10 Awesome outdoor music venues

Great music festival venues
Great music festival venues

With the summer almost upon us, it’s time to look forward to the fun and excitement it brings. With no doubt, Summer is the ultimate season for spending your days and evenings outdoors.

So, what better way to spend those dusky hours, then to spice them up with some live music.

 

 

You better have a good plan, if you want your summer to rock. And there is no better way to embrace the joys of summer than to include lots of outdoors concerts on your agenda. Seeing an outdoor concert is one of the many wonderful pleasures of fine weather.

 

So, with the festival season close upon us, there are plenty of opportunities to jazz up your summer.

 

 

Whether it’s the great acoustics, the chance to connect with Mother Nature or the amazing locations, venues for outdoor concerts offer unforgettable experiences. Beyond the music, these legendary and creative places add more to the concert-going experience. The open-air setting allows you to listen to top-notch music while being surrounded by unique landscapes and incredible atmosphere.

To make your summer more fun, we’ve put together a list of outdoor concert venues around the world. Check it out.

 

1. Dalhalla – Rättvik, Sweden

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This astonishing place is one of the most unique venues on the planet. Discovered in 1991, it’s carved out of a 20th-century limestone quarry, and has a small water structure with drinkable water.

Dalhalla has an almost perfect acoustics, and the amount of ambient noise is next to zero. The near vertical rock walls in the quarry provide clean, echo-free sound. To make things even cooler, there is a thin moat separating the crowd from the stage.

 

2. Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland

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In the middle of County Meath, sits the most impressive outdoor concert venue in Ireland. Constructed in 1785, Slane Castle has hosted many top-chart musicians, like David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, and many more. Apart from being a backdrop to many historical events, the venue hosts many weddings, special events, and lots of rock n’ roll concerts.

 

3. Sultan’s Pool – Jerusalem, Israel

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Situated just below the walls of the old City of Jerusalem, this venue is both visually striking and historically rich. It sits in the cleft known as the Valley of Hinnom. According to history, this ancient site lent its name to the Jewish concept of the afterlife and the Islamic word for Hell.

Maybe undeserved, but these hellish connotations are the coolest backstory for a rock n’ roll venue. Before it was dried out, this place was a water source for many decades.

 

4. The Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre – Meredith, Australia

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Around 60 miles from Melbourne, this venue is a sensational outdoor venue on the edge of a farm. It is home to two annual music festivals, the Golden Plains Music Festival and the Meredith Music Festival. The stage is placed in a grove of big ghost gum trees, a native species to Australia.

Surrounded by tall pine trees, a natural amphitheater rises away from the stage. Thanks to the combination of the naturally luminous bark and the high tree line, this venue has an otherworldly atmosphere. No wonder people call it “Supernatural.”

 

5. The Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, California

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This venue is one of the most iconic and recognizable outdoor festival venues in the US, if not the world. The Greek Theatre, with its 80 years of musical history, dates back to 1896 when a man called Colonel Griffith J. Griffith donated three a thousand acre plot to the city of LA.

After an extensive design process, the Greek Theatre opened on September 25, 1930. For the first show, in June 1931, the tickets cost $1 for the first two sections, but the rest of the seats were free. After many years, this venue still keeps its tradition of accessibility and excellence, in a beautiful and lush setting.

 

6. Roman Theatre of Orange – Orange, France

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In the charming Rhone Valley, sits this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Build into a hillside in Provence, between 10 and 25 CE, this Roman amphitheater is one of the best preserved of its kind. It is also one of the best examples of provincial Roman architecture that can be found anywhere in the world.

The Roman Theatre of Orange is the home of Les Chorégies d’Orange festival the oldest one in France. Would you like to see a show on a stage where Ancient Romas performed many centuries ago?

 

7. Red Rocks Amphitheater – Morrison, Colorado

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Just 15 miles west of Denver, lies a venue that seems like it’s from anther world. Since 1941, Red Rocks Amphitheatre has been a host to many of the biggest names in music, including The Beatles.

Thanks to the two enormous sandstone rocks around it, this venue is the only natural acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world. The surroundings are a wonderful mix of topography, climates, and biodiversity.

 

8. Auditorium Parco Della Musica – Rome, Italy

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Thanks to the legendary architect, Renzo Piano, Rome, and the world, have this amazing outdoor music venue. Envisioned as an acoustically perfect “City of Music,” this site features three halls, vegetation, cultural spaces, and a fantastic open-air amphitheater.

While this complex provides a modern music venue and respects the traditions of Ancient Rome, it also looks ahead to a new chapter in the history of the city.

9. Gorge Amphitheater – George, Washington

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I challenge you to find a more pristine setting for a summertime concert than the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington. This venue packs in 20,000 fans for artists like Pearl Jam, Phish, and Dave Matthews.

Traditionally, thousands of tents spring up against the dramatic scenery on this unique venue. The striking views of the Columbia River Valley complement the world-renowned acoustics of Gorge Amphitheater.

 

10. The Great Theatre – Ephesus, Turkey

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Constructed in the 3rd century BCE, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is located near the Temple of Artemis, which is one of the first of the Seven Wonders of the World.

This amphitheater has a capacity of 25,000 spectators and has an enormous three-story stage. Originally used for plays, debates, meetings, and gladiatorial battles. Today, its stage is graced by legendary international acts, like Elton John, and many others.

 

 

From ancient amphitheaters to historic castles, these venues will give you a great summer, with some super awesome music and spectacular settings. Pack your bags, buy your tickets, and get ready to have the time of your life.

 

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We live in a beautiful world, get out there and enjoy it.

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tomi-stojanovik

tomi-stojanovik is one of the authors writing for Outdoor Revival