Live music venues are a must for Orange County. The culturally diverse area has churned out unforgettable musical acts and entire genres of new music, and surf rock sounds from legends like Dick Dale and the Beach Boys gave new life to the Orange County surf scene.
In the 1970s, the punk movement birthed iconic bands like Agent Orange, The Vandals, and Social Distortion. The 1990s gave us the Offspring and No Doubt. Recent success stories like Avenged Sevenfold from Huntington Beach prove that Orange County is still a musical powerhouse.
Whether you’re looking to catch some of Orange County’s local acts or headlining tours, Orange County live music venues can help you get your next concert fix.
Here are the live music venues in the OC plus the many restaurants and bars that feature live music.
The Observatory and The Constellation Room Orange County
This small-scale venue with stellar sound is the perfect place to see both big names and up-and-comers and there isn’t a bad view in the house. Originally this location was the Galaxy Concert Theatre, but a 2011 reno transformed it into a two-room live-show powerhouse.
The calendar features performances from varying genres including DJ’s, EDM, indie bands and more well-known acts like the Dickies, The Distillers, KRS-One, Wiz Khalifa, and MGMT. Panic! At the Disco performed two sold out pop up shows here with just two days’ notice, so keep an eye on the calendar.
The Observatory features the main stage for bigger shows with a bar, a few tables available for reservation in the rear of the venue, and stadium-style seating. The remaining area is standing room only and a second level offers an aerial view. The Constellation Room is a smaller, more intimate setting and no permanent seating. Check the website for venue information and upcoming events. – 3503 South Harbor Boulevard, Santa Ana
House of Blues
The House of Blues is an old standard. If you haven’t been…Go. Voted Best Live Music Venue, there are several performance spaces in a single destination here so multiple shows and events often take place at the same time, and the restaurant kicks out delicious dishes until the lights go down.
The House of Blues calendar consistently features a must-see lineup of incredible talent including ZZ Top, Blue October, Blackalicious, Jonny Lang, and Santana.
The Foundation Room’s lounge-like setting hosts pre-show parties, Local Vocals events, Hip-Hop Nights and exclusive Foundation Room VIP Club Member events. The Parish is set up for intimate performances and private events. The HOB Music Hall is a larger space to showcase the biggest concerts in the house. Here you’ll find two floors with multiple bars, VIP boxes, mezzanine seating, and a state-of-the-art sound system for the ultimate live music experience.
HOB offers daily happy hour during the week, karaoke with a live band, and the World Famous Gospel Brunch on select Sundays. Check the House of Blues Anaheim at GardenWalk website for upcoming events. – 400 West Disney Way #337, Anaheim
The Outpost
The newest live entertainment venue in Orange County, The Outpost is located in San Juan Capistrano at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park. The new outdoor venue hosts concerts, festivals, sports, corporate parties, and all kinds of live events in the beautiful park setting. Great local food vendors, full bar available, and games & activities at every event. Since opening, The Outpost has hosted a variety of events including Missionfest and Winterscape Festival of Trees, and upcoming headliners include Nelly and Walker Hayes.
The unique characteristics of The Outpost provide natural amenities like an elevated VIP lounge and an expansive area for games and activities. The soft summer ocean breezes and surrounding rolling hills create a scenic landscape and they’re ideal for the acoustics.
The flexible venue can accommodate a myriad of event sizes, from 1,000 to 10,000 person capacity.
Historic downtown San Juan Capistrano is just minutes away with a variety of restaurants and a vibrant night life for post-concert parties and gatherings.
There are more than 1000 parking spaces on site. However, the proximity to the local residential communities makes it a close and convenient destination for ride services. – 30753 Avenida La Pata, San Juan Capistrano
Pacific Amphitheater at the OC Fair & Event Center
Every summer, the Pacific Amphitheatre at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa kicks off their summer concert series around the 4th of July.
Opened in July 1983, Barry Manilow was the first to perform on stage here. The Pacific Amphitheater is surprisingly large, with seating for over 8,000 concert-goers. In comparison, the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles seats just under 6,000.
