I've been to a lot of venues in Seattle, but the Paramount really stands out. Not just because it's a historic venue. Not just because it has a bright sign. Not just because it's classy and beautiful. It's because there's a story there to be told, and an experience to be had from start to finish. First off, getting in did not take very long at all. Unlike other venues you may visit, the process to get in the door is quick and efficient. There's a simple bag check and pat down, and you're in. Bathrooms are on the bottom floor, and the line can get quite long. A good amount of stalls. There are multiple bar areas, and I love getting to the actual theatre part. The seats are arranged in such a way that if there's someone taller seated in front of you, you're still able to see over their heads. The audio is good, and they have great lighting. I've been here for a couple events and always have a great time. Last night in particular, it was a general admission for the seating, which was a little weird, but it worked. I'd recommend getting a seat in front of a railing so if people start standing up, it's easier to see. It's in downtown, so you could pay to park, or you could just park a couple blocks away on the street for free. I look forward to returning! read more

See all

The Paramount Theatre in Seattle is a gorgeous venue, and looking up at the ceiling is a radiant experience. It's Seattle's version of the Sistine Chapel, and it channels the Roaring Twenties in all its gilded opulence and optimism. Almost a hundred years after it opened as a movie theater, this turns out to be a pretty terrific place to see a rock concert. It's like a compact version of the Warfield in San Francisco, which was built around the same time. Depending on the act, you can sit in assigned seating (I hear the seats are old and small) or a floor pulls out converting the theater into a standing room only venue, which was the set up for the show I went to. The later makes more sense for a general admission audience and despite a near sold out crowd, the floor space feels neither cramped nor jam-packed. (BTW, you can park fairly easily at nearby 7th and Pine --there are a couple of pay-for lot options that are easy walking distance to the venue.) The haunting melodies of Interpol's El Pintor album were right at home here, and while the venue's decor illuminates the setting, the music, darkened auditorium and water undulating light show turned this spot into an atmospheric, rippling echo chamber. This is great place to see a concert in Seattle, especially a very good one. read more

Paramount Theatre - Paul Banks at the Paramount. - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Book of Mormon was the play..... and this is not about that. My wife ordered tickets through her school district so we were not able to choose where we sat and unaware that there are many bad seats available in this historic venue. We did not enjoy any part of the play as we could not see the actors on the stage! My wife and I were seated in row CC with seats 7 & 8. I had a fantastic view of the full head of hair directly in front of me! Being in the center of the theater, our seats were not staggered or elevated at all so I could lean to the left or right in order to look around her head and see the back of the heads in the next row in front of her (she was not any taller than me). Seems the slight rise in floor elevation stops about 5 rows in front of us and both of us being short, all we saw for $100 a ticket was the occasional glimpse of a small part of the stage when someone ahead of us moved or tilted their head. I have been to many plays and theaters over my 60+ years and have never paid so much for such poor limited visibility seats! The only way I could see the center part of the stage and any of the play activity would be if I were standing up! (The person behind me would not tolerate that either). Imagine watching a TV show with the middle 80% blocked from view and that was our Paramount experience. After reading other reviews about the Paramount, I expected a better venue than this! Yes the acoustics were good, the seats were comfortable and the ceiling was beautiful. I just could not see any of the activity on the stage! I will never pay good money to be inside the Seattle Paramount again unless I am guaranteed seating in the first 15 rows. read more

Paramount Theatre - standing up, I can see the stage. Sitting gives me a great view of a head! - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I attended the Paramount for the first time on 2/27, and it's a great venue. Although older, this theatre is a great location to see a comedian, musical, or band. The acoustics are fab. We were seated in the last row on the bottom section and heard everything perfectly. The seating is old school theatre seats where you are slopping downwards, the armrests don't move and you get cozy to your chubby neighbor but nothing to complain about here. The ceiling and walls have lovely art deco designs, and the curtains on the sidelines add to the ambiance. The ushers were friendly, and although someone wasn't happy that she wasn't allowed to take her beer outdoors, the staff was still professional about it. There's not an elevator so if you get seats in the balcony, be prepared to climb. Also, the restrooms are two floors down from the main floor and no elevator to them either. read more

