The Best Cities to Experience Live Music

If you’re a fellow concert-goer, you may be wondering exactly which city is the best for live music. After all, hearing your favorite band play in person is an experience like no other. From small dive bars to large amphitheaters, music lovers gather in every part of the country to revel in the sounds of their music icons. We analyzed data including music venues per capita, percent of highest rated music venues, average concert ticket prices, and music festivals within a 100-mile radius to determine the best cities for live music. You might consider planning a trip or a short-term stay to jam out in one of these top destinations. 

Key takeaways

• San Francisco, CA is the overall best city for live music
• Austin, TX has the largest percentage of highest rated music venues
• Orlando, FL has the largest volume of music venues per capita
• Chesapeake, VA has the lowest average concert ticket price

The top 10 best cities for live music

1. San Francisco, CA

San Francisco has a rich music history, most notably dating back to the 1960s and the ‘The Summer of Love’. This musical awakening paved the way for iconic musical artists including Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and Jerry Garcia, all of whom called the Golden city their home and muse. Since then, the San Francisco music scene has only grown, with historic music venues such as The Fillmore continuing to fuel the sound waves along the Bay. San Francisco dominates as the best city for live music, receiving A grades in almost every designated category. With a high volume of music venues per capita, 78% of highly rated venues, and 28 music festivals within a 100-mile radius, San Fran offers residents and visitors alike the ultimate live music experience. 

2. Cincinnati, OH

Most people think of mouth-watering chili and top sports teams when they think of Cincinnati, but The Queen City also boasts some of the best opportunities to experience live music. Not only did Cincy score well for venues per capita and highest-rated venues, but also in our music festivals category. Top music festivals in the area include the Cincinnati Music Urban Festival, Bunbury Music Festival, SummitFest, and the Cincy Blues Fest. The highest-rated music venues in the area include the Taft Theatre, Cincinnati Music Hall, and the historic outdoor amphitheater, Riverbend Music Center. 

3. Seattle, WA

As the birthplace of Jimi Hendrix, it comes as no surprise that Seattle’s music history runs deep. A staple city in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle tops the charts for live music with groundbreaking grunge and alternative artists making their debut in the Emerald City including Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, and Alice and Chains. In fact, Seattle is often recognized as the birthplace of the grunge music movement with the formation of the local band, Green River in 1985. The grunge movement paved the way for Indie rock with bands including The Postal Service and Band of Horses emerging in the Seattle sound waves. Seattle scored in the top 10 for music venues per capita with popular establishments including The Showbox, The Crocodile, Neptune Theater, and Paramount Theater. Concert ticket prices are relatively affordable for Seattle residents with the average price of concert tickets as a percentage of median income at 19%. 

4. Oakland, CA

Host to top music venues including The Sound Room, Fox Theater, and The Alley, the East Bay city of Oakland has its own distinct sound. Often credited as the ‘West Coast Blues Capital’, Oakland’s jazz and blues history rival that of New Orleans. Oakland holds high scores for highest-rated music venues and music festivals within 100 miles, with a lower score for an average concert ticket price of $215.

5. Scottsdale, AZ

Local music takes the main stage in Scottsdale, as the best area to experience country and blues live music artists in the area. A suburb of Phoenix, Scottsdale is in the top 10 for both music venues per capita and ticket price affordability. Top venues include Old Town Tavern, Rusty Spur Saloon, and Kazimierz Wine & Whiskey Bar. The best thing about the music scene in Scottsdale is the abundance of local musicians at affordable prices, with ticket prices at only 12% of the median income and the average ticket price at $110. 

6. San Diego, CA

San Diego is a melting pot of musical genres. From acoustic folk to rock n’ roll, San Diego has it all. Ranking in the top 20% of highest-rated music venues, local favorites include The Casbah, Soda Bar, and Music Box. Additionally, classical music fans in San Diego relish the opportunity to catch the San Diego Symphony at the historic Copley Symphony Hall. San Diego is also home to a number of music festivals contributing to its high score in the category. Taking Waterfront Park by storm, CRSSD FEST brings more than 15,000 music lovers to the heart of San Diego to hear indie and electronic artists. Concert tickets are more pricey in San Diego, with an average cost of $208 and 25% of the median income. 

7. Honolulu, HI

While Hawaii may be most recognizable for its traditional native music, with the sounds of island instrumentals accompanying the infamous hula dance, this city is also a great destination to experience live music of all genres. Music venues like The Republik cater towards a wide variety of musical tastes, most notably EDM, where Blue Note provides a haven for jazz lovers. While Honolulu scored lower for music festivals in the area, The Mayjah Rayjah, Hawaii’s largest reggae music festival, is a top destination for island music lovers each year. 

