Omaha is home to a thriving music scene, with concerts held at various venues across the city. From large arena shows to more intimate club settings, there are plenty of great places to catch live music in Omaha. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the main concert venues in Omaha and the types of shows they host. Whether you’re a fan of rock, country, jazz or indie music, you’ll find a venue perfect for your tastes.
Major Concert Venues in Omaha
Some of the main large concert venues in Omaha include:
CHI Health Center Omaha
The CHI Health Center Omaha is the largest indoor arena in the state, with a capacity of more than 17,000. It hosts major touring concerts, family shows, and sporting events. Musicians who have performed at the arena include Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Elton John, The Eagles, and many more. The venue offers premium seating options as well as general admission.
Holland Performing Arts Center
Located in downtown Omaha, the Holland Center includes a concert hall with excellent acoustics that can seat over 2000 people. It is home to the Omaha Symphony and also hosts performances by famous classical, jazz, folk, and pop artists. The intimate setting makes it a great place to see concerts.
Ralston Arena
With a capacity of about 7,000, the Ralston Arena hosts many mainstream rock and country concerts. National touring acts like Eric Church, Bob Seger, and Five Finger Death Punch have played here. The arena’s size makes it a good spot for those larger shows that may not require a venue as big as CHI Health Center.
Stirling Point
Adjacent to the CHI Health Center Omaha, Stir Concert Cove can accommodate around 3,000 people. It gets some of the summer package tours and classic rock bands touring through the Midwest. Stir is an outdoor covered venue, so shows go on rain or shine.
Mid-Sized Music Venues
In addition to the major large venues, Omaha has some excellent mid-sized theaters and clubs with capacities of 500-1000 where you can see concerts in a more intimate setting:
The Slowdown
With a capacity of around 700, The Slowdown is a popular mid-sized venue located in North Downtown. They bring in an eclectic mix of alternative, rock, indie, Americana, and blues acts from across the country. The venue has a nice bar and restaurant attached.
The Waiting Room
Another fixture of Omaha’s indie music scene is The Waiting Room in Benson. They can hold around 250 people. Besides rock concerts, they also host comedy shows. The Waiting Room has helped launch local artists and brings in underground bands on their way up.
The Admiral Theater
First opened in 1931, the historic Admiral Theater in West Omaha has been renovated but still retains its art deco charm. The capacity is about 700-800. National acts across genres perform at The Admiral, including rock bands, alt-country artists, rappers, and pop singers.
Reverb Lounge
Reverb Lounge in Benson can accommodate around 250 people. They bring in local and independent acts spanning rock, punk, metal, alternative, and indie. Reverb has a lively bar with 16 rotating taps of craft beer. It’s a great place to discover new bands.
The Down Under Lounge
For an intimate concert experience, check out shows at The Down Under Lounge in Benson. They can fit around 125 people. The subterranean venue gets Americana artists, indie rock bands, blues musicians, and local singer-songwriters. The cozy atmosphere makes you feel close to the performers.
Outdoor Venues
During the warmer months, Omaha has some good outdoor concert venues where you can enjoy live music:
Falconwood Park
This Bellevue city park has an amphitheater that seats around 1,500 people. They host a summer concert series with tribute bands and performers covering classic rock, pop, and country hits. The large grass area is perfect for lawn seating.
Sumtur Amphitheater
Located by the Centris Convention Center in Papillion, the Sumtur Amphitheater can accommodate crowds of 5000-6000. National touring acts make stops here in the summer months, spanning rock, country, pop, and comedy acts. It’s a nice outdoor venue just outside Omaha.
Aksarben Village
The 67th & Center area called Aksarben Village has an outdoor stage used for concerts and events during warmer weather. While it doesn’t have fixed seating, the plaza can hold a few thousand standing room attendees. They get pop, rock, country, and oldies shows.
Harrah’s Council Bluffs – Stir Cove
The Stir Cove outdoor amphitheater next to the Harrah’s Casino can fit around 4,000 fans. They host major country music tours each summer, along with classic rock, comedy acts, and more. There’s stadium-style seating plus a general admission lawn area.
Smaller Clubs for Local Bands
For a more low-key vibe focused on local bands and artists, some good small music venues in Omaha include:
O’Leaver’s Pub
O’Leaver’s in Benson is a beloved dive bar that also happens to be one of the best places to catch local underground bands in Omaha. With a capacity under 100, this tiny venue packs ’em in for punk, indie rock, and experimental shows.
