Sylvan Esso at 30 Days in LA
Photograph: Jakob N. Layman | Sylvan Esso at 30 Days in LA
Photograph: Jakob N. Layman

The 19 best live music venues in Los Angeles

Your complete guide to live music Los Angeles style, from concert calendars to iconic venues and more

Michael Juliano
Written by: Kate Wertheimer
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When it comes to live music venues, Los Angeles reigns. Ours is a storied history, from the rambling folk history of Woody Guthrie to the rock ’n’ rolling, raunchy ways of bands like the Doors, Van Halen and Motley Crue. And to this day, the city remains one of the best for amazing concerts—and amazingly free concerts—not in small part due to its wide array of venues, from gorgeous outdoor amphitheatres to hole-in-the-wall clubs and dive bars. There’s a steady stream of impressive local talent here, and no big-name artist completes a tour without stopping in L.A. We’ve got it all, when it comes to live music in Los Angeles and we’re damn lucky—see for yourself below.

Top live music venues in Los Angeles

  • Things to do
  • Event spaces
  • Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended

This gorgeous outdoor amphitheater has been hosting concerts since the LA Philharmonic first played here in 1922. Nestled in an aesthetically blessed fold of the Hollywood Hills, the 18,000-seat venue can bring out the romantic in the terminally cynical. It’s the summer home of the LA Phil, but it’s hosted everyone from the Beatles to Big Bird. Today, summers at the Bowl are a mix of classical concerts and the biggest names from all genres, from rock and pop to country and musical theater.

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  • Downtown Historic Core
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended

When the Ace Hotel opened in early 2014, we didn’t just gain a super hip hotel in DTLA: We also got a jaw-droppingly beautiful 1920s movie house-turned-performing arts space, which has since billed an impressive lineup of performances, concerts, movie nights, lectures and more. The former flagship United Artists Theater is a 1,600-seat house perfect for folk acts, solo artists and beloved indie bands.

  • Music
  • Music venues
  • West Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended

This storied club has a rich musical history: Randy Newman got his start here, and Elton John made his U.S. debut on its stage in 1970. It hasn’t lapsed into irrelevance in the time since, often showcasing bands on the rise—those shows sell out quick. The sound is great and the views are decent from almost anywhere in the room—just stay out from under the balcony.

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  • Music
  • Music venues
  • Griffith Park
  • price 2 of 4

This pleasant, open-air, 6,000-seat theatre stages big summer shows by acts both national and local. It’s a bit like seeing a concert in the woods, and rivals the Hollywood Bowl in terms of L.A.’s most magical outdoor music venue. The only downside: The “stacked” parking means getting out of the parking lot often takes longer than the show, and VIP “Quick Parking” is a pricey $100.

  • Attractions
  • Cemeteries
  • Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4

Aside from popular posthumous celebs, Hollywood Forever is also home to summer outdoor movie screenings; Cinespia-hosted sleepovers with projected films, live music and games; as well as a number of unique concert events (past performers include Bon Iver, Lana del Rey and Karen O, to name just a few). Whether on the lawn or in the Masonic Lodge, seeing a show here is a little bit magical, and the bands booked here are always top notch and perfectly suited to play to a crowd of both living and dead.

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  • Music
  • Music venues
  • Downtown
  • price 3 of 4
  • Recommended

As the $274-million crown jewel of the Music Center, Disney Hall opened in 2003 to rave reviews. The novelty hasn’t yet worn off: Both inside and out, this is a terrific venue. Designed by Frank Gehry, the hall features a 2,265-capacity auditorium with an open platform stage and a stunning pipe organ. The hall is the home of the LA Philharmonic and the LA Master Chorale, but the schedule is surprisingly varied (Björk, Sigur Rós, Sylvan Esso, Nick Cave and Iron & Wine have all played here).

  • Comedy
  • La Cienega
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended

We like venues that take good care of their performers, and that’s clearly the case at L.A.’s home for cultured, bankable singer-songwriters and brilliant comedians. The likes of Aimee Mann, the Watkins Family, Andrew Bird and perennial hot-ticket artist-in-residence Jon Brion ply their trade in the remarkably intimate 280-seat space.

