Great Venues for Live Music and Concerts in Connecticut Last Updated: August 2023

Theaters and Large Venues

With stadium-style arenas and theater spaces that offer a story and style as dramatic as the performances themselves, here are a few of Connecticut’s premier live music destinations.

• The Webster, Hartford
  Classic, art deco-style theater hosts live performers of every music genre, as well as theater, debates, dancing, movies, and more.
   
• Infinity Music Hall, Hartford
  The Hartford outpost of this popular Norfolk live music hall offers an intimate setting with great entertainment.
   
• Bushnell Performing Arts Center, Hartford
  Premiere performing arts center welcomes music performances, symphony orchestras, and theater of all varieties.
   
• XL Center, Hartford
  Multi-use arena in Hartford that serves as Connecticut’s largest, indoor sports and entertainment facility.
   
• Xfinity Theater, Hartford
  Popular indoor/outdoor amphitheater with a capacity of 7,500 people inside and over 22,000 on the lawn.
   
• Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Old Saybrook
  Known as "The Kate," this theater in a former town hall honors its namesake with the best performances in live music, dance, theater, and much more.
   
• Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford
  The Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre is a long-time Connecticut venue that hosts events large and small.
   
• Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk
  Award-winning, an intimate concert hall built in 1883 and hosting an average of 200 performances a year. 
   
• Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield
  Popular venue in a historic, re-imagined high school auditorium, attracting top-level performers in music, entertainment, and more.
   
• Warner Theater, Torrington
  Authentic, art deco-style movie theater converted into a mixed-use performing arts center.
   
• Palace Theater, Waterbury
  A historic theater hosting live concerts, children productions, and Broadway shows.
   
• Fairfield Theatre Company, Fairfield
  Live music, theater, and art performance destination in downtown Fairfield, offering live music performances in a unique warehouse setting.
   
• Palace Theatre, Stamford
  Premier regional arts center in a reclaimed 1,500-seat vaudeville house that attracts performers in music, theater, and comedy.
   
• The Bijou, Bridgeport
  Intimate performance venue that was once a ballroom and a movie theater that played silent films.
   
• Jorgensen Center, Storrs
  On the campus of the University of Connecticut, this theater presents internationally acclaimed artists and entertainers in comedy, music, dance, and theater.
   
• Garde Arts Center, New London
  Ornate vintage theater hosting concerts, comedy, opera, dance performances, theater productions, and film festivals.
   
• Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville
  Arena within Mohegan Sun Casino hosting entertainment headliners in music, comedy, and performance, as well as sporting events. 
   
• Fox Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket
  Large entertainment venue within Foxwoods Resort Casino offering live music, theater, and much more.
   

Concert Halls and Outdoor Spaces

Whether played in an acoustically-designed hall or outside under the stars, music fills the air in all different kinds of performance spaces in Connecticut. Most outdoor venues are seasonal.

• Simsbury Meadows, Simsbury
  The Hartford Symphony Orchestra calls Simsbury Meadows home in June and July when the Talcott Mountain Music Festival comes to Simsbury.
   
• Music Mountain, Falls Village
  The oldest continuing summer chamber music festival in the United States, Music Mountain presents jazz, a chamber music series, and choral concerts in its historic Gordon Hall.
   
• Woolsey Hall, New Haven
  Home to both the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and the Yale Symphony Orchestra, this 1901 auditorium is popular with students and music fans alike.
   
• Ives Concert Park, Danbury
  Danbury’s popular outdoor amphitheater offers concerts featuring rock and roll, jazz, blues, Motown, and classical music., as well as all kinds of music festivals. Be on the lookout for a 2022 reopening.
   
• Norwalk Concert Hall, Norwalk
  The home of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra, this beautiful and historic venue has excellent acoustic properties and is a perfect place to enjoy live music. 
   
• Levitt Pavilion for Performing Arts, Westport
  Located along the banks of the Saugatuck River in Westport, the Levitt invites concert-goers to bring picnics or lawn chairs for performances of every kind of music, movies, dance, and more.
   
• Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, Bridgeport
  A hallmark of the 5,700+ seat boutique amphitheater.
   
• Westville Music Bowl, New Haven
  An outdoor performing arts venue presenting national and local talent.

Bars, Clubs and Smaller Stages

Find a more intimate music experience at some of Connecticut’s smaller performance venues.

• Bridge Street Live, Collinsville
  A stunning, art-deco-styled venue in the historic town of Collinsville offering live music, award-winning comedy, and other uniquely sophisticated entertainment. 
   
• Arch Street Tavern, Hartford
  A venue built inside a turn of the 20th-century carriage factory, Arch Street Tavern is a popular live music venue that includes a restaurant and bar in the heart of Hartford.
   
• Black Eyed Sally’s, Hartford
  Enjoy live blues and jazz along with a side of the award-winning barbecue and New Orleans-style southern cooking at this Hartford landmark.
   
• College Street Music Hall, New Haven
  Located in the heart of downtown New Haven’s arts and entertainment district, CSMH is a hub scene as the hub for live music performance in New Haven.
   
• Toad’s Place, New Haven
  This longtime New Haven fixture is also one of the country’s premier music venues, attracting local bands and national touring performers alike.
   
• Firehouse 12, New Haven
  Award-winning bar, state-of-the-art recording studio, and unusually intimate music venue offering performances by some of the most, innovative and respected musicians today.
   
• Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center, Middletown
  Intimate live theater for musical and dance performances and poetry readings, with a coffee house, used book store, and art gallery.
   
• Park City Hall, Bridgeport
  This bar and music hall has been designed to create a uniquely intimate connection between artist and audience.
   
• Side Door Jazz Club, Old Lyme
  Tucked inside the Old Lyme Inn, the Side Door is an intimate jazz club where guests can spend their evenings listening to highly acclaimed world-renowned jazz musicians.
   
• Foxwoods Hard Rock Café, Mashantucket
  The Connecticut outpost of the legendary music bar and restaurant hosts live events and performances inside Foxwoods Resort Casino. 
   
• Mohegan Sun Wolf Den, Uncasville
  Located inside Mohegan Sun's Casino of the Earth, the Wolf Den offers full beverage service, a state-of-the-art sound system, intimate seating and performances by top entertainers.

Search for more great music and concert venues in Connecticut here.