Lookout Lounge
Another intimate spot to see local and regional bands is the Lookout Lounge, located beneath Burke’s Pub in Benson. They can hold around 80-100 people. The funky venue gets a lot of blues, rockabilly, alt-country, and indie groups.
Pageturners Lounge
Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall, Pageturners offers a cozy venue for local alternative, indie, punk, and metal bands. They have room for under 100 music fans. It’s a cool little spot for checking out new Omaha talent.
Barley Street Tavern
While Barley Street books some touring bands, they are best known as a place for local rock, blues, and cover bands to hone their chops. The dive bar vibe and small corner stage make it a laid-back place to catch a show.
Jazz Clubs
For jazz aficionados, Omaha has a couple nice intimate clubs dedicated to showcasing local talent and bringing in acclaimed jazz musicians:
The Jewell
Tucked away beneath The Durham Museum, The Jewell offers refined jazz club with seating for 150 people. The sight lines and acoustics are excellent. They get leading jazz performers from across the country for special engagements.
The Zoo Bar
The Zoo Bar in Lincoln has offered live blues almost every night for 50 years. While blues is their specialty, they also book jazz combos in the intimate 100-person space. It’s a landmark Nebraska venue for great American music.
Colleges and Theaters
Some other Omaha venues that occasionally host concerts include:
University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO)
The University of Nebraska Omaha sometimes opens its venues like the Strauss Performing Arts Center or Sapp Fieldhouse to public concerts featuring prominent artists. Acts like Smokey Robinson, Kris Kristofferson, and Big & Rich have played UNO.
Creighton University
Over at Creighton University, shows are sometimes booked at the intimate Lied Education Center for the Arts recital hall or the larger Harper Center. Jazz and classical performances are common.
Orpheum Theater
Downtown’s Orpheum Theater mainly hosts Broadway shows and the Omaha Symphony. But music artists like Jackson Browne, Leslie Odom Jr., and Schoolboy Q have taken the Orpheum stage for special concerts.
Holland Performing Arts Center
While primarily a venue for the Omaha Symphony and touring theater productions, the Holland Center occasionally welcomes musicians ranging from Kenny G to Ben Folds for one-off concerts in their main concert hall.
Festivals
Omaha also hosts some great outdoor music festivals throughout the year:
Maha Music Festival
The annual Maha Music Festival takes place each summer in Stinson Park downtown. Recent headliners have included The Flaming Lips, Run the Jewels, Courtney Barnett, and CHVRCHES. They get indie, alternative, and electronic acts.
Shakespeare on the Green
This summer festival organized by the Omaha Shakespeare company features live music, theater, food, and family activities in Elmwood Park. The music lineup highlights local bands.
Benson Days
Benson Days is a street festival celebrating Omaha’s funky Benson neighborhood. Multiple stages feature dozens of local rock, blues, jazz, and roots bands across two days in June.
Bayliss Park Concert Series
Council Bluffs’ Bayliss Park hosts a summer concert series with performances on Sunday evenings. The lineup includes local and regional bands covering classic rock, country, blues, and more.
Notable Local Bands
Some of the popular local bands that regularly perform in Omaha’s venues include:
The Faint
Formed in Omaha in the 1990s, The Faint gained national attention for their synth-heavy dance punk sound. Though they tour internationally now, they still play hometown shows.
Conchance
This funky brass band mixes R&B, soul, jazz, and hip hop into high-energy live shows. They are festival favorites across the region.
So-So Sailors
Led by brothers Chris and Andy Stepanek, So-So Sailors have become an Oak indie-folk fixture thanks to their lush harmonies and heartfelt songwriting.
Both
For a dose of indie rock with an emo tinge, don’t miss Both. Fronted by Kara Loo and Mitch McCarthy, their cathartic songs connect with Omaha audiences.
Boom Chick
This all-female quintet brings a dance party wherever they perform with their distinctive brand of roots rock, Americana, and country soul.
Conclusion
Omaha offers concert options for just about every musical taste, from large arena shows to intimate clubs shows by local bands. For big national tours, you can catch acts at venues like CHI Health Center Omaha, Ralston Arena, and Stir Concert Cove. For indie, rock, jazz, blues, and alt-country, check out great mid-sized spots like The Waiting Room, The Slowdown, and Reverb Lounge. Smaller dive bars like O’Leaver’s, The Jewell, and Zoo Bar are the places to discover up-and-coming local talent. Outdoor festivals held in parks and neighborhoods across Omaha are also a great way to sample local and regional musicians. With this variety of venues, there are always great concerts happening in Omaha for new and established artists covering all genres.