Top Cities for Live Music

Live music has suffered some blows throughout the pandemic, with concerts and beloved music festivals having been canceled or rescheduled several times. This year, though, we're hoping that more people than ever can enjoy experiencing the music they love in the places they love, whether that be an open-mic night at a bar or a world-renowned music festival!

Money.co.uk analyzed 30 popular destinations across the globe to find the top ten best destination for experiencing the best of live music. Rated for their music festivals, venues, upcoming concerts and the number of artists or bands that call the cities their home, these cities might be surprising, or perhaps not. Chicago, for instance, is home to Lollapalooza, one of the most well-known and longest-running music fests in the country.

Click through this slideshow to learn more about the best destinations for live music.

London is synonymous with rock bands like The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and many more, plus artists of other genres, like Adele! It's considered the best place for live music because it offers eight major music festivals, over 5,000 upcoming concerts this year, 207 different music venues and boasts over 2,500 well-known artists and bands that call the city their home. Dive bars, historic theaters and every other type of venue in between offer live music for everyone. Who knows? That neo-grunge band you listened to in London might just be the next greatest thing!

New York City claims over 3,000 well-known artists and bands as its residents, including Jay-Z, the Strokes and Beastie Boys. It might just offer two major music festivals, but it also has 188 music venues and over 3,200 upcoming concerts this year. Plus, each different neighborhood offers something different, from Latin music in Washington Heights to artistic alternative music in Greenwich Village. Wandering through New York isn't just a feast for the eyes and the nose: it's also a feast for the ears. It also offers the most jazz concerts of all the cities in this list, making it perfect for jazz lovers!

Artists, bands and actors flock to Los Angeles to start their careers, so it's unsurprising that this Californian city is on this list. As the third top city for live music, it boasts the most music venues out of any the other cities on this list, with 240, as well as over 3,000 upcoming concerts and three major music festivals. It's also home the home of over 2,200 artists and bands, including Guns N' Roses, the Beach Boys and more.

Chicago might be most famous for its economic importance, but it's also great for music lovers! With 95 music venues, almost 2,000 upcoming concerts and over 1,700 well-known local artists, it's a hub for music of all types. It's also home to the most major music festivals on this list, with a whopping 22. Lollapalooza is just one of the well-known music festivals that offer something for every genre of music.

San Francisco is the fifth best destination in the world for live music. Once the home of the popular grunge music scene, it's home to 792 popular artists and bands, as well as 95 music venues and over 1,900 upcoming concerts. It also offers four music festivals.

Toronto, Canada ranks sixth on this list. Home to 631 artists, most notably The Weeknd, it offers 615 upcoming concerts across 59 different music venues. It'll also be hosting 14 different major music festivals this year, too.

While Paris might be considered the City of Love, it's also great for music lovers. Once the home of great jazz performers, today it welcomes artists from all genres, with 771 local artists and bands gaining worldwide recognition. With over 3,000 upcoming concerts, 54 different music venues and two major music festivals, travelers to Paris will be able to enjoy something musical every night in the dreamy city. It also ranks as the top destination for classical music, with almost 4 percent of all Parisian concerts performing in this genre.

Atlanta, Georgia might not be that popular for music lovers, yet, but that doesn't stop it from offering some of the best opportunities for listening to live music! Six major music festivals and over 500 artists, including Usher and Ciara, call Atlanta their home. It also will host over 1,400 concerts across its 92 music venues this year.

In ninth place is Austin, Texas. Home to three major music festivals and 384 artists, including Bob Schneider and Willie Nelson, it will offer nearly a thousand concerts this year across its 115 music venues. Don't be fooled, though: you won't just find country music in this multi-cultural city.

In tenth place is Berlin, Germany. Home to music both uber-modern and classical, it's a cultural epicenter in Germany that offers great cultural and historical attractions, as well as musical. It offers over 2,000 upcoming concerts across 46 music venues, as well as three major music festivals. Berlin is also home to over 450 artists and musicians, including Rammstein and Mythos.