The 25 Best Music Concert Venues in Virginia. Virginia has some of the finest outdoor concert venues in the nation. With its warm weather and lively music scene, it’s no surprise that outdoor concerts have become so popular in Virginia. Whether you’re a fan of live music or just want to enjoy a night out with some friends, here are some of the best outdoor concert venues in Virginia.
Music Concert Venues in Virginia
1. Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Contact: +1 703-255-1800
The performing arts center is situated on more than one hundred and fifty acres of National Park land in the unincorporated Fairfax County of Virginia, not far from the city of Vienna. The park is a result of a partnership and collaboration between the National Park Service and the non-profit Wolf Trap Foundation. The site was donated to the U.S. Government by Catherine Ilene Schouse, who wanted her former farm to be preserved as parkland. House’s gift was accepted by Congress, and Wolf Trap Farm Park was established as the nation’s first national park for performing arts. The park was officially named in August. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
2. The Birchmere
Contact: +1 703-549-7500
The Birchmere mere is an intimate concert venue in Alexandria, Virginia. It is home to a wide variety of musical acts, including rock music, blues music, bluegrass music, country music, folk music, jazz music, ethnic music, and comedy. The main room seats and offers dinner service, making it an intimate space with tables just a few feet from the stage. There is also a bandstand, bar, and dance floor.
The Birchmere mere was opened as a restaurant by Gary Seize in April of this year. It opened in a strip mall in Shillington, Virginia, which was later torn down. The club moved to its current location on Mt. Vernon Avenue, 3901 Mt. Wakefield St., with seating for customers. Music was added to the concert space, which held at least people. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
3. Jiffy Lube Live
Contact: +1 703-754-6400
Jiffy Lube Live is an amphitheater located in the suburb of Gainesville, Virginia. It is owned and operated by the Live Nation organization and can be set up for people in reserved lawn seating. The venue was the result of two separate controversies that led to its opening. First, the community had been unhappy with the Grateful Dead concerts at RFK Stadium in nearby Gainesville. This was similar to Shoreline Amphitheater, which opened in Mountain View, California 9 years earlier.
Second, the Disney corporation was planning to build a Disney’s America theme park near the venue. Locals objected to the proposed park, so the authorities granted permits instead. The venue’s location was chosen because it is close to the interstate highway and can host large crowds multiple days in a row. The venue opened in June with a lineup that included The Village People, Laura Branigan, Rose Royce, and the Tramps. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
4. The NorVa
Contact: +1 757-627-4547
The Nova is the name of a performing venue in Norfolk, Virginia. The name is a combination of the name of the city and the state of the venue’s location. The theater was founded by local music venue developers Bill Rad and Rick Merkel, who also developed the Atlantic Union Bank pavilion and have connections to the Veterans United home loans amphitheater development. The Nova was purchased by Anschutz Entertainment Group. The venue opened as a seating motion picture theater and live entertainment venue. It continued to operate as a movie theater until the Downtown Athletic Club occupied the building. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
5. Jammin Java
Contact: +1 703-255-1566
Jammin’ Java is a live music venue and coffee bar based in Vienna, Virginia that specializes in local and independent music. The venue has hosted some of the world’s biggest names in music, including Nick Jonas and the Foo Fighters. Other well-known artists that have performed at Jammin’ Java include On Over and Owl City, as well as Make, Ingrid Michelson, and many more.
The venue was purchased and revitalized by the brothers Brindley, who currently own and operate it. Pollster reports that since Brindley’s ownership of Jammin’ Jap, the venue has become one of the top clubs in the world in terms of ticket sales. It was also named by Paste magazine as one of the best music clubs in America. The first jamming’Jap was opened in a former pool hall in the state of Maryland.
Paul and Theirs Lassen, the owner’s teenage son, had previously opened a 1,500-square-foot, nonprofit recording studio, Water’s Edge, for Christian recording artists. The Classes’ vision was to turn Maryland into a center for Christian music. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
6. Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Contact: +1 757-368-3000
The Amphitheater is an outdoor seating venue in Virginia Beach. It was formerly known as the GTE Amphitheater. It has five separate parking lots, with parking fees included in tickets for most performances. The Amphitheater has two main areas of seating; the main area is a fixed seating area under a canopy, and the second area is a lawn area beyond the fixed seating that is partially under the canopy.
