Madison Square Garden is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

1. Madison Square Garden

8.8
4 Penn Plz (btwn 7th & 8th Ave), New York, NY
Basketball Stadium · 999 tips and reviews

Patrick H.Patrick Healy: Whether it's a basketball game, a concert or the circus you will feel like you're at the center of the universe in New York's most famous venue. Penn Station being downstairs is very convenient too.

Rewan P.Rewan Parti: Best arena for concerts and games in the heart of NYC. It's a must visit for a sports event and a concert. If you haven't seen the energy of people in MSG, you haven't witnessed NY!

Kimmie O.Kimmie Ohh: Spacious venue. Great place to watch sports games, concerts or shows.

Washington Square Park is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

2. Washington Square Park

9.5
W 4th St (btwn MacDougal St & University Pl), New York, NY
Park · Greenwich Village · 708 tips and reviews

BigBossPaulBigBossPaul: Great park, packed with live music entertainment. Special beautiful at nite.

CompassCompass: Defined by its giant white arch, the park is best known for its chess games, gorgeous fountain, and live musicians. It acts as a meeting ground for NYU students, artists, and neighborhood regulars.

Joury I.Joury Ibrahim: LOVE this place; the artworks, street performers and the view of the area. There is always something going on here. NYU is around the corner so I think that is the secret of the liveliness around

Central Park SummerStage is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

3. Central Park SummerStage

9.1
Central Park (Rumsey Playfield), New York, NY
Music Venue · Central Park · 115 tips and reviews

Colleen M.Colleen McAndrew: Great free and benefit concerts. Artists always put on a great show in this unique spot. No bad views or acoustics either.

CristinaCristina: Any concert here is good! Inside the park, great vibes, and amazing music. Free concerts: thank you NY! Hungry? Try the tacos and the ice cream.

Ashley R.Ashley Rose: Great atmosphere for an outdoor concert! City Winery with a few wines on tap, pizza, hot dogs, etc. Ingrid Michaelson put on a great show in June!

Carnegie Hall is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

4. Carnegie Hall

9.3
881 7th Ave (at W 57th St), New York, NY
Concert Hall · Theater District · 110 tips and reviews

Reuters Business TravellerReuters Business Traveller: One of the world's greatest concert halls, choose from three spaces, holding between 268 and 2,800 people.

Fabiano R.Fabiano Rampazzo: Legendary concert venue where they have performed Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, and others unforgettable legends!

Brennen C.Brennen Collier: Good gift shop, excellent performances, amazing acoustics, ambient atmosphere, and an ornate hall perfect for any performance no matter the occasion. What's not to love?

Bowery Ballroom is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

5. Bowery Ballroom

9.1
6 Delancey St (at Bowery), New York, NY
Rock Club · Lower East Side · 216 tips and reviews

Will O.Will Oliver: My favorite place to see a concert in NYC. Great sound, great staff, good atmosphere. Love it

Peter W.Peter Wu: My favorite concert venue in NY. Great acoustics, w/ an intimate feel. They do a great job of booking indie bands that complement the space. Don't forget to check out the balcony!

Wesley B.Wesley Batista: Great place for a concert. Saw Johnnyswim and it was very nice!

Beacon Theatre is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

6. Beacon Theatre

9.2
2124 Broadway (at W 74th St), New York, NY
Concert Hall · Upper West Side · 172 tips and reviews

The Corcoran GroupThe Corcoran Group: One of the best places in the city to catch a live performance. Fantastic old-time, authentic New York venue to see a band, with what feels like the original, upholstered seating.

New York HabitatNew York Habitat: A historic theatre perfect for everything from a comedy show to musical acts. It's small and broken up into 3 levels so there's not really a bad seat in the house. Seeing a concert here is a must!

Brett W.Brett Wells: A beautifully restored 1920's movie house. Plenty of great places to eat/drink in the area for before/after the concert.

David Geffen Hall is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

7. David Geffen Hall

9.1
10 Lincoln Center Plz (at W 65th St), New York, NY
Concert Hall · Lincoln Square · 68 tips and reviews

amNewYorkamNewYork: SUMMER 2012: The Kravis Prize Concert: Yo-Yo Ma Plays Dutilleux (JUNE 26) -- The inaugural honoree of the Marie-Josée Kravis Prize for New Music is French composer Henri Dutilleux.

Concert Ticket AgencyConcert Ticket Agency: Avery Fisher Hall is located at the northern end of the Lincoln Center Plaza. Amazing acoustics. Catch the NY Philharmonic or another live performance w/killer acoustics.

HISTORYHISTORY: Designed by Max Abramovitz, the hall opened in 1962 as Philharmonic Hall, as the new home concert venue of the New York Philharmonic, after the orchestra moved from Carnegie Hall.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

8. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

9.5
70 Lincoln Center Plz (btwn Columbus & 10th Ave), New York, NY
Performing Arts Venue · Lincoln Square · 215 tips and reviews

New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library: Love the arts? Explore one of the world’s most extensive collections of historic recordings, videotapes, sheet music, stage designs, posters, and photographs at the Library for the Performing Arts. Read more.