8. Fort Lauderdale, FL

Ranking in the top five for music venues per capita is Fort Lauderdale, FL. Large music venue FLA Live Arena dominates in Fort Lauderdale, bringing locals and tourists alike to see big names in the music industry. If in the market for a more intimate venue, popular establishments including Culture Room, Blue Jean Blues, and Revolution are among the top destinations for music lovers in South Florida. The average price of concert tickets in Fort Lauderdale is $149, representing 23% of the median income. 

9. Knoxville, TN

Nashville may be what originally comes to mind when considering live music in Tennessee, but Knoxville lets music lovers experience that beloved country twang at more affordable prices. Knoxville’s music history dates back to the 30s and 40s and the rise of big bands including the legendary Maynard Baird’s swinging jazz band. Since then, Knoxville has developed an eclectic music scene, offering concert-goers a show for every musical taste, with highly rated venues including the Tennessee Theater, Bijou Theatre, and The Mill and Mine. As the fifth most affordable city for concert tickets, live music patrons can expect to spend $121 on average for concert tickets. 

10. New Orleans, LA

We can’t have a list of the best cities for live music without The Big Easy. As a founding city of jazz music, live music is the heartbeat of this town. In fact, you can’t walk down Bourbon and Freemont Street without hearing sounds of brass and drums from almost every establishment, and in the streets themselves from local artists looking to make their mark. Ranking fourth for highest-rated music venues, our data echoes what NOLA locals have always coveted about their home; this is a city that knows music. While there are a number of venues to choose from, a few of the most popular include Preservations Hall, The Spotted Cat, Blue Nile, and House of Blues. 

Cities ranked by top categories 

Venues per capita 

1. Orlando, FL
2. Las Vegas, NV
3. Atlanta, GA
4. New Orleans, LA
5. Fort Lauderdale, FL

Orlando has the largest volume of music venues per capita with 171 live music venues in the Orlando metro area. Known as a top entertainment destination in the country, Las Vegas is second with 148, followed by Atlanta with 131. New Orleans and Fort Lauderdale round out the top five with 130 and 128 respectively.

Highest-rated music venues

1. Austin, TX
2. Des Moines, IA
3. Los Angeles, CA
4. Milwaukee, WI
5. Chicago, IL

With 88% of venues with a 4-star or higher rating, Austin, Texas comes out on top. Des Moines follows with 80.65%, Los Angeles with 80.28%, Milwaukee with 80%, and lastly Chicago with 79.49%.

Music festivals

1. Henderson, NV
2. Las Vegas, NV
3. Philadelphia, PA
4. San Antonio, TX
5. Anaheim, CA

If you’re looking to attend a music festival in the next six months you’ll want to set your sights on Nevada. Upcoming Nevada music festivals include the Life is Beautiful Festival, IHeartRadio Festival, Lost in Dreams Festival, and the much anticipated When We Were Young Festival. 

Average concert ticket price

1. Chesapeake, VA
2. Scottsdale, AZ
3. Akron, OH
4. ST Louis, MO
5. Knoxville, TN

Chesapeake, VA has the lowest concert ticket prices at $45 on average. From there, you can expect to pay $100 and above for top performances. 

Ticket price as a percentage of median income

1. Chesapeake, VA
2. Scottsdale, AZ
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Henderson, NV
5. Chandler, AZ

As a percentage of median income, Chesapeake, VA continues to hold the most affordability. While San Francisco has higher concert ticket prices on average, the higher median income offsets the strain on the wallets of its residents. 

Top cities by music genre

Hip-Hop

1. Rochester, NY
2. Las Vegas, NV
3. Baltimore, MD
4. Tucson, AZ
5. Baton Rouge, LA
6. Syracuse, NY
7. Norfolk, VA
8. Raleigh, NC
9. Atlanta, GA
10. Indianapolis, IN

Folk

1. Chicago, IL
2. Portland, OR
3. Chattanooga, TN
4. St. Louis, MO
5. Spokane, WA
6. Knoxville, TN
7. Denver, CO
8. Boston, MA
9. Tucson AZ
10. Albuquerque, NM

Country

1. Nashville, TN
2. Knoxville, TN
3. Lexington, KY
4. Chattanooga, TN
5. Louisville, KY
6. Wichita, KS
7. Lincoln, NE
8. Des Moines, IA
9. Greensboro, NC
10. Shreveport, LA

