Live Music Venues in Los Angeles
LA's live music scene spans from intimate clubs like The Troubadour ($20-50) and Largo ($25-45) to outdoor venues like the Hollywood Bowl ($1-200+). The Bowl allows picnics and BYO wine.
11 places · 2 free · Updated Oct 2026
17,500 seats under the stars. LA Philharmonic summer season, pop concerts, film screenings. Picnicking before shows is half the experience. 50,000 free tickets and 50,000 $1 tickets released each season -- half of all tickets are $48 or under.
500-capacity club that has shaped pop culture since 1957. Elton John, James Taylor, and Tom Waits all played early career-defining sets here. Standing room, good sightlines from almost anywhere in the room.
280 seats. Comedy, music, spoken word, film -- sometimes all in one night. Jon Brion's Friday residency is legendary. A-list comedians drop in unannounced. Popular shows sell out within hours of going on sale.
Improv, sketch, and stand-up seven nights a week for $5-$12. No drink minimum. Founded by Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser. Franklin Ave is UCB's only remaining LA venue -- small, scrappy, consistently hilarious.
LA's oldest bowling alley, from 1927. Beautifully restored original woodwork, eight lanes, a full Italian restaurant, and craft cocktails. Feels more like a speakeasy than a bowling alley. All ages before 8pm. Reserve on weekends or you won't get a lane.
12-acre DTLA park with free programming year-round. Grand Performances summer concerts (June-August), Sunday Sessions dance parties, lunchtime Wednesday concerts at 12:30pm, and major holiday events including NYELA. No tickets -- just show up.
The Lab at Hollywood Improv is a 50-120 seat black-box space for experimental stand-up, improv, sketch, music, and variety shows. More adventurous programming than the main room. $10-20 tickets, no drink minimum. The main Improv next door has bigger names at higher prices.
Always free admission. Contemporary art exhibitions, film screenings, talks, and live music events on the UCLA campus in Westwood. The courtyard hosts free Thursday night concerts in summer. Smaller than the Getty or LACMA but more focused, and you never have to worry about the cost.
A restored 1920s vaudeville theater in Los Feliz hosting comedy, live music, podcast tapings, drag shows, and community events. 500 capacity with table seating and a bar. The programming is eclectic -- you might see a touring comedian one night and a drag brunch the next. Tickets vary by show.
Two-venue complex in Echo Park. The Echo (350 capacity upstairs) books indie rock, electronic, and Latin acts. The Echoplex (800 capacity downstairs) takes bigger shows and dance nights. Funky Sole on Saturday and Dub Club on Wednesday are long-running weekly parties. One of the most important indie venues in LA.
Disney runs this 1926 movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. First-run Disney, Pixar, and Marvel films with live pre-shows, 4D effects, themed photo ops, and occasional character appearances. Not like any other movie theater. All ages.