Birmingham, Alabama is known for its lively music scene. As the largest city in Alabama, Birmingham attracts major touring acts and has a thriving local music community. From rock and country to jazz and blues, there are concerts happening almost every night in various venues around the city. Here are some of the main places to catch live music in Birmingham.
Major Concert Venues
For big-name touring acts, Birmingham has several mid-sized and large venues that attract national rock, pop, hip-hop, and country artists. The main venues for major concerts in Birmingham include:
- Legacy Arena – Part of the BJCC complex, this 15,000 capacity arena hosts the biggest concerts in Birmingham from major touring acts. Genres range from rock to pop to country.
- Oak Mountain Amphitheatre – This open-air amphitheatre can hold up to 20,000 people and attracts big rock, country, and pop acts during the spring and summer months.
- Alabama Theatre – This historic 2,100 seat theater, located downtown, hosts concerts across genres, from classic rock bands to indie folk artists.
- Boutwell Auditorium – As the largest indoor venue in Birmingham, this spot can accommodate up to 3,000 people and often hosts major R&B, country, and rock concerts.
For those looking to catch a concert from a well-known national touring act like country stars Luke Bryan or Jason Aldean, rock groups like Counting Crows or 311, or pop artists like P!nk or Halsey, these large venues will be your best bet to find major shows coming through Birmingham.
Smaller Music Venues
In addition to the big concert halls, Birmingham has a thriving local music scene, with tons of more intimate venues that host live music on a nightly basis from local bands and smaller national touring acts across many genres. Here are some of the top spots to catch a show from up-and-coming bands or local musicians:
- Zydeco – This popular club features live music 7 nights a week across genres like blues, funk, jazz, zydeco, rock, and more. It can accommodate around 500 people.
- The Nick – One of the top spots to see rock, indie, punk, metal and other guitar-driven bands that attracts rising regional and national acts. Capacity is 700.
- Saturn – Focusing on indie, alternative rock, and electronic music, this midsize venue draws underground artists and has a capacity around 500.
- Perfect Note – Great spot to catch local and regional jazz, blues and funk artists in an intimate setting.
These smaller venues are scattered across neighborhoods like Five Points, Lakeview, and Avondale. They each have their own unique vibe andTypes of music so you can find anything from gritty punk rock to smooth blues or jazzy funk on any given night.
DIY and Nontraditional Venues
In addition to clubs and theaters, Birmingham has a thriving DIY music community that utilizes some more unique and underground spaces for one-off shows and events. Some spots to keep an eye out for indie, experimental, and underground shows include:
- Firehouse – Community center and rehearsal space that hosts punk, metal and indie shows in its performance space
- Spring Street Firehouse – Another community center focused more on experimental, improv, electronic, and avant garde performances
- Seasick Records – Record store that hosts in-house shows across genres in the evenings from rock to Americana
- The Ridge – Nature education center that once a month turns into a concert space, focused on psychedelic, folk and experimental acts.
These nontraditional venues give Birmingham’s music scene a raw, grassroots feel and are perfect to discover up-and-coming local artists or experience unconventional performances.
Music Festivals and Events
In addition to regularly scheduled concerts, Birmingham is host to a few annual music festivals that bring the community together around live music. The city’s biggest music festivals include:
- Magic City Blues Fest – Three day blues music festival held in August with local and national blues acts performing downtown.
- Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival – Free two day jazz festival along 4th Avenue North held in September, with local jazz, funk, and blues bands.
- Secret Stages Music Discovery Festival – Two day indie music festival featuring primarily Alabama based bands, held in August at multiple small venues downtown. Great for discovering local talent.
These festivals are the perfect chance to spend a weekend enjoying some great live music from a range of talented acts, both local legends and those traveling through. The community spirit and excitement around these events is palpable, as music fans from all across Alabama flock to Birmingham to celebrate live music together.
How to Stay on Top of the Local Music Scene
To find out about upcoming concerts, touring schedules, and new local artists, there are a few good resources to help you stay tuned into the Birmingham music scene:
- Follow local venues on social media – Most venues promote their upcoming shows through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Following a few favorites is an easy way to know who’s coming up.
- Check alt-weekly calendars – Birmingham’s weekly newspapers, the Birmingham Weekly and Birmingham Magazine, provide updated calendars of live music happening around town.
- Listen to local radio – Tune into local radio stations like Birmingham Mountain Radio and Alt 95.7 which highlight local bands and concerts.
- See a show – Once you experience some live local music firsthand, chatting with people at shows is a great way to find out about other happenings around town through word of mouth.
The vibrant music scene in Birmingham means there is always great live music happening somewhere in town. Big venues bring major national tours through while smaller clubs showcase the city’s emerging talent seven nights a week. Music festivals pack the calendar with entire weekends of live acts. And DIY spaces add an experimental underground element. Whether your taste runs toward rock, blues, country or indie, Birmingham has a concert option to dance, groove or head bang to.
Major Concert and Event Venues in Birmingham, Alabama
Here is a table summarizing some of the key details on Birmingham’s major concert and event venues:
Venue | Type | Capacity | Notable Performers |
---|---|---|---|
Legacy Arena | Arena | 15,000 | Ariana Grande, Elton John, Kanye West |
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | Outdoor Amphitheatre | 20,000 | Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney |
Alabama Theatre | Historic Theater | 2,100 | Boz Scaggs, Levon Helm, Steve Earle |
Boutwell Auditorium | Auditorium | 3,000 | Wu-Tang Clan, Merle Haggard, Skillet |
BJCC Concert Hall | Concert Hall | 2,500 | Los Lobos, John Hiatt, Coheed and Cambria |
Zydeco | Club | 500 | Local and regional acts nightly |
The Nick | Club | 700 | Local and regional rock/indie/metal acts |
Saturn | Club | 500 | Local and regional indie/electronic acts |
Smaller Clubs Showcase Local Talent
While the large concert halls bring big name touring acts to Birmingham, some of the best live music experiences can be had at the city’s smaller local venues that showcase emerging local talent almost every night across genres like blues, jazz, rock, metal, indie, funk and more. Intimate venues like Perfect Note, the Nick, and Zydeco have live music calendars packed with variety and fresh new artists that music lovers adore discovering.
Seasonal Differences
Birmingham has a lively concert scene all year round, but the warmer months definitely pack the calendar even more. Large outdoor venues like Oak Mountain Amphitheatre are mostly active during the warmer months and draw huge classic rock, pop, and country acts. Several music festivals also take advantage of Birmingham’s mild winters and warm summers to bring communities together around live outdoor music in city parks and neighborhoods.
Something for Every Music Lover
From honky tonk country to down home delta blues, ominous punk metal to freewheeling jazz improv, Birmingham has a vibrant music scene that all music lovers can appreciate. Big acts roll through its historic theaters on national tours while local talents keep the intimate club stages bustling with fresh creativity. Music is woven into the cultural fabric of Alabama’s largest city. So whether your taste runs alt-rock or Americana, blues or funk, a quick glance at Birmingham’s concert calendar promises you’ll find something that hits the right note.