for yourself – just be sure to buy your tickets early, as many of the shows sell out.

New York City concert venues do not get any more iconic than this one. Just about every act you can think of has graced the stages of Madison Square Garden at some point or another, and just about every act that makes it big makes time to go to the venue simply known as The Garden.

With a seating capacity of over 20,000, it is easy to see why Madison Square Garden has become the chosen venue for the biggest of the big acts. When Elton John has his farewell concert tour, he will do it at Madison Square Garden. When the Rolling Stones roll into New York City they will head into the Garden. When Garth Brooks brings a touch of country twang to the city streets of NYC, it will be to Madison Square Garden he will come.

Madison Square Garden is also one of the easiest NYC concert venues to get to – in fact it is right in the heart of the action and next door to the iconic Penn Station. With subway stations literally in the basement, it could not be easier to get into, and out of your next Garden concert.

Ticket prices can be high for Madison Square Garden concerts, but the fact that there is literally not a bad seat in the house can make up for that extra outlay of cash. Whether your seat is right up front, in the back, or somewhere in between, you will have no trouble seeing, or hearing, the music you love.

Compared to some of the other concert venues in the city of New York, which date back to the early 1900s and even earlier, the Mercury Lounge is a relative newcomer. Opening its doors and stages in 1993, the Mercury Lounge took the city by storm, and music fans flooded in from all over the five boroughs and far beyond.

Its history may be a short one, but the Mercury Lounge and its owners have made up for a lost time, filling the stages with some of the biggest names in music and serving as a launching point for countless musicians, singer-songwriters, and others. With a diversity of talent ranging from quiet folk to the loudest punk rock, the Mercury Lounge truly offers something for everyone, all from its 217 E. Houston Street location.

With a capacity of just 250 patrons, the Mercury Lounge is also one of the most intimate venues in the entire city. This tiny concern space is a wonderful place to see a show, so much so that many of its concerts sell out quickly. If you want to catch your favorite act here, you will have to act quickly.

It does not get any more iconic than the Metropolitan Opera, and this amazing venue has seen the biggest stars in classical music grace its stages for more than a century. The Metropolitan Opera opened its doors all the way back in 1880, making it one of the oldest and most staid concert venues in the entire city.

If you walk past the Metropolitan Opera on any given night, you will spot the concertgoers instantly – the ladies in their sequined gowns and high heels, their gentlemen escorts in their black ties and fine suits, and the hordes of tourists checking out the action from the sidewalk. But while classical music is the order of the day, the Metropolitan Opera and its stages have also been home to comedians, magicians, and even a number of pop stars through the decades. This popular concert venue has a capacity of 3800, and its Lincoln Center location is strikingly beautiful and hard to miss. You do not have to be a classical music fan to appreciate all the great things this staid concert hall has to offer, and the perfect acoustics are sure to make any kind of music sound its best.

It was not that long ago that the music scene in New York City was largely confined to the island of Manhattan, but no more. Williamsburg has been growing in popularity, and many of the most popular musical acts have expanded their tours to this hipster haven in the heart of Brooklyn.

Like the borough where it is located, the Music Hall of Williamsburg is hip, happening, and welcoming. This increasingly popular music hall first opened its doors in 2001, and in the intervening decades, a long line of luminaries have graced its stages and thrilled its audiences.

With a seating capacity of just 650, the Music Hall of Williamsburg is an intimate venue in the heart of hipster heaven, and it draws a diverse range of talent and an even more diverse universe of fans. From the hottest rock and touring pop groups from years gone by, from the quietest folk singers to the loudest rap and punk groups, the Music Hall of Williamsburg has welcomed them all. If you want tickets you will have to act fast, so check out the calendar today and make your plans accordingly.

Jones Beach is a little slice of outdoor heaven in the heart of one of the world’s most populous cities, a great place to relax and get away from it all while getting some sand in your toes. But it is not just the beach that beckons – Jones Beach is also one of the most popular concert venues, and its summer lineup is jam-packed with the best musical acts the world has to offer.

Just a short drive or bus ride from Manhattan, the Jones Beach Theater is an amazing place to see a show, with cool ocean breezes blowing in and acoustics that will make any type of music sound its best. Music fans come from all over to spend the night under the stars, and Jones Beach is popular with both long-time New York City residents and day-trippers alike.

With a seating capacity of 15,000, the Jones Beach Theater is also one of the largest concert venues in the greater New York City area, making it a popular stop on the tour calendars of the biggest and brightest stars in the musical universe. From rock and pop to country and rap, the diversity of talent in a typical Jones Beach year is simply stunning.

The city of New York is filled with small and intimate spaces, tiny rooms where several hundred music fans can gather and sing along with their favorite musicians. Those intimate spaces are fine for discovering undiscovered talent and catching singers on their way up, but they are far too small for larger and more established musical performers.