Past Summer Series’ have been packed full of legendary performers, including comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short. Most performances take place during the annual Orange County Fair. Musical guests offer something for everyone with sounds from classic rock to country to reggae. Big names that have passed through Pacific Amp include the Psychedelic Furs, Rebelution, the Pacific Symphony, El Fantasma, Rick Springfield, Frankie Valli, Kool & The Gang, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Willie Nelson, Brett Eldredge, and Hunter Hayes.
The Summer Concert Series runs from July 4th (Includes fireworks during the show) through late August. Check the events calendar to order tickets to a hot summer show. – 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
Five Point Amphitheatre
It was a sad day in Orange County when the iconic outdoor music venue Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (also known as Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre) closed in the Fall of 2016 after 35 years.
The legendary venue hosted festivals like Lollapalooza and KROQ’s Weenie Roast. Everyone from The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan to No Doubt and The Dave Matthews Band graced the stage. Gwen Stefani and Young the Giant closed out farewell season on October 30, 2016 with plans for developers to demolish the site to build more housing. Sigh.
A new venue is now upon us: The Five Point Amphitheatre, located near the Great Park in Irvine. The new Amphitheatre has 6,500 fold down seats, plus room for up to 5,500 more in lawn areas. The inaugural event calendar shaped up nicely to include performances from Poison, Chicago and REO Speedwagon, Kevin Hart, Slightly Stoopid, Pentatonix, Counting Crows, Lady Antebellum, Rob Zombie, Rascal Flatts, and many more.
Time will tell if Five Point will become the icon that Irvine Meadows is, but having a large scale live music venue in Orange County gives us hope, and we’re thankful we didn’t have to wait too long for the doors to open. Check the concert calendar to see what’s happening. – 14800 Chinon Avenue, Irvine
Garden Amp OC
Garden Amp is located on Main Street in Garden Grove, next to Village Green Park. The all-ages, open-air multipurpose venue features a 600-seat amphitheater and a space called the Locker Room that accommodates 150.
Garden Amp was voted best venue for live music for OC Weekly’s Best Of issue in 2018. The venue hosts a variety of concerts and events like The Swap, and 80’s and 90’s tribute shows. Warpedpalooza: 90s vs. Y2K, Through The Roots, and Nothing Fest are a few of the events held here. Popular artists like Strung Out and Stephen Marley also take the stage here. – 12762 Main Street, Garden Grove
Doll Hut
The World Famous Doll Hut in Anaheim is a legend in the Orange County Music scene. The bar and music venue is over 100 years old and was originally a private residence turned truckstop café on the side of the 5 freeway.
While a variety of genres have graced the Doll Hut stage, it is primarily a punk scene and is sometimes called the West Coast CBGB. You might see TSOL play if you can get inside the 89-person capacity venue where loud music and the smell of beer permeate the air. They even host a Punk Rock Karaoke night.
The small venue has been owned by Linda Jemison (former) and Mike (Big Mac) McGarvey (current) and features live music and plenty of beer seven days a week. – 107 S. Adams Street, Anaheim
City National Grove
This indoor live music and event venue is located in Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle right next to Angel Stadium. The Grove, as many call it, was built in 1998, and got off to a seemingly slow start. In more recent years, more events and bigger names have passed through to take the stage.
The 1,700 seat venue has welcomed Prince, Stevie Nicks, Merle Haggard, and many more. The venue hosts more than 250 performances and events every year featuring live comedy, family shows, and touring Broadway productions like Rent, in addition to concerts.
The City National Grove has been ranked consistently as a Top 10 Stop in North America and if you haven’t seen a show here yet, it’s worth checking out this more-intimate indoor venue.
Honda Center
While the Honda Center is most well-known as being the home of the Anaheim Ducks, historically it has been one of the primary live concert venues in Orange County.
Many major headlining tours hit the Honda Center on the way through California with big names like The Weekend, James Taylor, and Michael Buble scheduled to take the stage. Past performances at the Honda Center include the always sold-out KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas, The Rolling Stones, The Killers, Post Malone, Jimmy Buffet, Eric Clapton, and the Jonas Brothers.