The three most important words of this review are: Wine Sippy Cups. Need I go on? To elaborate, this theatre has some pretty fantastic musicals which are made even more fantastic by the fact that they sell their wine in sippy cups and you can take them in with you! We've seen Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera here, both were excellent. Great costumes, excellent musical talent, pretty decent seats available throughout the theatre. The male lead for Phantom was truly incredible, I still walk around singing Angel of the Night as people walk by me and the husband pretends he doesn't know me. Not only does this place put on a great show, but it is beautiful inside. It has two concession stand locations to help with lines at intermission which are usually pretty long still, but not as bad as the bathroom line. They have a good variety of wine and other beverages available at the concession stands before and at intermission. Buying my girls a round of wine sippy cups and a chocolate bar stands as one of the most influential moments of our friendship. You can also bring them back with you to every show you attend. They are also handy at home for measuring how drunk the husband thinks I am, if he hands me the sippy cup I know I'm getting cut off. Between the beautiful facility, great selection of musicals, and relatively reasonable ticket prices, this makes for a fun date night or a night out with friends. read more

The Paramount NW is the real deal of old theaters. I'm glad over the years the've restored and kept up the original look of the theater while giving it some modern improvements as well. I prefer the seated shows for 2 reasons. #1 the sound is much better & #2 seats are better than standing for 3 hours. Over the years I've been to many concerts & broadway shows and have never experienced a negative concert experiance. As for broadway plays I'd recommend getting seats on the main floor verse the balcony. read more

See all

If you have a short torso, be careful when choosing seats further back, especially on the mezzanine. I would suggest you pick like the first row of the section to ensure no one is blocking your view. I sat in the back row of our section during a show and had to keep moving as everyone sat forward also trying to overlook everyone else. The theater is lovely to look at and the workers are friendly to approach. Navigating to the theater is no issue via the Link Light Rail. Overall, this is a beautiful theater. But like with any theater, there will be issues with bathroom queuing and feeling like a sardine once the show lets out. So do your business early and wait a little after the show gets out to avoid being squished :) read more

Came for Hamilton and the staff were very organized for how busy it was. Getting out was smooth as well. Beautiful interior

Paramount Theatre has the best the best shows in town. Broadway musicals come through Seattle all the time. This holiday season I saw The Lion King on Broadway. It was the best show I've experienced. The Theatre itself is a historical landmark. It was built in the early 1900's and has more recently been renovated to it original state. The Theatre is BEAUTIFUL. It's truly a piece of art. Do yourself a favor and take a tour of it, the tour convinced me to start seeing shows at the Theatre. read more

Paramount Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Aaaahhhh, The Paramount... you are a beautiful venue. I even adore you more that I can take the light rail and walk a few short mini blocks to visit you! You shine hosting musicals, concerts, comedians, dramatic plays. I don't even mind your employers reminding me and others not to take pictures inside your theatre. Your glistening chandeliers, painted face, acoustics, and okay seating comfort keeps me coming back to visit you. I'm glad you call Seattle your home! read more

The theater is so classic! It has good sound surrounding! The atmosphere feels so artsy and ancient, in a good way! Every time we go there, it has always been a good experience. The bathroom is downstairs. The safety check includes a metal detector. The staff is helpful to find seats. Second floor is a bit far, but can still have a good viewing. The theater was really warm, actually it was too warm. It would be nicer to cool it down a bit. Parking is very very difficult, and official associated parking is difficult to find with one-way streets. read more

Paramount Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We went to see Hamilton at the Paramount Theater and had someone in our party with mobility issues. The staff were fantastic and helped us make sure they were able to enter early and easily find and use the ADA restroom. The cast and performance were bucket list fantastic and so worth the special trip from Alaska just to see it. I highly recommend this theater and their staff and the production!!!! read more

Beautiful older theatre that has had renovations within the past 25 years. Broadway shows and concert venue. Very comfortable and has concession including bar inside. read more

Came back this weekend to see "Wicked" and it was fabulous! My only complaint about the theater is that depending on the seats, leg room can be quite limiting, and I'm not even that tall. I found myself squirming around a bit, because my legs were uncomfortable. The sound system was great - we were on the mezzanine level, but we were still able to hear everything so clearly (even though we couldn't see the performers' faces.) I love the large venue and decor too. read more

