Events

17 Concert Venues in Pittsburgh to Take in a Great Show

There was a time in the not-so-distant past that if you brought up the Pittsburgh music scene, odds are good the response you'd get from others was “it is terrible, [city] is better”. 

For a while, we thought that too.

But in recent years, the popularity of live music in Pittsburgh has really exploded both for bands that make stops into the city and for our music venues outright. So in this one, we thought we'd round up some of the best Pittsburgh concert venues, what you can expect when visiting, and more!

We've also decided to arrange this one by capacity (from smallest to largest, roughly), just for fun. As with everything on this site, this list only features venues we've personally visited. As we take in more shows in the area, we'll update this guide accordingly!

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GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World in Pittsburgh

The Carnegie Science Center on the North Shore is truly a world-class museum in Pittsburgh. This one features an array of science-based exhibits ranging from robotics to water, the human body to sports science, and so much more.

In a recent expansion, the Carnegie Science Center added an extra venue to allow for touring shows to come for limited-time runs in the city and we love visiting these to put our Carnegie Museums membership to good use.

In the summer of 2022, The Science Center welcomes a new exhibit entitled GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World– a touring exhibit with many historical guitars and exhibits showcasing the science of music.

Whether you are a budding guitar player like me, or simply interested in music at large this one is a must-see.

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Kennywood Bites and Pints Offers an Array of Food & Drinks

Kennywood's Bites and Pints event is a fun, month-long celebration of all things food and beverage that typically runs from the end of May through June. 

As this one runs from Thursdays to Sundays during regular park hours (starting in the afternoon each day), guests can enjoy a la carte purchases or sample their way around the various stations using an aptly named Bites Card.

We were able to visit this one during a pass holder preview night for its second year (thanks to our good friend Alex Eats Too Much) and wanted to share more about what you can expect when attending this one plus give some tips on how to get the most out of a Bites Card purchase!

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Pittsburgh Magazine Wine & Spirits Festival Offers Up a Delicious Duo

We always want a good party in Pittsburgh, and when it comes to a food and beverage celebration, Pittsburgh Magazine always does it right.

In the past, we have attended events like their Best of the Burgh Party, as well as their Best Restaurants Party, which, in our opinion, is one of the greatest celebrations you can attend every year if you love our local Pittsburgh restaurants. 

In 2022, Pittsburgh Magazine returned with a new spring party, aptly named the Wine & Spirits Festival, to go along with their other libations-themed celebrations (separate wine and whiskey festivals typically taking place in the fall).

We were guests of Pittsburgh Magazine for this party at Rivers Casino in its inaugural year and wanted to share a bit more of what this one was like in this one!

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Phipps Conservatory’s Summer Flower Show – Monet in Bloom

Whenever Phipps Conservatory features a famous painter as the focal point for a flower show, you know you're going to be in for a good time.

2022's Summer Flower Show does just that with its theme “Monet in Bloom” and features floral recreations of some of the master's top works (next to copies of the paintings themselves for reference), quotes from the artist, themed sound elements, and more!

As with all of our museum posts, we do not like to give away every exhibit. In this one, we're only going to share a few of our favorite rooms and encourage you to visit to see the rest!

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The Best Places to View Pittsburgh Fireworks

Fireworks from Mount Washington

For reasons unknown to us, Pittsburgh is crazy about fireworks.

Fourth of July? Massive fireworks. Randomly scheduled nights during Pirates games? Fireworks. When the Pirates get a home run? Mini-fireworks. A mega-band playing at Acrisure Stadium? There will probably be some fireworks. A celebration to welcome winter and the Christmas season? It's freezing outside, but sure, let's have some fireworks anyway.

If you are wanting to check out these festivities, Pittsburgh will give you a chance to see some good shows roughly ten times per year (give or take based on the Pirates schedule). The only question from there is where you must be in order to have the best view. After exploring the city for several years, we have come up with a list of our favorite spots.

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Phipps Conservatory’s Spring Flower Show – Sunshine and Rainbows

As the cold of winter begins to leave Pittsburgh, there is one thing we always look forward to in order to ring in the start of spring – Phipps Conservatory's Spring Flower Show!

2022's Spring Flower Show has the theme “Sunshine and Rainbows” and highlights the colors of the rainbow- making this one an incredibly vibrant show!

We visited this one shortly after the show opened and wanted to share some of our favorite rooms and exhibits with you today. As with all of our museum posts, we're only sharing a selection of our favorites because you truly must visit for yourself to experience it all!

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Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker – a Holiday Treat

The Nutcracker is a classic ballet that is a Christmas tradition for many. With familiar music, hundreds of colorful and dramatic costumes, and a story full of wonder, it's easy to see why this ballet keeps people returning to performances year after year.

The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has been performing The Nutcracker for decades, and yet each year there are new twists to enjoy.

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Phipps Conservatory’s Winter Flower Show – Holiday Magic

When it comes to holiday festivities, one of the best places in Pittsburgh to visit is Phipps Conservatory. Their winter flower show, which begins the Friday after Thanksgiving and runs until early January, is a celebration of the holiday season with festive art pieces, an array of gorgeous winter flowers, and some of the most beautifully decorated Christmas trees in Pittsburgh.

The 2021-2022 flower show is themed Holiday Magic and features numerous decorated trees as well as all of the gorgeous flowers we've come to love from the conservatory.

As members of the conservatory, we got the chance to visit this one in the 2021-2022 season and wanted to share a few of our favorite rooms here!

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Oglebay’s Festival of Lights is Worth the Drive to West Virginia

When it comes to Christmas lights near Pittsburgh, one spot comes up as a must-see again, and again, and again- Oglebay's Festival of Lights near Wheeling, West Virginia.

For many years, we had never visited this resort for their holiday display as we generally keep all our exploration of the Pittsburgh metro area confined to within Pennsylvania proper. But due to the popularity of this holiday event, especially within the Pittsburgh marketplace, we made an exception for this gem.

So one chilly early December evening we hopped in our car, made the 75-minute drive to Oglebay, and checked out the Festival of Lights in all its glory!

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