This indoor venue seats over 18,000 fans for concerts so check your seating charts to get good seats. Like many large venues, the seats at the top provide a very distant view, but if your favorite band is in town, it’s worth the experience.
Anaheim Packing District
The Anaheim Packing House and MAKE both have small stage live musical performances on a regular basis featuring local musicians from a variety of genres. Check the calendar to see who’s playing.
Restaurants and Bars With Live Music
In addition to the large-scale music venues, many bars and restaurants in OC also feature live music from local and travelling bands and musicians. Here are a few Orange County locations to check out:
Bayside Restaurant (900 Bayside Drive Newport Beach, CA, 92660): Monday through Sunday, listen to everything from Latin Jazz to R&B to classics to contemporary cover tunes.
Biergarten Huntington Beach (7561 Center Ave. #49, Huntington Beach): Located at Old World Huntington Beach, the Biergarten features live music Thursday through Sunday. Most shows are free, but some events are ticketed.
The Black Marlin (560 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780): A bustling restaurant specializing in seafood & steaks, with cocktails & live jazz performances.
The Blue Beet (107 21st Pl, Newport Beach, CA 92663): A Multi-level blues, jazz & rock club with nightly live music, a dance floor, martinis & a menu of American staples.
Boathouse Collective (1640 Pomona Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92627): The venue hosts a variety of art and live music events. Music acts range from jazz to folk to bluegrass. Temporarily Closed
The Boulevard (1824 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92627): Never a cover charge to see local musicians. Country, funk, hip-hop, reggae and live DJs all in one house.
Campus Jax (3950 Campus Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660): A bustling supper club serving Cajun-inspired fare & cocktails in roomy quarters with live entertainment to dance to.
Chain Reaction (1652 W. Lincoln Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92802): Small music venue for local bands, tribute shows, and up and comers.
The Cliff Restaurant (577 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651): The Cliff Restaurant hosts free live music nightly, plus an artist village and 180 degree ocean views.
The Continental Room (115 W Santa Fe Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832): Offers live entertainment six days a week, including garage, rock n’ roll, punk, indie, R & B and Jazz.
The Copper Door (225 N Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701): Latin Thursdays, Karaoke night, flash back party’s and DJ’s on the weekend. The Copper Door has something for everybody.
Costello’s Neighborhood Tavern (27567 Puerta Real, Mission Viejo, CA 92691): Informal restaurant & bar serving Irish & American pub grub in a relaxed, brick-accented setting. Costello’s has 19 TVs, showing all major sporting events, huge outdoor patio, live music, full kitchen & bar and 19 beers on tap.
Decades Bar & Grill (195 W Center Street Promenade, Anaheim) Decades is fun, with drinks like the Jessie’s Girl, the Back to the Future, and the Lisa Frank martini. Their calendar includes plenty of live bands, including shows during their weekend brunches.
The Fifth Rooftop Restaurant & Bar (1650 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802): Located at the Grand Legacy At The Park you can enjoy live music on the rooftop while watching the Disneyland fireworks. There is a wide variety of music depending on the schedule.
Fling Cocktail Lounge (2370 N Tustin Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92705): Live music plays nightly at this dive bar opened in 1972 with red velvet wallpaper & pin-up art. Fun folks, great live music to dance to and awesome drinks.
Gaslamp (6251 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, CA 90803) Not quite OC, but close enough and worth the mention, Gaslamp hosts live music on the regular with some of the best local performers including the 80s tribute band Knyght Ryder.
The Harp Inn (130 E 17th St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627): The Harp Inn is the home base for OC local bands that play 80s and 90s cover and tribute bands. This Irish bar is dimly lit, and the dance floor is small but the crowds are very lively.
Juke Joint (735 N. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805): One of Anaheim’s oldest original bars, Juke Joint is open seven days a week, 365 days a year with over 50 beers on tap and live music on stage. Must be 21 and over here.
