Pittsburgh is the largest city in western Pennsylvania, best known for its reputation as a steel city and as the home of successful sports teams like the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins and the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh is a bustling, growing city, and it has one of the highest numbers of bars per capita in the US. Basically, it has all the right ingredients to be a great place to see a concert.

The Rex Theater is a local gem that hosts live music in a former vaudeville theater. The Rex features a full-service bar and live music on multiple nights a week. The venue books a variety of artists for both all-ages and 21-and-up concerts. Another local staple is Mr. Smalls Theatre — an 800-seat capacity auditorium in an old church building. It is known for its fantastic sound quality and option of premium balcony seats. Another unique-to-Pittsburgh venue is Stage AE, which includes a 5500-capacity outdoor amphitheater in addition to a separate 2400-seat indoor music hall and a 400-capacity club-style venue.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs at the Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts. The orchestra performs over 40 weeks of concerts in the hall every season. The orchestra puts on a variety of performances: there’s the Bach and Beethoven that you’d expect, but you can also see them perform the musical score of the first Star Wars as the movie plays in the background. In addition to the Symphony Orchestra, Heinz Hall also hosts other artists like Steely Dan and Ringo Starr. The venue opened in 1971 and was renovated in 2015.

Keybank Pavilion is a well-known outdoor amphitheater. Billy Joel played the first show at the pavilion when it opened in 1990, and a second concert was added the next day after a huge local response. Artists like Metallica, The Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, and Phish have since played at Keybank Pavilion. The Pavilion has also hosted music festivals like Lollapalooza, Ozzfest, Mayhem Festival, and Vans Warped Tour.

Finally, Pittsburgh’s many sports arenas also double as excellent concert venues and are often the best place to see today’s top artists. PNC Park, home of the MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates, occasionally hosts concerts, including ones by Billy Joel, Jason Aldean, and Dave Matthews Band. The Steelers’ Heinz Field has held up 50,000 fans of artists like Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, and Beyonce. And the Penguins’ PPG Paints arena has accommodated nearly 20,000 people for shows by Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and more.

Pittsburgh Concert Venues

Pittsburgh is home to many great live music venues. One popular location is Rex Theater, which is on Carson Street in the South Side. Carson Street is known for its shops, bars, and restaurants.

Stage AE, which has both outdoor and indoor stages, is in North Shore; it’s very close to Heinz Field and PNC Park.

Heinz Hall is on Penn Ave in the Cultural District in Downtown Pittsburgh. Downtown is just across the Allegheny River from North Shore. PPG Paints Arena is also downtown — just further west, closer to the Duquesne University Campus.

Mr. Smalls Theatre is an auditorium in an old church building located in Millvale, about a ten minute drive from Pittsburgh. KeyBank Pavilion, a large outdoor amphitheater, is in Burgettstown, about a 35 minute drive west from Pittsburgh.

How much do Pittsburgh concert tickets cost?

On average, a resale ticket to a concert in Pittsburgh will cost fans $131. As this figure is an average, it is likely that fans will find tickets both below and above this price.

Pittsburgh Concert Tips and Tricks

Port Authority public transportation can get you to PPG Paints Arena from many areas of the city. You can either take the bus, or the light rail (usually called “The T”).

There are many different parking lots at Heinz Field. The stadium’s website has a helpful page that lets you select your parking lot and gives you specific directions.

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