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  • Music
  • Music venues
  • Highland Park

Eastside buzz bands, cult-favorite singer-songwriters and surprise stand-up sets from Dave Chappelle mix at the Lodge Room, an intimate concert hall housed inside a former Masonic lodge in Highland Park. Show up early—or stay late—for a drink and a bite to eat at the adjoined Checker Hall.

  • Music
  • Music venues
  • Inglewood
  • price 2 of 4

It had been a while since this 17,500-seat space was the city’s go-to arena. But after a $100 million renovation in 2014, the half-century-old Forum has become fabulous once again—enough so that it’s poached many major arena shows from DTLA’s Crypto.com Arena. Almost every massive touring act makes a stop here (Eagles, the Strokes, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, U2), and it’s really the best-case scenario as far as arenas go: The bowl nature of the auditorium keeps sightlines clear and near, and the acoustics are actually pretty good (unlike the disappointing sound next door at SoFi Stadium). Try to avoid the parking lot if you can, and instead pay for a lot a couple of blocks away.

The best live music by month

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Just announced

  • Music
  • Rock and indie
  • Hollywood
  • price 3 of 4
The frontman of the moody OC surf rock band the Growlers has since gone solo, but he continues the band’s tradition of performing Halloween shows at the Hollywood Palladium. Expect a set made up entirely of songs from his surf-psych band.
  • Music
  • Pop
  • Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4
Chicago, heroes of the ’70s, hits town: Expect plenty of key changes and golden oldies from its horn-heavy, soul pop-gone-soft rock back catalog, including “If You Leave Me Now” and “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.” Oh, and expect fireworks: They're headlining the Hollywood Bowl’s fireworks finale (though LA Phil–produced concerts will continue throughout the month). Five-time Grammy winner Christopher Cross will kick things off.
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  • Music
  • Rap, hip-hop and R&B
  • Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4
After making a surprise Hollywood Bowl performance with Cyndi Lauper over Labor Day weekend, John Legend is back at the Bowl for a show of his own at the end of September. The R&B crooner, pianist and EGOT winner is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Get Lifted, which earned him his first three Grammys.
  • Music
  • Folk, country and blues
  • Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4
Intimate performances have a tendency to get lost in the open air, but Big Thief’s locked-in rhythm section and the powerfully quiet vocals of Adrianne Lenker—a songwriter in the vein of Joni Mitchell or Leonard Cohen—will keep you from focusing more on your picnic spread during this show at the Hollywood Bowl. Chicago rapper and poet Noname opens the night.