That is why the city also offers a number of larger concert venues, including the NYCB Live. Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, NYCB Live has plenty of space, with a capacity of over 14,000 music fans.

First opened back in 1972, this popular concert venue has seen its fair share of musical performers and other talented individuals through the decades, it remains one of the most popular places for live music in the region. NYCB Live is located at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike in nearby Uniondale, New York, making it a popular day trip for city residents looking for an escape from their urbanized environments. The suburban location also makes NYCB live a great place for music fans following their favorite acts around, whether or not they include a stay in New York City on their travel itineraries.

When it first opened its doors back in the 1950s, the NYCB Theatre at Westbury had a capacity of 1800, but a later expansion meant that an extra 1000 music fans could fill its seats and sing along with their favorite musical performers. These days the popular NYCB Theatre at Westbury has a capacity of nearly 2900, but shows still routinely sell out, so buying tickets ahead of time is strongly encouraged.

Located at 960 Brush Hollow Road in Westbury, this beautiful music venue is a popular road trip for New York City music fans, and you will encounter many of them as you settle into your seat and await the opening notes coming from the stage. Through the decades the stages of the NYCB Theatre at Westbury have been home to some of the biggest names in the world of music, including well-known rock bands, the biggest folk artists, and many others. The venue itself is old, iconic, and beautiful, making it a magnet for not only travelers from New York City but local residents as well.

With a capacity of 19,500, the Prudential Center is one of the largest performance spaces in the New York City region, and one of the most popular. Since the Prudential Center first opened its doors back in 2007, its stage has been graced by a steady stream of household names, from the iconic rock bands of your youth to the performers your kids cannot shut up about.

Located in the central business district of Newark, this increasingly popular mixed-use performance space has played a vital role in the revival and revitalization of this New Jersey city. The fact that the Prudential Center is located in the middle of Newark also means that it is just a short train ride away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, so getting there should not be a problem no matter what part of the region you call home. Whether you are a fan of rock, pop, folk, country, rap, or any other type of music, you will find something to your liking as you peruse the upcoming dates for the Prudential Center.

Every visitor to New York City is sure to pay the iconic Radio City Music Hall a visit, and this is a stop on every tour bus driving the city streets. Even people who have never been to New York City before will be sure to recognize this popular concert hall, and its spectacular holiday show is the stuff of legends.

The world-famous Rockettes may be the most well-known act to grace the stage at Radio City Music Hall, but these lovely ladies are not the only performers to have done so. Throughout the decade’s Radio City Music Hall has been the site of rock performances, revivals by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis, and many others.

If you are in town during the holiday season, you will want to leave some time to check out the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree before or after the show. This stunning tree is a tourist magnet, but it is also well worth a look, so come early or stay late and check it out.

New York City concert venues do not get more iconic than this one. The Town Hall is so well known, so well respected and so well regarded that New York City residents have taken an active role in protecting and safeguarding it through the tough times. The Town Hall is a well-known concert venue, but it is also a popular spot for book readings, poetry recitals, recordings of popular radio and television dramas, and even the occasional political fundraiser.

The Town Hall is also one of the most beautiful concert venues in New York City, or anywhere in the world for that matter. This its majestic interior and plush seats, this is a civilized place to catch a show, but that does not mean it does not welcome cutting edge acts in addition to the steady stream of classical and folk concerts.

Located on 123 West 43rd Street, The Town Hall is also squarely in the heart of the New York City action. For those unfamiliar with the city, the 43rd Street address indicates that this is the heart of Times Square, literally the heart of the action. You might step out of the concert and grab a bite at a famous deli or a drink at a popular bar. You might even see a few famous faces as you make your way down the aisles and the usher shows you to your seat.

With a capacity of 1500, the main concert venue at Webster Hall is one of the best midsized live music venues in the city, and it is also one of the most versatile. Webster Hall is not one concert venue but three – with separate performance spaces that can accommodate a wide variety of different acts and welcome a large variety of music fans.

Webster Hall is also one of the oldest concert venues in the entire city, dating back to the 1880s, when horses and carriages still plied the streets and modern cars would have been unthinkable. Now that the traffic is a bit more intense and much noisier, Webster Hall is still there, a mainstay in a neighborhood, and a city, that is constantly changing and evolving.

This popular concert venue is located at 125 East 11th Street, well downtown of the popular theater district but still uptown from other popular downtown concert venues. This central location makes Webster Hall a great jumping-off point for a night out on the town, and many music fans love to hop around from place to place, checking out the latest acts and hoping to get in on the ground floor of the next big act. Webster Hall has a long and storied history, and that history is written anew as the doors open night after night.