Live Music Venues in St. Louis: Gateway to Great Music

St. Louis has a rich musical heritage from blues to rock to hip-hop. The Gateway City offers affordable venues, passionate audiences, and a scene that rewards authenticity. Here's your complete guide.

The St. Louis Music Scene

St. Louis gave us Chuck Berry, Nelly, and countless blues legends. Today's scene honors that heritage while embracing new sounds across genres.

Key Music Districts

The Loop (Delmar) University City's entertainment district with venues, restaurants, and the famous Walk of Fame.

Cherokee Street South city arts district with DIY spaces and diverse venues.

The Grove LGBTQ+-friendly neighborhood with bars and music venues.

Downtown/Washington Avenue Larger venues and the historic Fox Theatre.

Soulard Historic neighborhood known for blues and jazz.

Iconic St. Louis Venues

The Pageant

• Capacity: 2,300
• Genre: All genres
• The Vibe: The Loop's anchor venue. Excellent sound, diverse bookings, and a St. Louis institution.

Blueberry Hill

• Capacity: 340 (Duck Room)
• Genre: Rock, blues, roots
• The Vibe: Chuck Berry's home venue. Historic and essential.

Off Broadway

• Capacity: 400
• Genre: Indie, rock, Americana
• The Vibe: South city favorite with quality bookings and loyal following.

Delmar Hall

• Capacity: 750
• Genre: All genres
• The Vibe: The Pageant's smaller sibling. Perfect mid-size room.

The Ready Room

• Capacity: 800
• Genre: All genres
• The Vibe: The Grove venue with diverse programming.

Venues by Capacity

Small (Under 200)

• The Heavy Anchor (150 cap) - Punk, indie
• CBGB (100 cap) - DIY, punk
• Foam (100 cap) - Experimental, jazz
• Venice Cafe (150 cap) - Eclectic, local

Medium (200-800)

• Blueberry Hill (340 cap) - Rock, blues
• Off Broadway (400 cap) - Indie, rock
• Delmar Hall (750 cap) - All genres
• The Ready Room (800 cap) - All genres

Large (800+)

• The Pageant (2,300 cap) - All genres
• The Fox Theatre (4,500 cap) - All genres
• Chaifetz Arena (10,600 cap) - Major acts
• Enterprise Center (19,000 cap) - Major tours

How to Book St. Louis Venues

For Emerging Artists

1. Start at Off Broadway or Heavy Anchor - Both welcome emerging acts
2. Embrace the blues heritage - St. Louis audiences appreciate roots music
3. Build Midwest routing - St. Louis connects to Kansas City, Chicago, Nashville
4. Be authentic - Pretension doesn't play well here

For Touring Artists

1. Book The Pageant - One of the Midwest's best venues
2. Don't skip St. Louis - The market is underrated
3. Consider The Loop - Walkable district with multiple venues
4. Respect the history - Chuck Berry's city takes music seriously

Explore More Venues

This guide is brought to you by Venue Pulse—free venue management software for live music venues. We create these city guides to help artists, bookers, and venues connect.

For artists looking to book tours, check out Band Voyage—our AI-powered platform that helps you plan and book your next tour.

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