Small lawn chairs are rented for concert-goers who have bought lawn seats, and concert-goers can bring their blankets. It has been the site of numerous music festivals, such as Shaggiest True Fest 2 FM99 lunatic Luau Hollywood Hooliganism Honda Civic Tour Lilith Fair Lovin’ Life Mayhem Festival Ooziest Project Revolution Uproar Festival Vans Warped Tour. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
7. The Anthem
Contact: +1 202-888-0020
The Anthem is an all-inclusive music venue and theater located in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront. It opened in October, with The Struts opening and Foo Fighters headlining. The Wharf is part of a $60 million redevelopment of the area. The 1,500-seat venue features movable stage seating and a backdrop that accommodates capacity. The balcony seating is closer to the stage than many venues. The venue is owned and operated by i.m.P. which also owns Washington’s 9:30 Club, Lincoln Theatre, and Maryland’s Merriweather post pavilion. The Anthem hosts conventions. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
8. Constitution Hall
Contact: +1 800-449-1776
DAR Constitution Hall, located at Street NW near the White House, is a concert hall and the largest auditorium in the D.C. area. It was built as the annual convention room for DAR membership delegations when Memorial Continental Hall outgrew its use. Later, a third structure was added to the two buildings, housing the DAR Museum and administrative offices, and the genealogical library, respectively.
DAR Constitution Hall has been a national historic landmark since its construction and has served as a major cultural center for the city since its founding. After First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her membership in protest, the D.A.R. denied African-American Opera singer Marian Anderson permission to perform in the Hall. On Easter Sunday, April 14, Anderson performed an open-air concert before an audience of more than 10,000 and a radio audience of millions. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
9. Warner Theatre
Contact: +1 202-783-4000
The Warner Theatre is a movie theater located at 13th Street, N.W., in the heart of Washington, D.C. It is part of the Warner Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. The Warner Theatre was designed by theater architect C. Howard Crane, of Detroit, and Kenneth Franzheim, of New York. It was originally known as the Earle Theatre and featured a precision dance troupe, similar to the now-famous Rockets, known as the Rosettes, who performed before and after the films.
Guests included Red Skeleton and Jerry Lewis. The Earle was said to be the “last word in theater construction,” a beautiful addition to the architectural heritage of the nation’s capital. The basement of the theater included a restaurant, the “Neptune Room,” and the movie “This Is the Army” was the first to be screened there. The Earle began to show movies exclusively. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
10. Blues Alley Club
Contact: +1 202-337-4141
A small, intimate jazz supper club that hosts some of the world’s greatest artists. The venue is located down an alleyway named after it. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for dinner and shows at 8 and 10 p.m. each night. Past headliners have included Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan. Others who have performed at the venue include Wynton Marsalis and Roy Margrave.
Other well-known artists who have performed at the club include Harry Connick, Jr. and Eartha Kitt. Chaka Khan and Eva Cassidy have also performed at the venue. Other notable artists that have played at the venue include Maynard Ferguson and Gil Scott Person. Other notable artists who have performed at this venue include Rachelle Ferrell and Lou Rails, as well as BOZ Scaggs and many more. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
11. Echostage
Contact: +1 202-503-2330
Echo Stag is a nightclub in Washington, D.C., situated in the historic Landon neighborhood. When it opened, it was D.C.’s biggest nightlife event venue. It is an EDM and dance music venue, featuring performances by many of the world’s biggest names in the music industry. The venue is home to some of the biggest names in dance music, such as Lord, ties to, and Avicii; as well as some of the most popular DJs in the world, including Calvin Harris and Disclosure; Hartwell; David Guetta; and many more.
Events are hosted by Club Glow; the sister club of Echo Stag, Soundcheck, which opened a small EDM venue in the Downtown area. Insomniac purchased Echo Stag from Club Glow and its sister club, Soundcheck, and the venue has consistently ranked in the top ten of DJ Magazine’s polls every year since. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
12. The Lincoln Theatre
Contact: +1 276-783-6092
The Lincoln Theatre is a historic theater building in Marion, Virginia. Opened in 1929, the three-story theater sits behind the Royal Oak Apartments. The entrance to the theater is through a wide arcade on the ground level of the apartment building. The interior design of the theater is reminiscent of an old Mayan temple. Inside the theater are six large paintings depicting scenes from American history and local history. The theater was later reopened as a Community Performing Arts Center. The Lincoln Theatre was listed on the N.C. National Register of Historic Places. It is part of the Marion Historic District. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
13. Lisner Auditorium
Contact: +1 202-994-6800
The Abram Liner Auditorium is located on the George Washington University campus on 21st Street NW in Foggy Bottom, Washington. It was designed and built in the stripped classicist style of Art Deco in the late 1930s. The auditorium has hosted a wide variety of performances over the years, including classical music, folk music, rock music, blues music, opera music, and theatrical music. The auditorium was named for the late benefactor and trustee, Abram Liner, who will provide $1 million for its construction.