Paramount Theatre - Wicked! - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We recently went to the Paramount to see "Once" and I am really amazed at how well preserved and beautiful the inside of this building is. It screams Roaring 20's, but is so contemporary at the same time. It really is beautiful in the general décor and vibrancy. Crank your neck up and take a gander at the ceilings in the lobby as well as the auditorium. As for the performance, the stage appeared to be just the right size for the case of about 8-10 people. It really provided a focal point instead of having to scan the stage to find the performers. We sat in the seats on the other sides of the curtains which are a little higher than the general seating and since you're raised up, you don't have anything impeding your view of the stage. The only thing I didn't like about the seats is that there wasn't hardly any leg room to stretch your legs out, but that was very minor compared to the overall experience. The volunteers were very friendly and knowledgeable and really put a smile on our face even before the performance started. They are also very helpful in keeping people abreast of the time left during intermission. I thought that the bathrooms would run quite slow during intermission but actually things moved really fast for the line to the men's room. The ladies line was much longer but it still wasn't too bad for my friend although it was a little warmer and slightly smelly downstairs near the bathrooms. They had a decent selection of local and non-local adult beverages to quench your thirst while you waited or during intermission. You could even put your drink order in prior to intermission and they had it waiting on a table just outside the auditorium. Now that's service! I will definitely be back to see another performance as this was a really nice experience overall. read more

See all

Great Whisky Myers concert unfortunately we had to miss a lot of it because the line to get a drink was 40 minutes long all night. 1 server on our floor. They must do something about this. Everyone was complaining. People were mad and yelling at them. They also made you spend and extra 4 dollars for your drink if you wanted to take it to your seat and gave you a worthless plastic cup everyone was throwing away. It is always like this at the Paramount. You would think they would see the problem and fix it. Maybe have a couple of ice chests per floor where you can just grab a beer and not make everyone stand in the long lines or hire more help. read more

A classic theatre in Seattle. The interior is magnificent, reminiscent of grand theaters you'd find in other big cities. We've seen a wide variety of shows and performances, most recently Waitress (phenomenal). They do a good job of moving the crowd, getting through the ticket line, locating your seat & exiting. Pro-tip: restroom lines are long. The women's moved at a pretty good pace but patience is needed. read more

While the theater is beautiful and historical, it is not very accessible. There is very little leg room and there were no speakers in the upper mezzanine. We came for a comedy show and couldn't hear it. They also opened the doors an hour late because there was an earlier show. There were only 2 places to buy drinks with super long lines and they barely gave any time to get a drink before the show started. read more

I love going to this theater but there is no enforcement of the mask mandate. Once inside, patrons take masks off and no one does a thing. I probably will not continue to spend money on shows here-- no matter how wonderful-- till they get this under control. read more

This is a is a great venue with a few downsides. Firstly, the lobby is rather small. I fully understand the age of this theater, it is most likely the reason for the smaller lobby. It is very small, you almost cannot move to get through to the actual stage area. Not the biggest issue. However, the biggest issue that I had was actually during the show. We attended Dancing With The Stars Live, the seats we had were great. Only problem, about 4 routines into the show, the two people with seats right next to me were late showing up. They were confused as a worked had come and sat in their seats. The ushers had to come down the row, making everyone stand up due to the small tight rows, blocking the view and also not preventing us from enjoying the show. They then walked back out and the two people were able to get to their seats. Again hassling and interrupting us from the show. The late seating should have never happened, especially during the show. Find a break in the set as there was times that would have been better suited for that. It was overall a small blip on the night but an annoyance that could have been prevented. read more

Outstanding venue! Have seen many plays here over the years, and it's consistently wonderful. Seats are comfortable, sound and acoustics are great and staff is really friendly. I've seen Phantom Of The Opera multiple times here and across the country, and the Paramount experience is still my favorite. Not sure if it's even possible, but it gets better each and every time I'm here. Kudos! read more

I have loved the Paramount Theater since first moving here five years ago. When the opportunity to join the Paramount Club became an option I jumped at it as a gift for my girlfriend and we had an amazing season with the birthday gift that just kept on giving. The snacks in the lounge were always tasty and nothing beats loge seating. Truly a wonderful venue. read more

