Best San Francisco Live Music Venues

Find a list of the best San Francisco live music venues. There are a number of San Francisco concerts at these locations and a variety of different types of music.

San Francisco is known for its live music scene. This list of San Francisco entertainment venues includes a quick overview of each venue, the types of shows you could see and a link to each venue's calendar of upcoming shows.

Slim's

Slim's is a great San Francisco live music venue. It's an all age venue (for now, San Francisco regulations may change) which allows everyone to come and enjoy Slim's San Francisco concerts.

The venue has shows almost every night. They feature both popular local bands to more well known acts such as Ludacris. For a full list of their upcoming shows, visit Slim's online show calendar.

Slim's also serves dinner and they have a couple of options. You can add dinner to your ticket to the show, which means you'll be seated at one of the 70 tables in the venue. Or you can order off their smaller menu that has just a handful of items on it including fries, some sandwiches, pizza by the slice, etc.

Outside of the seating mentioned above, the venue is standing room only. It's a large open space and I never feel like it's too crowded or crazy. Slim's is located at 333 11th Street in the SOMA district. It's easy to get to by bus or cab.

Independent

This San Francisco live music venue is one of my favorites. They book a number of great acts and the venue is small enough to see the action from almost any location.

The Independent is located in the Alamo Square/NOPA district in San Francisco. To see more information on this live music venue and to find their latest calendar, visit my top 10 San Francisco bars page.

Red Devil Lounge

The Red Devil Lounge is another San Francisco live music venue. This one is quite a bit smaller and more intimate than the two mentioned above.

This San Francisco concert venue has been around for over 10 years. It's located in the Russian Hill district in San Francisco and is popular with the local crowd.

At this San Francisco nightlife location, you will find a number of smaller, local cover bands. In addition to that, you will also find a number of great bands from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

They will also now feature an open mic night every Tuesday night. This venue is mostly standing room only with a few chairs and tables. The seating is first come, first served so you'll want to come before the doors open to try to grab a table for the show.

Due to its small size, this venue gets pretty hot inside. I'd recommend dressing in cooler clothes while still planning on getting a little warm. They also have a coat check, so you don't have to carry your warmer layers around with you all night.

The Red Devil Lounge is centrally located on Polk Street at Clay. It's easy to access by cab or bus. Parking in this neighborhood is not very easy at all, but there are a couple of smaller garages within just a few blocks of the venue.

This San Francisco live music bar is only for those that are 21 and older. Take a look at the Red Devil Lounge show calendar for details on their upcoming events.

The Fillmore

Another well known San Francisco live music venue is The Fillmore. This San Francisco concert venue attracts larger, well-known bands such as Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Blondie, Reverend Horton Heat, Billy Idol, and more. It's also holds more people than any other venue mentioned in this section.

This concert hall is standing room only. Wear comfy shoes and be prepared to dance all night to your favorite tunes.

This is a legendary San Francisco live music venue. It does get a little crowded, but it's an amazing place to see some great live shows in the city. It's also sometimes referred to as the Fillmore West.

The Fillmore is located at 1806 Geary Street at Fillmore Street. It's easy to access by bus or cab.

Bimbo 365

Bimbo 365 is another San Francisco live music institution. This San Francisco concert venue opened in 1931. It has been at its current location since 1951.

This venue mainly features live rock and jazz music. They book locally popular bands such as Super Diamond and Tainted Love.

They have a little bit of seating, which is on a first come, first served basis. The rest of the venue is standing room only. Again, I love this venue because it never feels overly crowded.

Bimbo 365 also serves food. The menu is very limited but offers burgers, pizza and fries. All shows are 21 and over. They also have a two drink minimum.

This San Francisco live music venue is located at 1025 Columbus Avenue in the North Beach district. Visit the Bimbo 365 show calendar for a list of their upcoming shows and to purchase tickets.

Cafe du Nord

Cafe du Nord is one of the best San Francisco live music venues. You will absolutely love this place!

It's a really small, intimate setting that allows you to get really close to the music. It's mostly up and coming bands or local favorites.

This venue has a few dimensions. It is a restaurant, where you can sit and enjoy you dinner with the show. You can also hang out in the bar or the standing room only area.

They also have a larger venue upstairs called the Swedish American Hall. It's a larger space that offers a second live music option for your evening.

Cafe du Nord also has a beautiful décor. At the bar, you will find an amazing hand carved mahogany bar.

This venue is located on Market Street between Sanchez and Church Streets. They have a combined calendar that lists the shows at both Cafe du Nord and the Swedish American Hall.

These are some of the best San Francisco live music venues. I hope this list gives you some ideas on where check out a live show in the city and enjoy the different types of San Francisco entertainment options.

Other nightlife options:

My Ten Favorite San Francisco Bars

San Francisco Wine Bar Recommendations

San Francisco Theater Tips and Recommendations

Hottest San Francisco Dance Clubs

San Francisco Wine Tasting Events