Thankfully, Fort Lauderdale and the vast area that encompasses Broward County have no shortage of great music venues, from large arenas that can host large touring acts to small spaces perfect for local acts trying to make a name for themselves. As a concertgoer, you are certainly spoilt for choice. If you need to know where to start in your live music search, New Times has compiled the best venues in Fort Lauderdale.
Check out New Times' guide to the best Fort Lauderdale nightclubs here.
The Amerant Bank Arena is located in the suburban city of Sunrise in Broward County.
Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images
Amerant Bank Arena
1 Panther Pkwy., Sunrise954-835-7000
amerantbankarena.comWhether you call it the National Car Rental Center, BankAtlantic Center, or OfficeDepot Center, this multipurpose arena in suburban Broward County has been hosting everything from NHL games to national tours since it opened in 1998. While it is perhaps best known as the home of the Florida Panthers, it also regularly hosts arena-size performances by some of the biggest names in music. Lizzo, Depeche Mode, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, and Kylie Minogue are just a tiny sample of the acts that have performed here. Thanks to the venue's malleability in terms of what kind of productions it can host and its ideal location between Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, tours regularly call on the Amerant Bank Arena.
Editor's Picks
Au-Rene Theater is the largest space at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
Photo by Doug Castanedo
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale954-462-0222
browardcenter.orgThe oldest performing arts center in South Florida, the Broward Center is equipped to host all kinds of shows, be it theater, opera, ballet, and, yes, live music. The venue comprises the Au-Rene Theater, its main performance space, the smaller Amaturo Theater, and the intimate Abdo New River Room. All three spaces host live music, from legacy acts to jazz groups and orchestras. While not a regular occurrence, contemporary pop, hip-hop, and R&B artists will also perform here.
Culture Room
3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale,954-564-1074
cultureroom.netSince around the late Nineties, Fort Lauderdale's Culture Room has been a live music institution. The intimate venue has played host to countless midsized acts over the decades, from Charli XCX and A Flock of Seagulls to the Misfits and Bleachers. It's standing-room-only here, so don't expect any VIP comforts — not that patrons would have it any other way. Culture Room has lasted over the years because it never forgets the most important thing: the music.
Grimz
3260 NW 23rd Ave., Ste. 400E, Pompano Beachgrimz-pompano.comIf you haven't heard of Grimz, that's okay — maybe this isn't the place for you. The Pompano Beach venue focuses mainly on local acts as well as smaller touring acts making their way to South Florida. Most shows here are all-ages, which is a rarity for concert venues of this size. While it will host late-night parties now and then, Grimz's specialty is rock music in its most noisest forms: punk, hardcore, alternative, postpunk, indie rock, and metal. The black-box space is bare bones, but your attention should be on the stage and not the decor.
Hard Rock Live reopened in 2019 after the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's $1.5 billion expansion.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino photo
Hard Rock Live
1 Seminole Way, Hollywood954-797-5531
myhrl.comThe concert venue at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino got a much-needed upgrade after the complex's $1.5 billion expansion, which also included the opening of the Guitar Hotel. After tearing down the old venue, Hard Rock Live returned in 2019 as a state-of-the-art space with a capacity for 7,000 concertgoers. Weezer, Green Day, Billy Joel, Elton John, Maroon 5, Megan Thee Stallion — they've all performed here. Hard Rock Live often punches well above its weight, booking acts that could easily fill stadiums to perform here.
The Parker
707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale954-462-0222
parkerplayhouse.comOpened in 1967, Fort Lauderdale's the Parker (AKA Parker Playhouse) is a neo-classical delight that can accomadate nearly 1,200 guests. These days, it's managed and operated by the Broward Center, which manages to book a steady stream of performers, mostly legacy acts. The Might Be Giants, Dweezil Zappa, Ben Folds, Amy Grant, Sophie Ellis‐Bextor, and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram have performed here in recent years. With so many venues around the city, it often feels like the Parker gets overlooked by bigger and flashier spaces, but make no mistake, it's a great midsized venue.
Pompano Beach Amphitheater
1801 NE Sixth St., Pompano Beach561-223-7231
pompanobeacharts.org/ampManaged by AEG, the Pompano Beach Amphitheater can accommodate up to 10,000 patrons — 3,000 in seats and 7,000 on the lawn. Thanks to its design, there isn't a bad seat in the house. National touring acts mostly stop here — not enough, if you ask me, though. It almost feels underutilized. Still, the acts that do come are top-notch, like Willie Nelson, the Mavericks, UB40, Patti LaBelle, and Third Eye Blind.
Revolution Live
100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale954-449-1025
jointherevolution.netFormerly home of the Chili Pepper, Revolution Live opened its doors in 2004 and quickly became the go-to midsized venue in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The venue has hosted plenty of before-there-were-famous shows, including a pre-The Fame Monster Lady Gaga, Katy Perry still riding the high of "I Kissed a Girl," the Weeknd before he made his major-label debut. There's a good chance Revolution is still hosting tomorrow's biggest acts right now. The venue's industrial feel only adds to its charms, with a stand-room-only pit area and plenty of mezzanine and balcony spaces if you want to enjoy a show in a bit more comfort.
War Memorial Auditorium
800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale954-828-5380
ftlwarmemorial.comLocated in Holiday Park, War Memorial Auditorium reopened in January after an extensive renovation that brought it up to modern standards. The venue has been in operation since 1950 when it was the city's imminent venue for all kinds of shows. Over the decades, it would be surpassed by newer venues with more bells and whistles, but it was primed for a comeback. Thankfully, under the management of the Florida Panthers, the auditorium received a $65 million refresh, with its signature midcentury modern façade looking as good as ever.
