Live entertainment has a special way of bringing people together, whether it’s through a captivating play, a night of laughter at a comedy club, or an unforgettable concert. With many cities offering unique venues and performance styles, it can be tough to decide where to experience the best live show. That’s why we took a closer look at America’s largest urban hubs to find out which cities stand out as top destinations for live entertainment.

At BetMGM, we’re all about creating unforgettable experiences, much like the excitement of a great live performance. To determine the best U.S. cities for catching a live show, we analyzed five key factors—from the number of performing arts companies to the overall ratings of music venues, comedy clubs, and more. Dive into our findings and discover which cities may offer the ideal experiences for your next night out.

Key Findings

• Los Angeles, CA ranks as the number one city for live shows, featuring 8 times more performing arts companies per 100,000 people than the national average.
• San Francisco, CA has the highest-rated performing arts centers, music venues, and comedy clubs among all cities in the ranking.
• Richmond, VA holds the highest average rating across all types of live shows, with its dinner theaters scoring an impressive 4.80 out of 5
• The top 4 cities for the highest-rated performing arts venues are all in California: San Francisco, Riverside, Los Angeles, and San Jose.

Los Angeles, CA Ranks as the #1 Best City for Live Entertainment

Cities With the Highest and Lowest Average Ratings by Category

Below are the cities with the highest and lowest average ratings across the four key live entertainment types in our ranking: performing arts venues, music venues, comedy clubs, and dinner theaters.

Performing Arts Venues

Highest Rated

1. San Francisco, CA – 4.55/5
2. Riverside, CA – 4.53/5
3. Los Angeles, CA – 4.50/5

Lowest Rated

50. Birmingham, AL – 3.91/5
51. Virginia Beach, VA – 4.04/5
52. Charlotte, NC – 4.07/5

Music Venues

Highest Rated

1. San Francisco, CA – 4.08/5
2. Louisville, KY – 4.07/5
3. New Orleans, LA – 4.02/5

Lowest Rated

50. Baltimore, MD – 3.55/5
51. Boston, MA – 3.58/5
52. Columbus, OH – 3.59/5

Comedy Clubs

Highest Rated

1. San Francisco, CA – 4.46/5
2. Milwaukee, WI & Riverside, CA – 4.44/5 (tied)
3. Salt Lake City, UT – 4.40/5 

Lowest Rated

50. Baltimore, MD – 3.55/5
51. Boston, MA – 3.58/5
52. Columbus, OH – 3.59/5

Dinner Theaters

Highest Rated

1. Richmond, VA – 4.80/5
2. Sacramento, CA – 4.66/5 
3. Columbus, OH – 4.60/5 

Lowest Rated

50. Raleigh, NC – 2.10/5
51. Birmingham, AL & Hartford, CT – 2.80/5
52. Philadelphia, PA – 2.90/5

For the full city ranking, check out the table below.

Closing Thoughts

While these cities ranked the highest for live entertainment, great performances can be found all over the U.S.—it just takes getting out there to find the perfect spot. After all, whether you’re exploring a new city or enjoying a local show, the thrill of live entertainment can turn any night into something special. 

But when the curtain falls, the night doesn’t have to be over; you can keep the excitement going with real-money online slots, table games and more at BetMGM. Explore our ongoing casino bonuses and promotions or try out the industry’s best casino welcome bonus. Just remember to gamble responsibly!

Methodology

To identify the best U.S. cities for a live show, we began with a list of the 50 largest U.S. cities by metropolitan statistical area (MSA). We then ranked these cities using five key factors: the number of performing arts companies per 100,000 people, the average rating of “performing arts” venues, “music venues,” “comedy clubs,” and “dinner theaters.”

Each factor was weighted according to its impact on the overall live show experience of a city. We scored these factors on a scale of 0 to 5, and combined these scores to create a total score ranging from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the best cities for live entertainment.