A great live music bar is built around the room — small enough that you feel the music in your chest, big enough that the band can stretch out. The 20 below are the venues that have shaped how we listen to music live. From Village Vanguard (where Coltrane recorded Live at the Village Vanguard in 1961) to The Cobblestone in Dublin (where the Dubliners would still recognise the room), these are the venues musicians fly across continents to play.
The 20 best live music bars in the world
01 · New York
Greenwich Village
$$
Jazz · Iconic 1935
Iconic NYC jazz club opened 1935. Coltrane recorded here.
Order: A whisky during the late set
02 · New Orleans
French Quarter
$
Jazz · Iconic
Iconic French Quarter jazz venue. Daily traditional jazz sets.
Order: A drink + the late jazz set
03 · London
Soho
$$$
Jazz · Iconic 1959
Iconic Soho jazz club opened 1959.
Order: A whisky during the late set
04 · Nashville
Gulch
$
Bluegrass · 1974
World's most respected bluegrass venue.
Order: A beer + the Sunday bluegrass jam
05 · Austin
South Congress
$
Country · 1955
Operating since 1955. Country/blues music seven nights a week.
Order: A whiskey during the late set
06 · Chicago
Uptown
$
Jazz · 1907
Operating since 1907. Al Capone drank here.
Order: A bourbon during the late set
07 · New Orleans
Uptown
$
NOLA music institution
Uptown NOLA music institution.
Order: A beer + the live music
08 · Berlin
Charlottenburg
$$
Jazz · Iconic
Iconic Berlin jazz club.
Order: A whisky + the jazz set
09 · Madrid
Plaza del Ángel
$$
Jazz · 1982
Iconic Madrid jazz club opened 1982.
Order: A whisky during the late set
10 · Barcelona
Plaça Reial
$
Jazz + DJ · Iconic
Iconic Barcelona basement jazz club.
Order: A drink during the late jazz
The American jazz tradition
11 · Dublin
Smithfield
$
Trad music nightly
Traditional Irish music seven nights a week.
Order: A pint and the late session
12 · Havana
Vedado
$
Cuban jazz · Iconic
Iconic Havana jazz club.
Order: A mojito during the late set
13 · New York
Greenwich Village
$$$
Jazz · Iconic
Iconic Greenwich Village jazz club since 1981.
Order: A whisky during the late set
14 · Melbourne
Richmond
$
Music venue · Iconic
Iconic Melbourne live music venue.
Order: A craft IPA during the live set
15 · New York
West Village
$$
Jazz · Late-night
Iconic West Village basement jazz club.
Order: A whisky during the 1 AM set
16 · New Orleans
Frenchmen Street
$
NOLA jazz · Frenchmen
Iconic Frenchmen Street jazz club.
Order: A drink + the live set
17 · Paris
5th
$$
Jazz · Latin Quarter · 1949
Latin Quarter cellar jazz club since 1949.
Order: A whisky during the swing set
18 · Vienna
1st
$$
Jazz · Iconic
Iconic Vienna jazz club.
Order: A whisky during the jazz set
19 · Buenos Aires
Palermo
$
Tango · Live music
Palermo tango and live music venue.
Order: A glass of Malbec + the tango
20 · Reykjavik
Old Harbour
$
Hostel · Live music
Iconic Reykjavik hostel and live music venue.
Order: An Einstök during the live set
The full guide, city by city
Each entry below is a deep dive into the best 10 bars in that city — picked by editors who live there.
Browse the full live-music indexLive music bars by city — every featured venue has a profile.
See the full list
What makes a great live music bar
The room comes first. The Village Vanguard's wedge shape pulls every voice toward the audience. Preservation Hall keeps every seat within arm's reach of the band. The 20 above all share that intimacy — and the discipline to put music ahead of any other priority.
