Local Guide: The Best New Orleans Venues for Concerts & Live Music

New Orleans is the home to globally lauded restaurants, the historic French Quarter and the NFL’s Saints. It also has deep roots in all things blues and jazz. There’s no better place to discover the best live music in the South than in The Big Easy. To help you plan for your next trip to NOLA, we’ve rounded up some of the best venues for concerts in New Orleans.

House of Blues New Orleans

Address: 225 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Box Office Hours: Tickets can be purchased in person starting two hours before showtime. On Fridays and Saturdays, the box office is open from 3 p.m. until necessary, or through the end of the show on event nights. On non-show Fridays and Saturdays, hours are at least 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The House of Blues is a must-see venue in the city. Located in the French Quarter, this is the place to celebrate live music in the Big Easy’s cultural epicenter. Acts like Jimmie Vaughan, Marcus Machado, Ocie Elliott, and the Psychedelic Furs, as well as a host of celebrated local talent have taken the stage at the NOLA House of Blues. Helpful tip: For most shows, if you spend $25 or more in the HOB restaurant, you’ll get a Pass the Line voucher for priority entrance.

Fillmore New Orleans

Address: 6 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Box Office Hours: Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Fillmore at Harrah’s Casino is modeled after the famed San Francisco Fillmore. Living up to its legacy, at The Fillmore in New Orleans you’ll see a variety of top acts like Third Eye Blind, Tenacious D, Ice Cube, The Flaming Lips, Phil Rosenthal, PJ Morton, Foo Fighters, Willie Nelson, Jason Isbell and Michael Franti & Spearhead, among others. Located less than a mile from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the Fillmore New Orleans has a capacity of 2,000.

The Joy Theater

Address: 1200 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
Box Office Hours: Open one hour before doors open on event days only.

The Joy Theater opened in downtown New Orleans in February of 1947. Named after its owner, Joy Houck, the building is now a historic landmark. It underwent major renovations in 2011 and 2019 to become the live entertainment staple it is today. With a seating capacity of 1,200, the Joy Theater provides a more intimate feel than other venues around the city. Its iconic marquee at the intersection of Canal and Rampart Street is a sight to behold when lit up at night. The Joy Theater has played host to a number of notable acts over the years, including Band of Horses, Broken Social Scene, Cardi B, Run the Jewels and more. Helpful tip: The Joy Theater is a 100% cashless venue.

Smoothie King Center

Address: 1501 Dave Dixon Drive, New Orleans, LA 70113
Box Office Hours: Open Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on event days.

The first-class Smoothie King Center sits adjacent to the Caesars Superdome (home of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints) in the city’s bustling Central Business District. Home to the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, the multipurpose arena has a concert capacity of 17,791. The venue sits on the 55-acre campus known as the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District. The Smoothie King Center has hosted concerts by iconic artists such as The Eagles, Shania Twain and Anita Baker,  and newer artists like Billie Eilish and Chris Stapleton. The arena has also hosted notable sporting events, including the 2008, 2014 and 2017 NBA All-Star Games and the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Tipitina’s 

 

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Address: 501 Napoleon Ave., New Orleans, LA 70115
Box Office Hours: Open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This famous uptown music hall has been a New Orleans fixture since it opened its doors in 1977. Originally known as “The 501 Club,” the venue adopted the name Tipitina’s in honor of the song written by Professor Longhair, one of the most revered rhythm and blues musicians in the history of New Orleans music. The structure was built in 1912, and at one point had a juice bar, restaurant and cocktail bar – the banana in the logo is a nod to the juice bar. In the early ’80s, local radio Station WWOZ would broadcast from one of the apartments above the building, often lowering a microphone into the club through a hole in the floor to carry Tipitina’s shows live. This historic venue has hosted acts like the North Mississippi Allstars, Trombone Shorty, Papadosio, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears and Cedric Burnside.