Live Music in Greater Des Moines

When it comes to live music, Greater Des Moines rocks. It has become one of the best places in the Midwest to see concerts and live music with an array of venues to fit every size, genre, and mood. Stay in the know with our monthly feature called The Set List, highlighting the top shows for each upcoming month. And our handy concert calendar will be music to your ears, helping you find everything that sounds good. The stage is set for good times!

Arenas    

The 17,000-seat Wells Fargo Arena is the premier concert venue in Iowa, attracting big name artists such as Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Elton John, Pink, and Cardi B just to name a few. Here you’ll find the big spectacle shows that won’t stop anywhere else in the state, with the venue consistently ranking in the top 100 worldwide in terms of concert attendance. For a memorable experience that rocks, there are few better places than the “Well”.

Theaters and Concert Halls  

Greater Des Moines is chock full of mid-size theaters and concert halls, each with its own history and vibe. For history, you can’t go wrong with the 1,252-seat Hoyt Sherman Place in Sherman Hill. For more than 100 years, this Victorian theater with plush velvet seating and unparalleled acoustics has hosted intimate shows from everyone from Louis Armstong to Sturgill Simpson. From old to new, Vibrant Music Hall in Waukee is the latest addition to the music scene and so far, it’s made quite an impression. There’s not a bad seat among the 3,300 in this state-of-the-art facility that has attracted the likes of The Black Crowes and Maren Morris. Val Air Ballroom opened in 1939 as an open-air dance hall and has a place among the National Register of Historic Places. The outside neon signs scream retro, but the inside acoustics sound decidedly modern thanks to a 2024 renovation. Located in Clive, the Horizon Events Center holds around 3,000 people for concerts that include 90’s faves like 311 and Papa Roach. 

Clubs  

There’s something special about seeing a band in the confines of a club with a few hundred of your sweatiest friends. Wooly’s in the East Village is the epitome of that, with a great beer selection at the bar, taxidermy on the walls, and the “next big thing” on the stage. xBk Live is even more intimate, and a place where performers can take chances and attendees are rewarded when they go along for the ride. Speaking of intimacy, fewer things say “date night” quite like a cozy jazz club, and that’s what you’re getting at Noce in the Western Gateway, with interior that takes you back to a time and place that doesn’t exist anymore. Lefty’s Live Music is small but mighty, offering up amazing acoustics for a small space; all the better to bang your head to.  

Performing Arts Centers 

If musical theater and opera are more your jam, we’ve got world class venues for that too. The Des Moines Civic Center was one of the first stops on the Hamilton tour and continues to punch above its weight class with shows like Les Misérables and Beetlejuice; not to mention being home to the Des Moines Symphony. Everyone sings the praises of the Des Moines Metro Opera in Indianola, where each summer, they put on performances with world class performers across the country at the intimate Pote Theater at Blank Performing Arts Center.  

Festivals and Outdoors   

One of the original music festivals in the state, 80/35 Music Festival is a two-day festival every July that has attracted stars like Lizzo (before she was LIZZO), Charlie XCX, and Weezer. It recently moved to Waterworks Park, where Lauridsen Amphitheater hosts acts like Willie Nelson and Incubus year-round. To find one of the hottest festivals in the entire country, head 30 miles south to rural St. Charles for the impossibly hip Hinterland Music Festival. Each August, fans flock to the beautiful countryside with their tents to camp out for the 3-day festival and listen to up-and-comers like Noah Kahan, Orville Peck, and Chappell Roan under the stars. And if you want stars, make sure to check annual concert events at the Iowa Speedway and Iowa State Fairgrounds, during the INDY and NASCAR races and Iowa State Fair, respectively. Both draw huge names that are just as epic as their host events.