Live-music venues worth the trip in Lexington, Kentucky

The CommonSpirit Health Stage is the outdoor stage of Gatton Park on the Town Branch, a Manchester Street park in Lexington, and its own site says it hosts everything “From big-name concerts and cultural festivals to neighborhood performances and local talent nights”.

Rupp Arena is the arena inside Lexington’s Central Bank Center on West Vine Street, and its own site says it “regularly hosts world-class concert tours, family shows and big ticket sporting events” alongside University of Kentucky basketball.

Manchester Music Hall is a Lexington concert hall in a converted Old Tarr Distillery bourbon warehouse on Manchester Street, and its own site calls it “Lexington’s space for music lovers, community, and everything in between” and tells visitors to “See world class musicians in Lexington”.

Moondance Amphitheater is a city-run lawn amphitheater on Monarch Street in Lexington, and its operator’s site says it “offers live music and community events featuring local, regional and national talent.”

The Kentucky Theatre is a historic cinema on East Main Street in Lexington that is the home of the Troubadour Concert Series, and its own site says to “Look for amazing concerts in this historic venue all year long.”

The Burl is a Lexington music club in a former loading dock on Thompson Road, and its own site calls it “a cornerstone of connection, creativity, and live music in Kentucky” with “both intimate indoor performances and a spacious outdoor stage”.

Austin City Saloon is a country music room on Woodhill Drive in Lexington whose stage has hosted country acts since 1981, and its own site bills it as “Kentucky’s Home For Live Country”.

The Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center is a historic Chitlin’ Circuit theater on East Third Street in Lexington, and its own site says that today it is “a working institution for concerts, theatre, dance, film”.

Tin Roof is a Lexington bar on South Limestone that books live bands, and its own site says it is “about giving musicians a place to play and a place to hang when they aren’t on stage.”