The best live music venues in NYC in 2026 are Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre for grand historic concert halls, Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg for intimate rock shows, Webster Hall, Terminal 5 and Brooklyn Steel for mid-size gigs, and Kings Theatre and Forest Hills Stadium in the outer boroughs. Brooklyn Bowl adds bowling to the mix.
For jazz, see our guide to jazz clubs; for classical music, opera and dance, theaters and performing arts venues.
The Art Deco palace of American entertainment.
Radio City's 1932 Art Deco auditorium hosts major concerts, the Christmas Spectacular and award shows, and its interiors are a sight in themselves.
Good to know: Take the Stage Door Tour to see the Great Stage and Art Deco lounges.
1260 6th Ave, New York, NY 10020
A gilded 1929 theater with superb sound for concerts and comedy.
The Beacon is an ornate 1920s theater on Broadway, known for its acoustics and long residencies by major rock and pop artists.
Good to know: Even the upper balcony seats have good sightlines.
2124 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
A historic East Village ballroom, reopened as a top mid-size venue.
Webster Hall, dating to 1886, reopened after a major renovation and hosts touring rock, indie and electronic acts in its grand ballroom.
Good to know: The balcony offers a good view if you don't want the floor.
125 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003
The quintessential New York rock club.
Bowery Ballroom is an intimate, beautifully proportioned club with excellent sound, where countless bands have played on the way up.
Good to know: Arrive early and head downstairs to the bar before the show.
6 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002
A big, multi-level venue for touring bands.
Terminal 5, on the far West Side, holds a large crowd across three levels and books major indie, rock and electronic acts.
Good to know: The upper balconies give a better view than the back of the floor.
610 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019
A converted steel factory with great sound and sightlines.
Brooklyn Steel is a spacious, industrial venue with a sloped floor and excellent sound, hosting big indie and alternative acts.
Good to know: It's a short walk from the Graham Avenue L stop.
319 Frost St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Brooklyn's counterpart to the Bowery Ballroom.
Music Hall of Williamsburg is an intimate club with a balcony, hosting up-and-coming and established indie acts.
Good to know: Combine with dinner on Bedford Avenue.
66 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Live music, bowling and fried chicken under one roof.
Brooklyn Bowl combines a concert stage with bowling lanes and a kitchen, hosting funk, jam bands, hip-hop and DJ nights.
Good to know: Reserve a lane if you want to bowl during a show.
61 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
A spectacularly restored 1929 movie palace.
Kings Theatre in Flatbush reopened after a lavish restoration and is one of the most beautiful concert halls in the city, hosting music and comedy.
Good to know: Arrive early to explore the gilded lobby.
1027 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226
An open-air tennis stadium turned summer concert venue.
The historic Forest Hills Stadium, once home to the US Open, hosts summer concerts in its intimate concrete bowl.
Good to know: Take the E, F, M or R subway or the LIRR to Forest Hills; shows end on time for curfew.
1 Tennis Pl, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Buy through the venue's own website or its official ticketing partner to avoid inflated resale prices; many venues also have a box office.
Bowery Ballroom on the Lower East Side is widely considered one of the best-sounding small rock clubs in the country.