Live-music venues worth the trip in New Orleans, Louisiana

Caesars Superdome is the domed stadium on Sugar Bowl Drive in New Orleans, and it hosts the evening concerts of the annual ESSENCE Festival of Culture.

Champions Square is an outdoor amphitheater on LaSalle Street beside Caesars Superdome in New Orleans that opened in 2010, and its own site lists it among the city’s entertainment venues “for corporate events, festivals and concerts”.

Lakefront Arena is the university arena on Franklin Avenue in New Orleans, and its own site says it “has set the standard in the metro-New Orleans area in providing a venue for sports and concerts.”

The Orpheum Theater is a theater on Roosevelt Way in downtown New Orleans that dates to 1921, and its own site says it “is renowned for concerts, comedy shows, weddings, seminars, movie premieres, Mardi Gras balls, and galas”.

The Broadside is an indoor and outdoor venue on North Broad Avenue in New Orleans with “two stages, two bars, and a full-service sit-down restaurant”, and its own site says it hosts “free and ticketed concerts”.

The Fillmore New Orleans is a concert hall on Canal Street in New Orleans that its own site calls “the perfect blend of rock and elegance, both classic and cutting edge”, and its operator’s venue page says “Since 2019, it’s been a home for unforgettable live music”.

Tipitina’s is a music club in Uptown New Orleans that opened in 1977 and hosts concerts, and its own site calls it “a world famous music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street”.

House of Blues New Orleans is a Live Nation concert club on Decatur Street in New Orleans that hosts concerts in its Music Hall, which its own site says is “General Admission Standing Room Only”.

The Joy Theater, which opened on Canal Street in 1947, is a New Orleans concert hall that holds 1,200 people, and its own site says it “now serves as a staple of New Orleans’ burgeoning music and arts scene”.

Republic NOLA is a concert venue on South Peters Street in the Arts/Warehouse District of New Orleans set in “a historic warehouse that has been revived with modern amenities”, and its own site says “live shows featuring local talent and national/international tours with renowned headliners of every genre dominate the calendar”.

The Civic is a theater on O’Keefe Avenue in New Orleans’ Central Business District that its own site calls “A historic theatre with a pioneering design & sound”, and it hosts concerts and events. The Civic “is all-ages, all the time!” unless a show notes otherwise.

The Howlin’ Wolf is a music club on South Peters Street in the Warehouse District of New Orleans with a main room and The Den, which its own site says “hosts a wide variety of events from concerts, to arts showcases, movie screenings, and comedy”. The club calls itself “A New Orleans Institution Since 1988”.

The Blue Nile is a music club on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans that its own site calls “the original music club that gave birth to the music culture on Frenchmen Street”, and it hosts “funk, blues, soul, and brass shows, featuring local, national and international acts”. Entry is limited to guests 21 and older.

Chickie Wah Wah is a New Orleans music club, and its own site calls it “an intimate music bar located on Canal Street in Mid-City that proudly presents local music of all sounds as well as special curated performances by touring artists”.

D.B.A. is a bar and music club on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans that opened in April 2000 and hosts live music, and its own site sums it up as “LEGENDARY”, “LIVE MUSIC” and “LIBATIONS”.

Kermit’s Treme Mother-in-Law Lounge is a bar on North Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans that was revived under its current name in 2014, and its own site calls it “Part live-music haven, part neighborhood pub, part shrine to the soul of this beautiful city”.

Maple Leaf Bar is a music bar on Oak Street in New Orleans, and its own site calls it “a neighborhood watering hole located on the funky Oak Street corridor, way uptown” and “host to live music 7 nights a week for most of its existence.”

The Music Box Village is New Orleans Airlift’s “outdoor sonic sculpture garden” on North Rampart Street in New Orleans, and its own site describes it as “both an interactive art-site and a performance platform for one-of-a-kind concerts, artist residencies, and interdisciplinary works”.

Preservation Hall is a jazz hall on Saint Peter Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans that bills itself as “TRADITIONAL NEW ORLEANS JAZZ SINCE 1961”, and its own site says, “We’re open nightly for live performances.” It is “proud to be an all ages venue”.

Rock’n’Bowl is a bowling alley and music venue on South Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans that books live bands listed under “New Orleans LIVE MUSIC” on its own site, which says it “had become a recognized part of the New Orleans music scene by 1993”. Under-18 guests need a parent or guardian with them.

Snug Harbor is a jazz bistro on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, and its own site says it “features music 7 nights a week, primarily New Orleans modern jazz” in a music room where “limited cabaret type seating guarantees an intimate musical experience”. It admits guests 13 and older, and anyone under 18 must come with a parent, guardian or teacher.