The latest L.A. music news

  • Music
There are Halloween traditions, and then there’s The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Hollywood Bowl, an annual rite that makes October in Los Angeles feel like a spectacle. This year, Danny Elfman's beloved concert screening celebrates a decade since it first materialized at the Bowl, and for its 12th and 13th incarnations, it’s coming back louder, bigger and more gloriously ghoulish than ever. On Saturday, October 25, and Sunday, October 26, the Bowl transforms into Halloween Town, with Elfman once more donning Jack Skellington's striped suit. Watching the man who composed the score, wrote the lyrics and voiced the Pumpkin King slip back into the role is a truly remarkable sight. This year, he’s joined by a star-studded cast that proves the show’s status as a cultural event: Janelle Monáe as Sally, Keith David returning as Oogie Boogie (imagine velvet dipped in menace), John Stamos as Lock, and Riki Lindhome back as Shock. RECOMMENDED: Halloween in Los Angeles 2025 As Elfman said in a statement: "I guess it’s safe to say this is becoming a Halloween tradition by now. That makes me so happy. I can’t wait to see all the Halloween freaks, monsters, gods and goddesses to celebrate together!" The cast list changes, but the structure of the event doesn't. The film plays in full on massive screens, with visuals projected across the Bowl itself, while John Mauceri returns to conduct a full orchestra and choir through Elfman’s iconic score. If you want a reminder of why this...
  • Music
Ariana Grande will finally tour again next year, and fans in Los Angeles are in for something special: She’s bringing the Eternal Sunshine Tour to L.A. for four nights of arena magic that promise to feel both intimate and gigantic. The announcement dropped like a bolt of pop lightning on August 26. This is her first tour since the 2019 Sweetener World Tour, and it’s in support of her seventh album, Eternal Sunshine, and its deluxe edition, Brighter Days Ahead. The tour kicks off June 6, 2026, in Oakland before Los Angeles gets a four-night residency that feels like a homecoming. Is it too early to call it the highlight of the summer? Grande teased the announcement with a casual “See you next year ♡ 🧸” on Instagram, but fans know this is a big deal. In the years since her last tour, she’s racked up an Oscar nomination for Wicked, joined the cast of the next Meet the Parents film and reassured fans that music will always be her “lifeline.” Consider the Eternal Sunshine Tour proof she’s not going anywhere. When is Ariana Grande playing in L.A.? The "Yes, And?" singer will perform two shows at the Crypto.com Arena June 13 and June 14, and two shows at the Kia Forum June 17 and June 19, 2026. When do tickets go on sale? General sale for the U.S. dates begins at 10am local time on Wednesday, September 10, on Ticketmaster. Presale details An artist presale opens at 10am on Tuesday, September 9. You’ll need to sign up by September 7 to gain access. Additional venue or...
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  • Music
L.A. is already full of great places to see concerts, but a new music venue opening is always great news. And one in arguably the most charming suburb of Los Angeles—we’re talking about South Pasadena—is even more exciting. And the best part: One of the city’s coolest concert bookers and promoters is behind the new space—the “fiercely independent” Sid the Cat—which promises a lineup of nightly concerts by both local and national acts. The San Gabriel Valley isn’t rich in options when it comes to live music, so Sid the Cat Auditorium will be filling a need for music fans of all ages when it opens this fall. The idyllic small city of South Pasadena is perhaps best known for its old-school Fair Oaks Pharmacy—which has sat on the corner of Mission Street and Fair Oaks Avenue since 1915—and the retro soda fountain is joined by a picturesque row of boutiques and eateries on Mission Street. And soon, right around the corner from the main drag, you’ll find Sid the Cat Auditorium, situated across the street from the South Pasadena Public Library (and boasting ample parking). The new club will bring life back to the former South Pasadena Elementary School, which was originally built in 1885, rebuilt in 1928 and decommissioned as a school in 1979—and now it’ll school Angelenos on up-and-coming bands to know. The shows will take place in the original auditorium in the school’s east wing, which has been upgraded with a state-of-the-art sound system and can fit an audience of up to 500....
  • Music
There’s clearly an insatiable appetite for live film score performances in the Los Angeles area. John Williams has been a fixture at the Hollywood Bowl for decades, as has, more recently, Danny Elfman and a slew of orchestra-backed movie screenings. It’s spilled into the music festival circuit, too; I can very distinctly remember its apparent origin, when the Coachella 2017 crowd lost its collective mind over Hans Zimmer’s performance of his themes from Pirates of the Caribbean and Interstellar. So kudos to award-winning composer duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who are putting together an entire one-day-only festival with some of the coolest and most legendary film and television composers on the lineup. Future Ruins will take over the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on November 8, and it’ll bring with it a blockbuster lineup of folks behind some of your favorite moody movie music, including Danny Elfman, John Carpenter and more than a dozen other composers behind films and shows like The White Lotus, Stranger Things, Joker and many, many more. “There’s no headliner. There’s no hierarchy. This is a stacked lineup of visionaries doing something you might not see again,” say Reznor and Ross in a statement (they’re on the lineup too—though you can also catch them in September at the Forum under Reznor’s more storied Nine Inch Nails moniker). Expect three stages at the outdoor Burbank venue with a mix of electronic, live band and orchestral performances, including appearances...

Where to see live music in Los Angeles

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Music festivals near Los Angeles

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