Live Entertainment in Charleston

Charleston Civic Center is West Virginia's largest entertainment venue — a 13,500-capacity Charleston arena presenting major concerts and sporting events. Charleston Civic Center's remarkable capacity and its consistent programming of outstanding entertainment create a venue of considerable West Virginia statewide entertainment significance.

Charleston Music Hall presents touring concerts and comedy in a restored 1900s theater in the historic district's Upper King area.

Charleston Music Hall is one of the Southeast's most beloved intimate concert venues — a beautifully restored 1936 theater on John Street presenting national touring acts and local artists for the Charleston music community. Upper King Street's extraordinary entertainment corridor and the Music Hall's exceptional acoustic properties create a concert experience that reflects Charleston's remarkable combination of historic preservation and contemporary cultural ambition.

Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences is West Virginia's most important cultural institution — a 240,000-square-foot Charleston arts and science complex presenting outstanding concerts, theatrical events, and science exhibitions. The Clay Center's extraordinary scope (it combines a concert hall, science museum, planetarium, and children's museum in a single remarkable building) and its consistent programming of world-class entertainment create a cultural center of genuine West Virginia significance.

Clay Center's Maier Foundation Performance Hall is West Virginia's premier performing arts venue — a beautifully designed Charleston concert hall presenting the West Virginia Symphony, Broadway touring shows, and outstanding cultural events. The Clay Center's extraordinary scope and the Maier Foundation Hall's superb acoustics create a performing arts venue of considerable West Virginia cultural significance.

The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences is West Virginia's most impressive cultural institution — a stunning 170,000-square-foot complex housing the 1,883-seat Maier Performance Hall (home to the West Virginia Symphony), a science museum, an art museum, and an IMAX theater on the banks of the Elk River in Charleston. The Clay Center represents West Virginia's most ambitious statement of cultural aspiration and has become the crown jewel of the state capital's downtown entertainment and civic life.

Dock Street Theatre is America's oldest theatrical venue — a 1736 institution (rebuilt after the Civil War in a 19th-century Planter's Hotel) presenting Charleston Stage's professional theater productions in one of the most historically atmospheric theater spaces in the nation. The theater's connection to America's theatrical history and its French Quarter setting make it one of the most unique and culturally significant performance spaces in the entire United States.

Gaillard Center is Charleston's most beautiful performing arts venue — a 1,800-seat concert hall opened in 2015 as the home of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, presenting Broadway touring productions and major classical performances in a purpose-built hall designed with exceptional acoustics. Its construction as part of Charleston's cultural district development reflects the city's ambition to match its extraordinary tourism reputation with world-class performing arts infrastructure.

Gaillard Center is Charleston's most important performing arts venue — a beautifully designed 1,800-seat concert hall presenting the Charleston Symphony, Jazz Artists of Charleston, and Spoleto Festival USA performances in South Carolina's most architecturally distinguished modern performance space. The Gaillard's extraordinary acoustic design and its role in Charleston's remarkable cultural life create a performing arts experience befitting one of America's most historically significant cities.

Music Farm is Charleston's most beloved live music venue — a 700-capacity Ann Street club that has been the heartbeat of the Lowcountry music scene since 1992, booking national touring acts across rock, country, and indie alongside the local Charleston bands who have called it home for three decades. Its position near the Upper King Street entertainment corridor and the city's massive tourism market makes Music Farm the essential concert destination for both residents and the millions of visitors who make Charleston one of America's most popular travel destinations.

Music Farm in downtown Charleston presents touring indie and rock acts in a converted 1888 train depot near the Charleston Visitor Center.

North Charleston Performing Arts Center and Coliseum presents major touring concerts and Broadway productions in the Charleston metro area.

The Pour House on James Island presents touring roots, Americana, and jam-band acts on an outdoor porch stage, a beloved Charleston music institution.

West Virginia Symphony Orchestra is the most important classical music institution in Appalachia — presenting outstanding orchestral concerts at the Clay Center for the audiences of West Virginia's state capital. WVSO's remarkable programming and its extraordinary community engagement across West Virginia create an orchestra of genuine West Virginia classical music cultural significance.