Rock & Roll

1. Akron, OH
2. Nashville, TN
3. San Diego, CA
4. Corpus Christi, TX
5. Columbus, OH
6. Buffalo, NY
7. Pittsburgh, PA
8. Cincinnati, OH
9. Lincoln, NE
10. Memphis, TN

Jazz 

1. Salt Lake City, UT
2. New Orleans, LA
3. Baton Rouge, LA
4. Rochester, NY
5. Boise, ID
6. Las Vegas, NV
7. Kansas City, MO
8. Denver, CO
9. Washington, DC
10. Baltimore, MD

Pop 

1. Seattle, WA
2. Baton Rouge, LA
3. Rochester, NY
4. Augusta, GA
5. Wichita, KS
6. Nashville, TN
7. Omaha, NE
8. Salt Lake City, UT
9. Tallahassee, FL
10. Kansas City, MO

Alternative

1. Buffalo, NY
2. Portland, OR
3. Kansas City, MO
4. Austin, TX
5. Albuquerque, NM
6. Phoenix, AZ
7. Louisville, KY
8. Indianapolis, IN
9. Columbus, OH
10. Salt Lake City, UT

Rap

1. Memphis, TN
2. Lubbock, TX
3. New Orleans, LA
4. Shreveport, LA
5. Fresno, CA
6. Norfolk, VA
7. Baltimore, MD
8. Greensboro, NC
9. Augusta, GA
10. Bakersfield, CA

Electronic

1. San Diego, CA
2. Detroit, MI
3. Denver, CO
4. San Francisco, CA
5. San Jose, CA
6. Portland, OR
7. Austin, TX
8. Seattle, WA
9. Los Angeles, CA
10. Miami, FL

Blues

1. St. Louis, MO
2. Memphis, TN
3. Kansas City, MO
4. Denver, co
5. Chicago, IL
6. New Orleans, LA
7. Orlando, FL
8. Colorado Springs, CO
9. Minneapolis, MN
10. San Diego, CA

R&B

1. Seattle, WA
2. Houston, TX
3. Atlanta, GA
4. Chicago, IL
5. Los Angeles, CA
6. Washington, DC
7. Philadelphia, PA
8. Dallas, TX
9. San Francisco, CA
10. Oakland, CA

Dance

1. Anchorage, AK
2. Knoxville, TN
3. Corpus Christi, TX
4. Honolulu, HI
5. Salt Lake City, UT
6. Madison, WI
7. Tucson, AZ
8. San Diego, CA
9. Lubbock, TX
10. Boston, MA

Heavy Metal

1. Anchorage, AK
2. Spokane, WA
3. Portland, OR
4. Corpus Christi, TX
5. Albuquerque, NM
6. Colorado Springs, CO
7. Wichita, KS
8. Lexington, KY
9. Tucson, AZ
10. Des Moines, IA

Methodology 

To determine the best cities for live music, we analyzed the top 100 US cities on five key metrics. These metrics included the following:

• Venues per capita – Yelp
• Percent of high-rated venues (score >= 4) – Yelp
• Music festivals within a 100-mile Radius in the next 6 months- Seatgeek
• Average concert price in the next 6 months – Seatgeek
• Ticket price as a percentage of Median Income – American Community Survey 2020
• Music Genre Searches – Google Trends

Each city received a ranking and a weighted score for each metric. Venues per capita accounted for 40 percent of the weighted score. Percentage of highly rated venues accounted for 30 percent. Music festivals within a 100-mile radius accounted for 20%. Average concert ticket price and ticket price as a percentage of median income accounted for 5% each. We then assigned letter grades to each city based on the quintiles for each data point:

• A = rank higher than 80% of cities
• B = rank higher than 60% of cities
• C = rank higher than 40% of cities
• D = rank higher than 20% of cities
• F = rank in the bottom 20% of cities