The Auditorium played a significant role in the process of desegregating the university and the city of Washington. The grand opening of the auditorium was a major factor in the desegregation of the city’s theaters, and it was a catalyst for students at the university to demand that the university admit African Americans. The auditorium seats approximately 1,500 people and serves as the home of Washington’s Concert Opera. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
14. Rams Head Live
Contact: +1 410-244-1131
Rams Head live! It is a music venue, nightclub, and bar situated in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The venue is situated in the power plant live! District of the city’s center, and is surrounded by several other bars and nightclubs. The venue opened its doors in December of the same year. The first band to play the venue was All-Time Low in mid-July of the following year. The band sold out the venue on their short summer tour.
Josh Home named Rams Head Live one of his “favorite new venues” in a conversation with Pitchfork. “They treated us well, and it was a cool experience.” The venue was also featured on Consequence Of Sound’s list of “The 100 Greatest US Music Venues”. Silver Tongue performed at Ram’s Head live! In October of the year, on the “Psychotic Melody” opening night. The venue was described as “one of the best shows of the year.” – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
15. Merriweather Post Pavilion
Contact: +1 410-715-5550
Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater located within the 40-acre “Preserve” lot of “Merriweather” on the grounds of Symphony Woods. Merriweather’s amphitheater is the second best in the country, according to Billboard magazine. It was also named the fourth best in the country by Rolling Stone. Consequence of Sound ranked the venue number 29 out of “1,” “2,” and “3” in the nation.
The venue opened in July 1968, with a gala and a presentation of “Columbia” by “Broadside for Orchestra”, which was held in a torrential rainstorm that overwhelmed the orchestra and forced it into bankruptcy the following year. George Wallace held a “Persona” rally at the venue in June 1968, and candidate Eugene McCarthy followed shortly afterward. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
16. U Street Music Hall
Contact: +1 202-588-1889
U Street Music Hall was a nightclub and live music space located in Washington, DC. It hosted artists and DJs from all over the electronic music spectrum, from house to disco to techno, bass to electron. It was often referred to simply as “U Hall”. The venue was home to some of the biggest names in electronic music, from Disclosure to Regimental to Flume to RL Grime to Airplane to Joy Orbison to Fred False to Kaiser, and many more.
It was also home to several underplays, such as Cascade performing two nights with Robyn on her Redux Tour and Skrillex making surprise club appearances. On October 1, 2020, U Street announced that it would be closing its doors immediately due to the pandemic’s effects. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
17. Capital One Hall
Contact: +1 703-343-7651
Capital One Hall, also known as the Capital One Performing Arts Center, Music Hall, and Corporate Event Center, is a multipurpose performing arts center and corporate event space located in the Tyson’s area of Washington, D.C., United States. The venue hosts a wide variety of programming, as well as corporate events for the nearby Capital One headquarters. Additionally, the facility serves as a cultural and event space for Northern Virginia and the Washington Metropolitan Area as a whole.
The facility features two theaters, the sit-down Main Theater, and the sit-down Vault Theater, both in the black box configuration. The four-story Atrium accommodates up to 500 people seated in the Main Theater, while the terrace accommodates up to 180 people seated on either side of the Atrium. Additionally, the larger complex includes a rooftop Amphitheater, known as the Perch, which opened its doors to the public in October. The opening of Capital One Hall took place in October, with the performance “Josh Groan”. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
18. Carter Family Fold
Contact: +1 276-594-0676
The Carter Family Fold is a live music venue located near Hilton, VA. It is devoted to preserving and performing country and old-time music. It was named after the original members of the Carter family, a.k.a. the Carter family. The first records on RCA Victor were released by the Carter family.
Janette Carter, daughter of a.k.a. A.p. and Sara Carter, was the center’s director and master of ceremonies. She also performed at the Fold’s Saturday night shows with her brother Joe. Janette’s daughter, Rita Carter Forrester, currently serves as the master of ceremonies. The fold hosts weekly concerts. Electric instruments are not allowed in the venue to preserve the music.
No smoking or drinking is allowed. Most of the performers at the fold are not well-known outside the communities of old-time and bluegrass country music. Johnny Cash performed at the fold many times. His last concert was in July, several months before he passed away. His wife, June Carter Cash, was also a daughter of Maybelle Carter. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
19. Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion
Contact: +1 757-393-8181
Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion is a multipurpose outdoor amphitheater located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. The amphitheater produces and presents a wide variety of concerts and events, connecting audiences to the inspiring power of music and helping new generations of listeners find the beauty of music and live performances.
