Hear that? It’s the scintillating sound of Sacramento’s live music venues beckoning you to a performance you’ll never forget.
The concert scene is truly unmatched in our area — from G1C to Ace of Spades, there’s a stage for any type of tune. Get to know them all with our local guide.
Arena
Golden 1 Center | 500 David J Stern Walk | With capacity for 17,608 fans, the home of the Sacramento Kings has also become the region’s premier arena for musical performances.
Outdoor setting
Toyota Amphitheatre | 2677 Forty Mile Rd., Wheatland | Known by many names in its 20+ year history, Toyota Amphitheatre has played host to a wide swath of tours and performers from Tim McGraw to Warped Tour, and everything in between. It doesn’t hurt that 18,500 fans can rock out here.
Concert halls
The Venue at Thunder Valley | 1200 Athens Ave., Lincoln | One of our region’s newer venues — the 4,500-capacity Thunder Valley is quickly becoming a hot destination after opening its doors with a sold-out weekend of performances from Bruno Mars, The Eagles, and Carlos Santana.
SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center | 1301 L St. | In addition to concerts, the Performing Arts Center also hosts plays, stand-up comedy, speakers, and ballets with seating for 2,188 people.
Hard Rock Live | 3317 Forty Mile Rd., Wheatland | Whether it’s a rock concert, trade show, or MMA bout, Hard Rock’s 2,500-capacity venue offers both great acoustics + a great view.
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium | 1515 J St., Sacramento | What do Bob Dylan, Primus, The Rolling Stones, and Michael Buble have in common? They’ve all performed at the Memorial Auditorium, which holds 3,849 adoring fans.
Early reviews are in, and this Midtown venue rocks.
Photo via @ccccccarlossssss + @channel24sac
Channel 24 | 1800 24th St. | This 2,150-seat Midtown venue debuted in April 2025 as the latest addition to Sac’s live music scene. Boasting a main music room, VIP room, patio, and bar + food options, the space quickly gained favor with music fans. So far, acts like Tucker Wetmore, Death Cab for Cutie, and Empire of the Sun have taken the stage. See the current schedule.
Intimate spaces
Ace of Spades | 1417 R St. | This all-ages venue with space for 1,000 patrons is a Sacramento staple, and is perfectly nestled among some of the best bars + restaurants the city has to offer.
Harlow’s | 2708 J St. | Blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll are king at this venue — complete with a bar + kitchen and space for 530 of your closes fellow music enthusiasts.
A show at Harlow’s is always a good idea.
Photo via @harlowsnightclub
The Boardwalk | 9426 Greenback Ln., Orangevale | Since 1987, acts such as Fall Out Boy, Joan Jett, Too $hort, Tech N9ne, and Paramore have graced the Boardwalk’s stage, singing for 1,250 fans.
Torch Club | 904 15th St. | When people say “Every day I have the blues,” they’re really talking about the infectious tunes at this cocktail bar where there’s only room for 100 people.
Cafe Colonial | 3520 Stockton Blvd. | Cafe Colonial is a great place to grab a bite to eat and discover your new favorite band.
Aftershock is always a headbanging good time.
Photo by @warren.b.mcleod
Music festivals
Country in the Park | Cal Expo | This country music fest attracts ~60,000 fans. It celebrated its 25th anniversary in May 2025 and will return for an encore — aka Country in the Park 2 — on Saturday, Sept. 13 with performances by Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Locash, Avery Anna, and Vincent Wilson. Wrangle your tickets.
Aftershock | Discovery Park | The West Coast’s largest rock festival — drawing in ~160,000 people — has its home in the City of Trees. In 2025, it’ll go down from Thursday, Oct. 2 to Sunday, Oct. 5 — grab passes early.
GoldenSky | Discovery Park | This country music festival is on pause in 2025, but expected to return “bigger and better” in 2026. In its first few years, it drew ~60,000 fans and quickly made a mark as the region’s preferred country music festival.