Full data

How each city ranked in the individual categories

Overall Ranking	City	Venues Per Capita	Percent of Highest Rated Venues	Music Festivals	Average Concert Ticket Price	Ticket Price as % of Median Income
1	San Francisco, CA	A	A	A	C	A
2	Cincinnati, OH	A	A	A	B	D
3	Seattle, WA	A	B	C	D	A
4	Oakland, CA	B	A	A	F	B
5	Scottsdale, AZ	A	B	D	A	A
6	San Diego, CA	B	A	B	F	B
7	Urban Honolulu, HI	A	B	D	F	C
8	Fort Lauderdale, FL	A	C	B	B	A
9	Knoxville, TN	B	A	D	A	C
10	New Orleans, LA	A	B	D	D	F
11	Portland, OR	A	B	F	C	A
12	Las Vegas, NV	A	C	A	F	F
13	Indianapolis, IN	B	A	B	A	C
14	Denver, CO	A	B	C	B	A
15	Louisville, KY	B	A	B	B	B
16	Madison, WI	B	B	D	A	A
17	Spokane, WA	B	A	F	B	B
18	Reno, NV	A	B	C	F	D
19	Pittsburgh, PA	A	C	C	B	C
20	Chattanooga, TN	B	B	C	A	B
21	Orlando, FL	A	D	A	F	F
22	Boise, ID	C	A	F	B	B
23	Rochester, NY	B	C	C	A	D
24	Richmond, VA	A	C	D	C	C
25	Sacramento, CA	A	D	A	C	B
26	Des Moines, IA	C	A	F	B	C
27	Washington, DC	A	D	B	C	A
28	Santa Ana, CA	D	B	A	A	A
29	Kansas City, MO	B	C	F	B	B
30	Cleveland, OH	B	C	C	A	F
31	Atlanta, GA	A	F	B	C	B
32	Miami, FL	A	C	B	F	F
33	Lexington, KY	D	A	B	D	D
34	Durham, NC	C	A	C	F	D
35	Salt Lake City, UT	A	D	D	D	C
36	Nashville, TN	B	C	D	D	C
37	Colorado Springs, CO	C	B	C	B	A
38	Minneapolis, MN	B	D	D	C	B
39	Omaha, NE	C	B	F	C	C
40	Anaheim, CA	B	D	A	F	C
41	Chicago, IL	D	A	B	D	C
42	Winston-Salem, NC	D	A	B	A	C
43	Charlotte, NC	B	D	B	C	B
44	Raleigh, NC	B	D	C	C	B
45	Tampa, FL	B	D	A	F	F
46	Baltimore, MD	B	F	A	B	B
47	Buffalo, NY	C	B	C	B	F
48	Long Beach, CA	F	B	A	A	A
49	Austin, TX	F	A	A	C	B
50	Tulsa, OK	D	A	B	D	F
51	St Petersburg, FL	F	A	A	B	B
52	Oklahoma City, OK	D	B	D	D	D
53	Columbus, OH	C	C	B	C	C
54	Tallahassee, FL	C	C	F	A	B
55	Boston, MA	B	F	B	C	A
56	Tucson, AZ	B	D	D	B	D
57	Los Angeles, CA	F	A	A	D	C
58	Baton Rouge, LA	C	B	D	C	F
59	Phoenix, AZ	D	B	D	F	D
60	Gilbert, AZ	D	C	D	C	A
61	Philadelphia, PA	D	D	A	B	C
62	Virginia Beach, VA	C	F	D	A	A
63	Norfolk, VA	C	F	D	A	B
64	Milwaukee, WI	F	A	B	C	F
65	Dallas, TX	C	C	C	D	D
66	Jacksonville, FL	D	B	D	D	D
67	Chesapeake, VA	F	B	D	A	A
68	Henderson, NV	F	C	A	A	A
69	Chandler, AZ	C	F	D	B	A
70	San Antonio, TX	C	D	A	D	D
71	Detroit, MI	C	D	D	C	F
72	Mesa, AZ	D	C	D	D	C
73	Akron, OH	D	C	B	A	B
74	Greensboro, NC	C	D	B	C	D
75	New York, NY	F	B	A	D	C
76	Fort Worth, TX	D	C	C	F	F
77	Memphis, TN	D	D	B	A	D
78	Syracuse, NY	C	F	F	F	F
79	Albuquerque, NM	C	F	F	D	D
80	San Jose, CA	F	C	A	F	A
81	Shreveport, LA	F	C	F	B	D
82	Wichita, KS	F	D	F	C	C
83	Augusta, GA	D	D	D	B	D
84	Bakersfield, CA	D	F	B	D	C
85	St Louis, MO	F	D	C	A	B
86	Fresno, CA	D	F	D	F	F
87	Lincoln, NE	F	F	F	A	A
88	Lubbock, TX	F	F	F	B	C
89	Irving, TX	D	F	C	F	F
90	Houston, TX	F	F	C	D	D
91	Arlington, TX	D	F	C	F	F
92	Glendale, AZ	F	F	D	F	F
93	Newark, NJ	F	F	A	F	F
94	Corpus Christi, TX	F	F	F	D	D
95	El Paso, TX	F	F	F	F	F
96	Anchorage, AK	D	D	F	F	F
97	Aurora, CO	F	F	C	F	F
98	Laredo, TX	F	F	F	D	F
99	Plano, TX	C	D	C	F	F
100	Providence, RI	F	F	B	C	D