While living in NYC, which is filled with small clubs, big rooftop bars, and stunning arenas and amphitheaters, it is a formidable task when someone asks me to narrow down the best music venues in NYC. Everyone has their favorites based on their experiences in this huge city, but in my opinion, these are the most popular and discussed music venues in New York city. So why not catch your favorite bands performing their No. 1 songs at the best music venues in NYC dotted everywhere from coast to coast?
The Bowery Ballroom
Address: 6 Delancey Street, New York, NY 10002, United States
The historic Bowery Ballroom, where much of the Gangs of New York was filmed, has a long history of cabin craftsmanship, gambling, and low-brow concert halls. With its electrifying venue hosting 500 people at once, it is one of the best music venues in NYC. So, there’s no chance we aren’t striking all the right notes here. Buy tickets for your favorite artists like Katie Pruitt or Landon Barker, but let me tell you, they sell out really fast. Better hurry up!
Blue Note
Address: 131 W 3rd Street, New York, NY 10012, United States
In a city that never sleeps, jazz clubs like Blue Note are my ticket to jam all night. Great food and great music strike a chord with almost everyone who visits this music venue in NYC. The jazz club features a full bar serving classic American cuisine, as legendary artists, funk artists, hip-hop, and R&B souls serve up live Jazz music. Strum your way through brunch shows like The NYU Latin Music Ensemble and Charles Mingus Ensemble to blend into the musical world of NYC.
Beacon Theatre
Address: 2124 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, United States
Beacon Theatre is the premier venue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and it hosts great performances, special events, and film premiers. It is one of those music venues in New York City where legends step up on the stage, and the three-level theater keeps up with its vibrant performances with its groundbreaking audio system, pre-theatre fare, and Sphere Immersive Sound system. The beautiful and historical details of the venue are tuned to match the top-tier music in this theater, with a capacity of 2,600 guests.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
Address: 141 Prospect Park W, Brooklyn, NY 11215, United States
The cool music venues in NYC range from underground indie spots to beautiful urban parks, just like Prospect Park, which serves as the home base for the longest-running, outdoor, free performing arts festival, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Honestly, it’s the kind of place where you can just be and enjoy whatever it offers you. This New York music venue looks even more iconic at night when the dark blue sky, cool grass, and ambient lights on the stage tug at your heartstrings. Even if you’re not mainly here for the music, do visit for a peaceful and serene evening.
Village Vanguard
Address: 178 7th Avenue S, New York, NY 10014, United States
The melodious beats at Village Vanguard have been telling jazz club stories since the 1960s – this NYC music venue is still living up to its name. This place has a strange old-school charm where you soak up the good acoustics in comfortable seats and great drinks from the bar. The last time I visited, Kurt Rosenwinkel was spilling his magic in the musty and cozy ambiance of the basement venue. This is indeed the venue where wildly successful performances take birth. Village Vanguard is a must-visit music venue in NYC whenever you are near the Chelsea neighborhood.
Madison Square Garden
Address: 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, United States
The New York music venues are waiting to be heard, and Madison Square Garden, a famous multipurpose arena in Midtown Manhattan, has hundreds of famous names in the music industry painted on its calendar. These include Billy Joel’s full concert and Overdose D’Amore World Tour by Zucchero. Not just that, but Madison Square Garden also has a vibrant history of hosting Beyonce, Rolling Stones, and many other marvelous names in music. And since it takes two to tango, the sound system and acoustics also live up to its hype and are perfect for an arena as big as this one.
Kings Theatre
Address: 1027 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11226, United States
I actually thought that Kings Theater was a palace or a vintage ballroom at first, but it is actually one of the best music venues in NYC. The complete renovation was done in 2010 (it sat empty before that) and since then, it has been rocking out regular concerts, events, and live performances in its ornate and spacious ambience. The Isley Brothers and Paul Weller are going to perform their greatest soul music in the upcoming months, so don’t forget to book your tickets before they sell out.
Forest Hills Stadium
Address: 1 Tennis Pl, Forest Hills, NY 11375, United States
There isn’t one place in the entire stadium where you cannot enjoy the music in full force. Forest Hills Stadium is one of the coolest outdoor New York music venues with picturesque views of the Forest Hills. It was recently renovated in 2013 and now can hold almost 13,000 people, all of whom can enjoy unobstructed views and acoustics. I believe that this is the only venue of its kind in a city as big as New York. The stadium is rain or shine, so yes, all concerts welcome you with full excitement no matter what time of the year it is.
Brooklyn Steel
Address: 319 Frost Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States
The 1800-capacity venue of Brooklyn Steel is host to a constant stream of bands and shows from famous artists like Mall Grab, Cypress Hill, STRFKR, Sematary, and Caroline Rose. I always plan my jam sessions at this music venue in New York City with friends whenever we are looking for a reasonably priced live concert, food, and drinks. There are three bars, so you hardly have to wait to get your drinks. Furthermore, there are forty restrooms, so yes, there can be a ton of people at this place, but it still makes you feel at ease with its convenient location and facilities.
Saint Vitus
Address: 1120 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States
Saint Vitus is a dark and intimate bar. I don’t wanna blow my own trumpet, but I do have a knack for finding the coolest musical spots. This music venue in NYC is meant for smaller bands, as is evident from the simple floor plan and gothic, dark, and old-school ambiance. Honestly, it couldn’t get any more iconic than this. Keep up with their events calendars to stay on top of the shows and parties. However, the venue is temporarily closed, but you can always purchase advance tickets for the upcoming shows – they are also hosting the events in different locations for the time being.
Elsewhere
Address: 599 Johnson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237, United States
Located in Brooklyn, this is one of the best music venues in NYC for unbound and underground music played in one of the many spaces in Elsewhere (My personal favorite is the roof terrace.) The music venue has just added dozens of amazing artists to their calendars, like Melé, Chet Faker, Angry Baby, and Lunice, and I urge you to book your tickets right now because they are quickly selling out. This music venue is friendly, warm, and comforting – one that you would love to visit again and again.
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Address: 66 N 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States
Technically located in the Williamsburg neighborhood, the Music Hall of Williamsburg is just a stone’s throw away from Washington Heights. It’s honestly one of my favorite music venues in NYC, where I hang out and lounge in the indoor space. It’s a big space with 650 people guests’ capacity with a chic concert and cocktail culture and has a tri-level iconic venue with bars on each floor. The upcoming shows I am most excited about are Tora by Milan Ring, Elephant Gym, and Ross Mintzer Badcat Society.
The Brooklyn Mirage In Avant Gardner Complex
Address: 140 Stewart Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237, United States
The vibrant music scene of Avant Gardner Complex welcomed The Brooklyn Mirage to its stunning open-air venue. The inner courtyard is caged in with towering walls decorated with a 20 ft LED wall and lush green plants. But what makes this NYC music venue truly breathtaking is the catwalk connecting outdoor spaces and rising to offer views of the panoramic city skyline and the courtyard below. Book your tickets for the upcoming musical events not just for the heart-pumping acoustics but also the exciting food and beverages menu.
