Best live-music venues in New York City

Savor live music, just the way you like it, with our complete guide to the city's best music venues.

Even as the recording industry crumbles, Manhattan and Brooklyn remain packed with live-music venues, from hole-in-the-wall dives to resplendent Midtown theaters. Plan accordingly and you can catch more than one world-class show on any given night.

Best big live-music venues
You want big and loud? You got it.
Best downtown rock clubs
Where to get your next noise-fix.
Best classic New York venues
Impress your date. Take your parents. Go by yourself—just be wowed.
Best hidden gems
Wanna know where the locals go? Check out the city's best-kept live-music secrets.
Live music: Best rising-star venues
See 'em without binoculars, while you still can.
Best summer live-music venues
NYC is the greatest city on earth for outdoor summer shows. Here's why.
Best cheap rock venues
How to rock out in Gotham—and still have cash for a cab home.
Best jazz bargains
If you’ve got a taste for adventure and a hole in your pocket, look no furthur.
Classiest jazz haunts
Gorgeous views, the best players in the biz, and a little piece of New York history.