The Spotted Cat Music Club is a jazz club on Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny, and its own site calls it “THE QUINTESSENTIAL JAZZ CLUB OF NEW ORLEANS” and “the local favorite for live New Orleans music ranging from Traditional and Modern Jazz, Blues, Funk, Klezmer, and so much more”. Only guests 21 or older get in.

30/90 is a bar and restaurant on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans whose name comes from the city’s nautical coordinates. Its own site promises “a broad spectrum of local and international talent” and says, “We’ve got live music, great food, excellent drinks, and room to dance.”

The Apple Barrel Bar is a small bar on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, below Adolfo’s Restaurant, that its own site pitches as “an offbeat, intimate bar” for drinks and “live music, seven nights a week”. Entry is 21 and over.

Bacchanal is a wine bar with a backyard on Poland Avenue in New Orleans, and its own site invites guests on fall weekends to “enjoy wine all afternoon in the yard while listening to live music”. Everyone must show ID proving they are 21 or older.

Bamboula’s is a bar and restaurant on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, and its own site promises “LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY” with “NEVER A COVER CHARGE”.

Bayou Bar is the bar at The Pontchartrain Hotel in the Garden District of New Orleans, and its own site says it is “renowned for its exceptional jazz program” with musicians who “perform Tuesday-Saturday.”

Bourbon O Bar, the Bourbon Orleans Hotel’s bar in the French Quarter, is billed on its own site as a “Bourbon Street Bar With Live Music” and “A gathering place for local artists from every corner of the city” where guests can drink “while enjoying nightly entertainment”. It is 21 and over only.

Buffa’s Bar & Restaurant is a bar on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans that its own site places “On the Border of the Quarter since 1939”, with shows in its Back Room, and it is “Open for live music 7 nights a week!”

Cafe Istanbul is a performance venue on St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans that its own site calls “A beautiful, great-sounding performance venue that is home to musicians, actors, poets, and other artists”. Each year during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which it is not affiliated with, it hosts nighttime concerts.

Cafe Negril is a bar on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans that its own site calls “a live-music venue rooted in the heart of New Orleans’ music culture”. Only guests 21 or older are admitted.

The Carousel Bar & Lounge is the rotating bar inside Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street in New Orleans, and its own site says it “started spinning in 1949” and offers “live music seven nights a week”.

Crescent City Brewhouse is a microbrewery and restaurant on Decatur Street in the French Quarter, and its own site invites guests to “listen to live jazz nightly from local musicians”.

Dos Jefes Uptown Cigar Bar is a cigar bar on Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans whose own site promotes “Live Jazz” at the bar and promises “Never a Cover Charge”.

The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music is a nonprofit music center on Bartholomew Street in New Orleans whose own site lists “live concerts” among its services and calls its performance hall “a true listening room” that is “exclusively dedicated to the enjoyment of music in an acoustically pristine environment”.

Fritzel’s European Jazz Club is a jazz bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, founded in 1969, where its own site promotes “Live Jazz” and calls the club “a mecca for jazz lovers and musicians alike” and the “Home of traditional New Orleans jazz”.

Good Measure is a small music room inside The Barnett hotel on Carondelet Street in New Orleans, and its own site calls it “a cozy venue for live music, art, and connection”.

Le Bon Temps Roule is a bar on Magazine Street in New Orleans, and its own site calls it “an iconic bar in Uptown New Orleans that features live music, billiards” and more.

Maison Bourbon is a jazz club on Bourbon Street in New Orleans that its own site calls “One of Bourbon Street’s oldest live Jazz clubs”, where visitors come “expecting to be entertained by non-stop authentic jazz”.

The New Orleans Jazz Museum occupies the former U.S. Mint on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans, and its own site says that alongside exhibits it presents “engaging musical performances”, including recurring concerts under the title Gallatin Street Fridays.

The Old Point Bar is a bar on Patterson Street in Algiers Point, “just minutes from the French Quarter by ferry”, and its own site promises “Cold beer, live music and hot times!”

Santos Bar is a club on Decatur Street in New Orleans that its own site describes as “a Rock and Roll live music venue birthed from the womb of The Saint Bar & Lounge”.

Siberia is a bar and music room on St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans that its own site calls “A New Orleans bar and home to metal, punk, indie, and underground music”. It hosts live shows, and its own site says “ALL SHOWS ARE 21+ UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED”.

The Jazz Playhouse is a jazz club inside the Royal Sonesta New Orleans on Bourbon Street, and its own site promises “the soul-stirring magic of live jazz” in “an intimate setting”. It admits only guests 21 and over.

The Maison is a three-level music venue and restaurant on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, and its own site says, “We are open every day of the week, and we have live music on the stage every moment we are open!”

The Polo Club is a lounge on the second floor of The Windsor Court hotel on Gravier Street in New Orleans, and its own site says it has live music “every single night”, with jazz piano each evening and a band late on Friday and Saturday nights.