With an acclaimed orchestra, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a vibrant live music scene, Cleveland hits all the right notes. The city’s rich music history encompasses all styles and genres.
Rock On!
Birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. Cleveland is where disc jockey Alan Freed first coined the term "rock and roll" to describe the records he played as early as 1951 on local radio station WJW, and the name certainly stuck. Today, The Land is the undisputed home for rock, with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the top of the visitor experience bucket list.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame showcases the world’s largest collection of rock and roll artifacts displayed throughout more than 50 exhibits. Visitors can learn about the radio DJs and recording artists who invented the genre and check out memorabilia from legends like The Beatles and David Bowie, to contemporary artists like Lady Gaga and The Black Keys. The Garage transforms the museum’s second floor into a hands-on area where guests can play, mix and record their own hits on drums, bass guitars, keyboards and mixing boards. The Hall of Fame has broken ground on an expansion, which will be completed in 2026 and feature a new entrance experience, concert halls and educational spaces that visitors can look forward to on the lakefront location.
Record Stores. Visitors can sift through records spanning from new and old LPs at Hausfrau Record Shop, punk, metal and rock releases at My Mind’s Eye, experimental and blues at Solojon Records, hip-hop, reggae and soul at Brittany's Record Shop and genres ranging from jazz to country and classic rock at Blue Arrow Records. Visit local record label Mistake by the Lake at its first brick-and-mortar record store featuring a variety of hard-to-find experimental records from all over the world, in addition to a selection of releases by local acts on their label. Music lovers can dine in at a new bar, Bad Medicine Bar, a “listening bar” where a turn table sits behind the counter with a curated set for the night spanning genres from blues to indie rock.
The Land of Music Stars. Beyond rock ‘n’ roll, Cleveland’s rich music history encompasses a variety of styles and genres. While “America’s Polka King” Frankie Yankovic may not be a household name, other Cleveland-raised music stars include Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Kid Cudi, Machine Gun Kelly, Nine Inch Nails, Raspberries, Tracy Chapman and Welshly Arms.
Pitch-Perfect Performances
Cleveland Orchestra. Under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst, the acclaimed
Cleveland Orchestra plays seasonally at Severance Music Center, within the perimeter of a national park at Blossom Music Center each summer and conducts annual residencies in Miami and Vienna. The Orchestra also features innovative programming, such as happy hour concerts on select Fridays, playing movie scores along with a live film, performing mini residencies within Cleveland’s urban neighborhoods and partnering with ballets, operas and other national artists.
Severance Music Center. Home to the Cleveland Orchestra since 1931,
Severance is known as one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world and has received the Honor Award by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Cleveland Pops Orchestra.
The Cleveland POPS Orchestra performs in different venues throughout Cleveland, taking on current and classic composers like John Williams, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Gershwin.
Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. The
Cleveland Jazz Orchestra has been getting toes tapping in Northeast Ohio since 1984. The Orchestra promotes jazz in its historical and contemporary forms through concerts with gifted musicians, arrangers and composers.
Live Music Venues
The Globe Iron. In a building from 1853 that once housed the Globe Iron Works Foundry, this live music and event venue in Cleveland’s Flats district blends industrial-chic with Midwest charm.
The Agora Theater & Ballroom. The Agora opened in 1985 inside a historic theater and became widely regarded as one of the premier live music and entertainment venues in the country. The restored venue is a piece of Cleveland music history and continues to host national touring acts, emerging artists and local bands.
Beachland Ballroom & Tavern. Catch a concert at the Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, a former Croatian social hall that’s now an independent music club. It’s become a beloved destination for music lovers seeking everything from rockabilly and punk to folk and alt rock in an intimate, vintage setting. The Beachland Ballroom has also been a catalyst for the development of the Waterloo Arts District, a testament to the transformative power of live music.
Blossom Music Center. Located just 25 miles south of Cleveland, Blossom Music Center is situated on 200 acres of rolling hills surrounded by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This outdoor performance pavilion showcases national and world-renowned acts, including a summer concert series with the Cleveland Orchestra.
Bop Stop at The Music Settlement. A destination for live jazz performances, the Bop Stop offers an intimate performance space with exceptional acoustics and a lakefront patio with sweeping views.
Grog Shop. The Grog Shop originally started as just another corner bar but quickly gave way to a booming music scene. Today, it showcases some of the best underground acts spanning various genres.
Happy Dog. The only thing better than Happy Dog’s gourmet hot dogs, expansive beer list and relaxed, retro vibe is the diverse lineup of local, regional and national acts that take the stage at the neighborhood corner bar.
House of Blues. For nationally recognized performers, visitors should check out the schedule at House of Blues in Downtown Cleveland’s East 4th Street Entertainment District.
The riverfront Jacobs Pavilion is host to some of the hottest concerts and special events each summer. With sweeping views of the Cuyahoga River and towering bridges, Cleveland’s cityscape provides the backdrop at this open-air amphitheater.
Music Box Supper Club. The Music Box Supper Club, located on the Cuyahoga River in the Flats West Bank, has two performance areas where visitors can hear music from genres spanning from bluegrass to soul.
The Odeon. At the historic Odeon Concert Club in the riverfront Flats neighborhood, acts from comedy to rock and heavy metal take the stage.
Hello Cleveland. It’s now easier than ever to explore every rockin’ opportunity in Cleveland with the one-stop-shop that connects all live events and venues. Hello Cleveland is a new platform that compiles all listings for easy access.
Jolene’s. Opening in spring of 2025, Jolene’s will be housed in the former Greenhouse Tavern on East 4th St. bringing a new country & western bar to the scene. The elevated venue envisions space for youthful and high energy country bands and DJs throughout the three floors it will occupy.
Phantasy Nightclub. Resurrected from its closure of Nine Inch Nails, Phantasy Nightclub extends on the club Studio West as a LGBTQ+ spotlighted venue for diverse acts. West 117 Development refurbished the space to address the needs for more queer stages.
The Roxy. Mahall’s 20 Lanes, a Lakewood staple, upgraded the second-floor bowling alley to a bigger venue, The Roxy. The space opened to bring in more opportunities for growing artists that are moving up.
Crobar. In the heart of Asiatown, Crobar reimagines electronic, house and disco by bringing personal experience to sets. Crobar connects the performer to the crowd with a shoulder-to-shoulder personal atmosphere to enjoy music.