It’s officially summer in Pittsburgh — also known as outdoor music season.
There is no dearth of live music in Pittsburgh, and this is particularly true — or visible — this time of year. The season even kicks off with Make Music Day, dedicated to making music in “every quiet space in Pittsburgh.”
From big-name shows at big venues to acoustic tunes in gardens to local bands in the park, here’s a quick (and by no means definitive) rundown of your options.
See you out there.
The great outdoors
Concert venues
The Frick Art & Historical Center
7227 Reynolds St. (Point Breeze)
Home to the Summer Fridays at the Frick concert series, featuring free family-friendly performances
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: Homewood’s Afro-American Music Institute,The Casual Hobos, and Frickstock
What Yelp has to say
Hartwood Acres Park Amphitheater
4000 Middle Rd. (Allison Park)
Kid-friendly and spacious with a very respectable sound system
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: Mars Jackson, Kurt Vile, and Guster
What Yelp has to say
Highmark Stadium
510 West Station Square Dr. (Station Square)
Soccer stadium-turned-occasional concert venue with a view
Concert calendar — 2019 highlight: Toby Keith
What Yelp has to say
Katz Plaza
Corner of Penn Avenue and 7th Street (Downtown)
Hear the region’s finest jazz musicians in the heart of Downtown
Concert calendar
KeyBank Pavilion
665 PA-18 (Burgettstown)
A very, very big place to see big-name acts — known for tailgating
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: blink-182 and Lil Wayne; Alice Cooper; and Nelly, TLC and Flo Rida
What Yelp has to say
The Lots at Sandcastle
1000 Sandcastle Dr. (West Homestead)
A new concert venue, it’ll host the Pittsburgh Irish Festival this year and what the Post-Gazette dubbed “a mini Warped Tour in Homestead.”
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: Rancid, Pennywise, and Sir Mix-A-Lot, and
Mellon Park
1047 Shady Ave. (Point Breeze)
The setting for the beloved Bach, Beethoven and Brunch Classical Music Series
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Aeolian Winds
What Yelp has to say
Point State Park
601 Commonwealth Place (Downtown)
As picturesque and comfortable as it gets
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: Sean Jones Jazz Day tribute
What Yelp has to say
Rivers Casino Amphitheater
777 Casino Dr. (North Shore)
Find a handful of free outdoor concerts at the casino’s riverside amphitheater
Concert calendar — 2019 highlight: No Bad JuJu
Schenley Plaza
4100 Forbes Ave. (Oakland)
“Oakland’s green oasis” sits in the shadow of the Cathedral of Learning
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: WYEP’s annual Summer Music Festival and this year’s Thrival
What Yelp has to say
Shadyside Nursery
510 Maryland Ave. (Shadyside)
Home to the Weather Permitting concert series
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: Joe Keyes and The Late Bloomer Band
South Park Amphitheater
100 Farmshow Drive (South Park Township)
Get a song in your head and some grass under your feet at these free summer shows
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: Tonic, RaeLynn, and Foghat
What Yelp has to say
Stage AE
400 North Shore Dr. (North Shore)
A small(ish) place to see big-name acts — some shows are indoors, some are outdoors
Concert calendar — 2019 highlights: Fitz and the Tantrums, Third Eye Blind, and Interpol
What Yelp has to say
Festivals
Make Music Pittsburgh Day
Various locations — “every quiet space in Pittsburgh will be filled with live music”
June 21
Festival schedule
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival
Downtown
June 21-23
Festival schedule
Deutschtown Music Festival
North Side
July 12-13
Festival schedule
What events and venues did we miss? Tell us at hello@theincline.com, so we can update the list.
Additional reading
And before we let you go to take advantage of all this, some recommended reading.
- What Pittsburgh Concert Venue are You? (City Paper)
- Why there are no more rock concerts in Point State Park (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Pittsburgh area sports strong summer concert lineup (TribLive)
- 24 concerts you should see in Pittsburgh this June and July (NEXTpittsburgh)
- Does Pittsburgh suddenly have too many concert venues? (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Want to actually hear the music at an outdoor concert? How to find the best seat. (Washington Post)