Marine Room Tavern (214 Ocean Ave, Laguna Beach, CA 92651): Nestled in the heart of Laguna Beach the Marine Room Tavern has been around for over 75 years. This local tavern features live music and great drinks.
Mozambique (1740 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651): Mozambique’s Durban Room have live music which varies from R & B to cover bands. Have dinner and drinks on the rooftop over looking the ocean and stay for the music.
Muldoon’s Irish Pub (202 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660): A restaurant and pub serving Irish cuisine like corn beef & cabbage amid live music, a fireplace & patio.
Old Crow Smokehouse (21022 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach): Old Crow Smokehouse features barbecue by the beach and a line-up of country bands with no cover charge every Friday and Saturday night. Located at Pacific City.
On the Rocks Bar & Grill (12752 Valley View St., Garden Grove) On The Rocks Garden Grove features a menu with variety and weekly drink specials. Big screen TVs play popular sporting events and UFC PPVs and live music performances are a staple on the calendar with no cover.
Original Mike’s (100 S. Main Street, Santa Ana) This 15,000 square foot entertainment center features state-of-the-art stage lighting, laser lighting effects, fog machines, and the pulsing dance rhythms of OC’s hottest DJs.
Our Bar & Kitchen (2000 Newport Blvd, Costa Mesa): Our Bar and Kitchen offers a variety of the finest spirits, beer, and wine, served in a family-friendly environment. In addition to being a restaurant and bar, Our Bar is a gastropub, a game room, an upscale but low key place for locals to gather, and often hosts live music.
Perqs Bar (117 Main St., Huntington Beach): Located on Main Street in Downtown Huntington Beach, Perqs now serves food from 25 degrees and features Karaoke nights and live bands. Check their website for weekly drink specials.
The Post at Rockwell’s (17853 Santiago Blvd, Villa Park, CA 92861/101 W Avenida Vista Hermosa 116, San Clemente, CA 92672): There are two locations but both feature live music including original artists and popular cover bands. Food and of course drinks, are also served. There is no cover charge.
The Quiet Woman (3224 Pacific Coast Hwy, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625): Dine, drink and play at this CDM institution. QW provides a live music venue to promote and celebrate local musicians. Have dinner and then sit back and listen to the music on the small stage crammed into the corner.
The Ranch Saloon (1025 E. Ball Road, Anaheim, CA 92805): Located in Anaheim, The Ranch Saloon (next to The Ranch Restaurant) is a popular upscale venue for live country music and dancing with two bars, seating, dance floor, dance lessons, and more.
The Sandpiper Lounge (1183 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651): The Dirty Bird is a quintessential dive bar that attracts visitors and locals alike featuring live-music stage.
Silky Sullivan’s (10201 Slater Ave., Fountain Valley): This Irish Restaurant and Pub features regular live entertainment, game nights, and sports events on the big screens.
Skyloft OC (422 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651): The Skyloft has music 5 nights a week ranging from DJs, to country to vocalists and guitarists. The Skyloft also offers ocean views and rooftop dining serving American cuisine.
Slidebar (122 E. Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832): Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen celebrates good food and good music, paying homage to the musical history of Orange County. Slidebar features musical guests from a variety of genres.
Spaghettini (3005 Old Ranch Parkway, Seal Beach, CA 90740) This upscale restaurant features live performances five days a week including their legendary Sunday brunch. Some shows are held in the performance lounge, others are on the outdoor garden patio.
Still Water (24701 Del Prado Ave, Dana Point, CA 92629): Still Water has indoor and outdoor seating, live entertainment, handcrafted cocktails and over 50 beers on tap.
Wayfarer (843 W. 19th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627): Wayfarer is a small venue in Costa Mesa that features a variety of musical guests including country, rock, reggae, and tribute bands.
Ziing’s Bistro (209 N Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92832): This restaurant doubles as a nightclub on the weekends, with DJs spinning but there is also open mic night on Thursdays.
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Heidi Deal is the author of the Newcomers Handbook to Living In Los Angeles & Orange County, and a children’s book author specializing in history and human rights.
