You know the deal with most gig venues. A dark, dingy room, puddles of sticky beer on the floor, and someone’s elbow in your face as you try to mosh to your favourite band. Standard.
But some venues are not only a lot more civilized than that, but really rather breathtaking. London’s Royal Albert Hall is an opulent delight fit for a king, while over in Sweden the stunning Dalhalla amphitheatre is set in a limestone quarry. Turkey’s Great Theatre of Ephesus was built way back in 10th century BC and Pennsylvania’s SteelStacks has five huge blast furnaces looming in the backdrop. Here we take you on a trip around the world via the dreamiest gig venues ever.
1. Teatro Antico di Taormina – Taormina, Italy
2. National Centre for the Performing Arts – Beijing, China
3. Romanian Athenaeum – Bucharest, Romania
4. Ermita de la Santa Cruz – Antigua, Guatemala
5. Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Jefferson County, USA
6. Omeara – London, England
7. Palacio de Bellas Artes – Mexico City, Mexico
8. Auditorium Parco della Musica – Rome, Italy
9. Dalhalla amphitheatre – Rättvik, Sweden
10. Arena of Nîmes – Nîmes, France
11. National Theater and Concert Hall – Taipei, Taiwan
12. Minack Theatre – Cornwall, England
13. Auditorio de Tenerife – Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
14. Palau de la Música – Barcelona, Spain
15. Harpa – Reykjavik, Iceland
16. Palais Garnier – Paris, France
17. Sydney Opera House – Sydney, Australia
18. Royal Albert Hall – London, England
19. Ephesus – Alacati, Turkey
20. Walt Disney Concert Hall – Los Angeles, USA
21. Smetana Hall, Municipal House – Prague, Czech Republic
22. Carnegie Hall – New York, USA
23. St Michael’s Cave – Gibraltar
24. Waldbühne – Berlin, Germany
25. Concertgebouw – Amsterdam, Netherlands
26. Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, USA
27. SteelStacks – Bethlehem, USA
28. Margravial Opera House – Bayreuth, Germany
29. The Royal Opera House – Muscat, Oman
30. Théâtre Antique d’Orange – Orange, France
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