There are about 20 quality music venues in New Orleans that are larger music first venues and not just bars that have live music. There are plenty of bars in the Big Easy that have quality live music, and few in the gray area have made our list of favoriets.
Big Act Venues
Jazz Fest is held at the fairgrounds each year, so it’s sort of a music venue of New Orleans. It’s the only major festival in nola held at the racetrack.
Lafayette Square – Home to Wednesday at the square. Free local bads located just outside the quarter in the CBD.
There are a few shows in the Superdome and Pelican’s stadium each year, with some big acts like Widepread Panic playing in Lakeway at the UNO basketball arean.
Voodoo fest is held in City Park, and is the only festival scale show in City Park.
French Quarter Fest is held all over the Quarter with the bigger stagesset up on the Levy.
Uptown
Titiatenoa Uptown -Some decent size acts can pack this legit sized small venue. Much larger than Maple leaf, Carrollton Station, Le Bon Temp. While Rock an Bowl is good sized as well, there is a bowling alley inside the joint.
- Maple Leaf Bar
- Rock and Bowl
- Carrollton Station
- Le Bon Temps Roule
Downtown\French Quarter
House of Blues – Largest Indoor Venue in the Quarter. Gets big name acts and cool shows. A few blocks off of Bourbon next to the River.
Howlin Wolf Located just outside the quarter in the warehouse district. Nice size music venue warehouse space that is popular with the locals.
Preservation Hall The famous jazz Hall in the Quarter
Frenchman St.
The heart of the nightly music scene in New Orleans. Located just a few blocks off of Esplanade and Bourbon, Frenchman is home to a handful of music clubs that are part time bars, unlike most of the other venues on this list. It’s a scene and a popular destination for the locals.
- Blue Nile
- Snug Harbor
- D.b.a
- The Spotted Cat
- Hi-Ho Lounge
- The Apple Barrel
- Checkpoint Charlies
Other
Kermit’s Treme Mother-in-law Lounge
The New Orleans Music Sceen
History of Jazz Music in New Orleans