The amphitheater invites audiences and artists alike to celebrate the beauty of live music and the strength of the community, as well as the magic of the Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion. This covered outdoor amphitheater offers one of the finest live entertainment experiences in Hampton Roads, Virginia. It has a capacity of approximately 10,000 people and is located on the shores of the Elizabeth River, just across the river from downtown Norfolk. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
20. Harrison Opera House
Contact: +1 757-664-6464
The Smythe c. and Stanley l. Harrison Opera House is the Virginia Opera’s official home. It is located in the neon district of Downtown Norfolk, on the edge of Ghent Square. The historic public works auditorium was built in the early 1940s as the Norfolk Center Theater. It was used as a venue for USO shows during World War II. The theater was later renovated by architecture firm GUNS Partnership and reopened as the dedicated opera facility with seating capacity.
The building originally included both the USO /Center Theater and the adjoining former Norfolk Municipal Auditorium, which is now used for storage and administrative purposes. The opera house was named for the Virginia Opera’s founders, Stanley and Edith Harrison, former members of the Virginia House of Delegates and founders of the Virginia Opera. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
21. Innsbrook After Hours
Contact: +1 804-217-8800
The Inns brook Pavilion was a large outdoor music venue in Glen Allen, Virginia. It was the home of the popular Inns brook after-hours performance series. The pavilion was located on the eastern side of the state road near Broad Street. It was part of the mixed-use development of Inns brook, a large corporate center in Glen Allen.
The pavilion opened in and was located off Lake Brooke Drive near Interstate 495. It was moved to the east of the state road at Broad Street in the early 2000s, and then to the current location on Lake Brooke Drive. The venue was home to some of the most well-known acts in the music industry, including Hall and Oates and Ted Nugent.
Other well-known acts that performed at Inns brook Pavilion included Kansas and David Lee Roth, as well as Cheap Trick. After the venue closed, the After Hours concerts moved to the larger Meadow Event Park at Roswell in Virginia and were re-christened the After Hours Concerts Series. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
22. Historic Palace Theatre
Contact: +1 716-438-1130
The Palace Theater is a Broadway Theater located on Broadway facing Times Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. The theater was designed by Milwaukee architects, Kirchhoff and Rose, and was financed by Martin Beck. From the opening to the mid-1960s, the Palace Theater was considered by vaudevillians to be the flagship of the organization founded by Benjamin Franklin Keith. The Palace Theater had seats on three floors.
The Palace Theater is now a modern three-level theater located on 47th Street in New York City, New York. The theater is a designated New York City landmark. The theater consists of three levels: the auditorium, which has ornate plaster work and boxes on the sidewalls, and the two balcony levels, which slope down toward the stage. At the time of its opening, the theater also had a story office wing that faced Broadway. The story office wing was also designed by Milwaukee. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
23. Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
Contact: +1 757-385-2787
The Sandler Performing Arts Center is a state-of-the-art performing arts theater that houses seats and is located in Town Center, Virginia Beach, United States. It opened in November of the same year and has been owned and operated since. The “Sandler” name was given to the building by Hampton Roads businessman, philanthropist, and brother Steve Sandler.
Since its opening, the theater has been managed and operated by the local venue management company Spectra. In addition to concerts, comedy shows, forums, and military events, the center hosts the following resident companies: Ballet Virginia Symphony Orchestra Virginia Musical Theatre Virginia Arts Festival Virginia Beach Forum Virginia Beach Choral Tidewater Winds Symphonic. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
24. Virginia Credit Union LIVE
Contact: +1 855-515-7223
The Virginia Credit Union LIVE!, at Richmond Raceway, is an outdoor concert venue that opened in 1991. It is located adjacent to Richmond Raceway. Before the amphitheater’s opening, the Richmond area saw a significant decrease in major music acts playing its indoor arena, the Richmond Coliseum. With the amphitheater opening, the seasons were full of A-list music that Richmond hadn’t seen in years.
The amphitheater’s summer concert series was called “The Budweiser Concert Series” for the first few years it was open. Since most summer concert tours are mounted exclusively for outdoor venues, the amphitheater became a destination venue for many artists touring the state. As the larger outdoor venues began to open, with significantly larger capacities, there was a steady decrease in the quality of the shows promoters could book there. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
25. Madam’s Organ
Contact: +1 202-667-5370
Madams Organ opened its doors on Halloween night with its first headlining act, Bobby Parker Band. On the first night, there was a line that stretched down the street and to be honest, it still is. Owner Bill Duncan had no idea what he was getting into when he brought the Chicago Blues concept of live music, intimacy, and comfort to what would become Madams Organ. With nearly three decades of experience in the industry, Bill Duncan believes he has accomplished his dream of creating a place where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can feel comfortable and at ease. – Music Concert Venues in Virginia