New York HabitatNew York Habitat: Dress to impress here and get a glimpse of some of the best performances in the world. There is so much diversity you can't go wrong with any show but we love the Met Opera in the wintertime.

BuzzFeedBuzzFeed: Whether it’s fashion week, a performance by the Metropolitan Opera, or the NYC Ballet, Lincoln Center is always bustling with excitement. Zoom pass the breathtaking fountain and enjoy crisp, cool air. Read more.

The Rum House is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

9. The Rum House

8.8
228 W 47th St (btwn 8th Ave & Broadway), New York, NY
Cocktail Bar · Theater District · 188 tips and reviews

Stefan B.Stefan B.: Awesome live music and great location right next to time square. Cocktails are great but overpriced!

Maneesh N.Maneesh N: Amazing cocktails and live music. Went on a Saturday and ended up being a good date place too. Highly recommended in Times Square

Alev K.Alev Karatay: Perfect retro bar. Live music, rums and cocktails are amazing.

Radio City Music Hall is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

10. Radio City Music Hall

9.3
1260 Avenue of the Americas (at W 50th St), New York, NY
Concert Hall · Rockefeller Center · 390 tips and reviews

Chris K.Chris Kramer: Best sounding concert venue ever

Kelly H.Kelly H.: One of the best all-time venues to see a concert!

JessicaJessica: Wonderful experience, so many talented performers..a must!

Little Branch is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

11. Little Branch

8.9
20 7th Ave S (at Leroy St), New York, NY
Speakeasy · West Village · 336 tips and reviews

Ravin D.Ravin Dave: Great libations- in either booths or bar. Sam the mix master serv perfect complimentary cocktails to the down-tempo live jazz. Be sure to tell him of your likes when ordering the bartender's choice..

NY WaterwayNY Waterway: Fun place to go for a subterranean, speakeasy experience. Dim lighting, cozy booths, and live jazz provide for an intimate setting. Great bartenders serving a variety of cocktails. Cash only.

Rich D.Rich Daniel: Killer cocktails, live jazz.

The Joyce Theater is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

12. The Joyce Theater

9.2
175 8th Ave (at W 19th St), New York, NY
Theater · Chelsea · 47 tips and reviews

M J.M J: Sure there are other dance theaters, but there's none like the Joyce! I've worked there,I know! The best companies perform here and more than likely you'll be able to spot a few celebs in the crowd Read more.

Peter F.Peter Frank: I only come here every few years, usually when my mom is in town. And every time I'm reminded what a treasure it is. Always interesting performers, no bad seats in the house, and gentle ticket prices. Read more.

THIRTEENTHIRTEEN: THIRTEEN members receive 20% off day of performance tickets at New York City’s home for dance for over 25 years! Read more.

Apollo Theater is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

13. Apollo Theater

9.1
253 W 125th St (btwn 7th & 8th Ave), New York, NY
Theater · Central Harlem · 143 tips and reviews

New York HabitatNew York Habitat: Every Wednesday the Apollo hosts an Amateur Night, where you can cheer on performers or boo them off the stage! Be sure to get there early for tickets, as this night sells out quickly!

Untapped CitiesUntapped Cities: The 1,853 seat Apollo Theatre opened on December 15, 1913 is most known for its Amateur Night, at which Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, James Brown and Lauryn Hill all performed. Read more.

California BakeryCalifornia Bakery: Lo storico teatro dove hanno suonato tutti i protagonisti della black music: da Aretha Franklin a Michael Jackson | The historic black music venue, where all the big and famous artists have played

Blue Note is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

14. Blue Note

8.8
131 W 3rd St (btwn MacDougal St & 6th Ave), New York, NY
Jazz and Blues Venue · Greenwich Village · 174 tips and reviews

Jeetendra C.Jeetendra Chandragiri: Get here early to ensure a good table close to the stage. Place your orders (vegetarians, you're taken care of), sit back and lose yourself as the legendary performers transport you to Heaven.

Jennifer C.Jennifer C: Great jazz band in the west village. Definitely go back there again

Anthony C.Anthony Crawford: The performance was great and visiting such a great historical place like this is great; but the seating is tight. Table seating will force you to sit shoulder to shoulder with strangers.

Joe's Pub is one of The 15 Best Places for Performances in New York City.

15. Joe's Pub

9.0
425 Lafayette St (btwn Astor Pl & E 4th St), New York, NY
Music Venue · NoHo · 89 tips and reviews

The Corcoran GroupThe Corcoran Group: Awesome space to catch a new and undiscovered performance. In addition to the ticket price, there’s a $12 FOOD minimum if you sit at a table.

SideTourSideTour: Great date space and intimate performance space. Get here early to snag one of the coveted tables.

Irina B.Irina B: Beautiful and intimate space for performances. Creative cocktails complete the experience.