A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. Opera houses, bandshells, and concert halls host classical music performances, whereas public houses ("pubs"), nightclubs, and discothèques offer music in contemporary genres, such as rock, dance, country, and pop.
The Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall is an example of a large indoor classical music venue. It is home of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The rest of the building contains other amenities common at such music venues, such as cafés, restaurants, bars, and retail outlets.
The annual Dance Valley dance music festival in Spaarnwoude, Netherlands. Such music festivals typically include a large temporary stage, are held outdoors, and include other attractions such as food, performance art, and other social activities.
The Theatre of Dionysus in Athens. Greek tragedies often featured choral music performed on-stage.
A bandstand is an example of a small outdoor venue. Bandstands are typically circular or semicircular structures that accommodate musical bands performing outdoor concerts, providing shelter from the weather for the musicians.
A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety and size of settings, from private houses and small nightclubs, dedicated concert halls, amphitheatres and parks, to large multipurpose buildings, such as arenas and stadiums. Indoor concerts held in the largest venues are sometimes called arena concerts or amphitheatre concerts. Informal names for a concert include show and gig.
A music group performing at the open-air Dülmener Sommer concert in Germany, 2018
Concert, by Italian baroque artist Bernardo Strozzi (circa 1630/1631)
A big band concert in Lappeenranta, Finland
A theatrical concert at Paris in 2023
