Top 10 NYC Concert Venues
❖ Brooklyn Mirage
If you love to dance to electronic music, then Brooklyn Mirage is the place for you! The best shows are during the warmer months (May–September) when the shows take place outside. My favorite part about this venue is that there are SO many bathrooms, so there’s never a line AND there’s plenty of spaces/nooks to hang out and dance in, so you’re never feeling claustrophobic!
visit the Mirage
❖ Madison Square Garden
A classic and iconic NYC staple. It’s also crazy to me how small this venue is (under 20K seats), but the vibes are always 10/10. I saw Dua Lipa and Odesza perform here and both shows were fun and had great production sets.
shows at the Garden
❖ Pier 17 (Seaport)
A gorgeous outdoor venue with huge views of downtown Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge! I saw St. Lucia here years ago during the summer concert series. If you get cold easily, make sure to bring a jacket since this venue is right on the East River.
see the Seaport
❖ Brooklyn Bowl
This venue is a bit interesting because it is a concert venue and a bowling alley. This is a great place if you’re wanting to listen to live music, but you still want to chat with friends and socialize. I saw Rooney here, which was a smaller band, but it was a perfect venue for them.
fun at Brooklyn Bowl
❖ Apollo Theater
This venue is still on my NYC bucket list! I watched the Bruno Mars 24K Magic special that took place at the Apollo, and I’ve been wanting to go ever since. The Apollo is historic because it played a major role in the emergence of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul.
explore the Harlem Landmark
❖ Radio City Music Hall
I love coming here during the holiday season to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular! They also have a wide range of comedians, bands, and artists that do live shows here and it’s a great location being in Midtown Manhattan.
celebrate at Radio City
❖ Terminal 5 (Hell’s Kitchen)
This space is more for indie bands. I went when someone had an extra ticket for Big Wild, and it was the best night ever! Such a classic night in NYC where you meet a new group of people and hear a new artist for the first time. Also, I love that there’s multiple levels, so you can spread out.
check out Terminal 5
❖ Great Lawn
Central Park has many areas, but the Great Lawn is in the middle between 79th and 86th Street. The Great Lawn is also home to Global Citizen Festival where you can see some major artists! In 2024, Doja Cat and Post Malone were the headliners.
concerts in Central Park
❖ Barclays Center
My mom and I saw Justin Bieber here and it was such a great time ha-ha! The stadium can get loud, but it’s a great setting for any artist. I’ve also gone to a few Liberty and Brooklyn Nets games here and it’s much newer and more updated stadium than MSG, which I appreciate.
music & more at Barclays
❖ Metropolitan Opera House
The acoustics at the opera house are incredible. I saw my first opera in spring 2024, and I was in awe of the music/sounds. Obviously, you’ll probably only see an opera here, but everyone should go at least once.
experience the Opera
Thank you for reading! I’m here if you have any questions about NYC. Please feel free to email me or follow along for more fun tips!
