I wouldn’t say I have attended a lot of concerts, but I have seen shows at some of the biggest concert venues in Massachusetts. I have a lot of strong feelings about some of the venues in this state because of the parking situations or general accessibility for people around the state. Full disclosure, I live just north of Boston—20 minutes or so—which probably makes me biased towards the city’s venues!
7. The Xfinity Center, Mansfield
I have seen several concerts at the Xfinity Center, and while it is a great outdoor amphitheater, the parking is absolutely atrocious. One concert I attended, I had my dad drop me off and pick me up because he didn’t work too far from Mansfield at the time. The parking lot claimed to have a drop off and pick up line, but it actually went through the entire parking lot which led to people being blocked in and us being stuck in the line for several hours. It kind of wound up taking away from the experience for me because of how tired and frustrated I was.Â
The venue in general is great! I love how it has several concession stands scattered throughout and the acoustics are pretty good. It’s a great venue for an outdoor summer concert and I’ve enjoyed every show I’ve seen here! I just learned my lesson about the parking situation pretty quickly. The last concert I saw there, my friends and I parked a lot further from the venue itself, but significantly closer to the exit.
6. House of Blues, Boston
This venue is incredibly small. It makes for a really intimate concert with dedicated fans, but I like a bit of a larger crowd when I go to concerts for artists, however, every show I’ve seen here has been amazing! It just depends on what crowd size you like. It also does not have as many amenities. That being said, getting to the venue is easy!Â
5. Leader Bank Pavilion, Boston
4. MGM Music Hall, Boston
3. Fenway Park, Boston
I love Fenway Park for its history and its overall “New England-ness,” but the venue is obviously very old and it shows its age when it hosts concerts. It’s not built for concerts, so a lot of the seats have crazy obstructed views and if you’re not on the field, you feel so far from the stage. Due to the asymmetry, acoustics are also not great if you’re far from the stage, under the roof, or really anywhere in the stands left field. That being said, it is quintessential Boston and seeing artists who are passionate about New England (Noah Kahan!) at Fenway is unforgettable. The skyline at sunset is gorgeous!
2. Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Although infamous for its absolutely atrocious traffic situation, Gillette is a pretty awesome venue. Seeing Taylor Swift here for the Era’s Tour was life changing. You just have to accept that it will take three hours to get there even if you live 30 minutes away and even longer to get home. Paying to park somewhere else is absolutely worth it. It’s also helpful to go with someone who frequents Patriots games because they know all the tricks to get in and out in record time (thanks Dad!).Â
Gillette is an awesome venue simply due to the scale of what artists are able to do at it, huge stages, crazy lights, fireworks, etc. It doesn’t take the top spot for me because of how crowded and overwhelming it can feel at times. Crews do a great job of attempting to mitigate crowds, but having 70,000+ people in one space can naturally get crazy when the artists aren’t on stage and everyone is walking around. Nothing beats hearing 70,000 people sing your favorite songs together though.
- TD Garden, Boston
Perfect. Stunning. No notes. The seating and acoustics are amazing. The set up of concessions and bathrooms is better than Fenway and Gillette in my opinion because the lines are never as long. The arena-style seating also makes it so that you can see and hear from anywhere which I appreciate. The Garden also has its own train station which makes getting in and getting out a breeze. I might be biased because I live 15 minutes from TD Garden and because I’ve seen some of my favorite artists here, but it definitely is my favorite venue because it’s more accessible. The shows are lively and crowded, but with a more intimate vibe than Gillette.