Theater was amazing!!!!! We sat right side L and we got a good view. Next time we want to try upstairs middle

I've been a season ticket holder here for two years for their Broadway shows and have also attended a couple of concerts and stand-up performances and the Paramount continues to be one of my preferred Seattle theaters. Agree that it's such a classic spot in downtown and that it has charm oozing out of its walls and ceiling. They've added more security measures over the past 6 months so be forewarned that yes there are metal detectors and stricter bag size rules (supposedly you aren't allowed to bring a bag bigger than 8in x 12 in but I've seen some people stretch the rules a bit). But, even if the line is extending past the venue, the staff here is friendly and efficient and the line does move quite fast. I've found that the orchestra section has pretty great acoustics and due to the slight incline of the seating that I've been able to see the stage despite being 5' 4", which is really nice. Balcony seating is also inclined so I was able to see pretty where from up there too, but I did think that the sound wasn't quite as good. Recently renovated women's bathroom (a light renovation with a few more added stalls) helps with congestion pre-show and during intermission but my pro tip is to head straight to the bathroom before concessions if you have to go as there is always a line. read more

It is really difficult to get tickets to any of the events at the Paramount Theater. You have to go through TicketMaster or STG or their ticket window. Since there is no easy parking near the ticket window or you have to pay for an expensive parking lot, getting tickets online is probably the best option. That means paying expensive TicketMaster and STG fees. Also ticket lines are long at the shows and they do little to help solve this problem. The theater itself is beautiful! The seats are cramped and not very comfortable. read more

The acoustics in this theater are not suited to amplified concerts. I went to War on Drugs the other night and I was appalled by the sound quality. The theater has history, and is quaint and all but, I won't ever spend hard earned cash on a concert there ever again. read more

We went to "Sofi Tukker - The wet Tennis tour" on 1/4/2023 at Paramount theatre. I like this theatre because it is a historical and one of oldest buildings in Seattle. However, my experience from last night was bad. First, drink prices are insane and one Bartender is very rude. I ordered Champagne. It says $25 on the menu and it doesn't say what kind of champagne. It just says "Champagne- $25". I thought it was 750ml bottle or at least, 375ml bottle. So, I asked him what kind of Champagne and what size. He started to get annoyed with my friends and I when we asked some questions and rushing us to order. I looked behind us and there is no one behind us. However, some reason, he acted like there was long line behind us. He didn't even give me a time to think about it. So, I rushed to order. Finally, we got our drinks from him. He handed my champagne in reusable cup. I was shocked when I saw how much champagne was in the cup. It was about 150-187ml. I posted photos on this review as reference. I looked at my cup and then looked at him. He said "okay. I didn't make this price. It is not from me. Bye." I was too shocked and had to go back to seat since the show was about to start but I should've had talk to some of Paramount employees about this. At least, post description of champagne on the menu. Also, train the bartender to not be rude to people next time. Second, this theatre is not meant for dance/electronic music type of show. When audiences was starting to dance like in the club/festival, I started to smell sweat and strong body odor.. The air ventilation system isn't good in there for that... I hope the Paramount theatre sees this review and improves few things like I mentioned. read more

Paramount Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

REVIEW FOR A ROCK CONCERT ON A SUNDAY NIGHT: The is a beautiful theater and probably one of the best and biggest space in Seattle to see a show. You are truly Seattle when you have been to many a shows here. DON'T BE SURPRISED IF PEOPLE DO NOT STAND OR ROCK OUT on the 3rd floor balcony. I was very confused on the policy of dancing and rocking out. It seems like some security and staff are allowing folks to dance in aisle and some are not. I was standing and dancing with my date and the 5 people in front of me were also standing and dancing for the headliner. It was so weird that other folks who wanted to stand and rock out migrated toward us so we could all rock out in the same general area. Then the fun police (basically one staff only bothering our section multiple times) shut that down quick. Then I was sad. Sad for the bad and sad for out little fun corner that was not split up. Anyway hope this was a one time thing. And a to the crowd...Seattle...a tip...stand more. Dance more...I promise it will be worth it. read more

Love this venue - great shows / musicals and close to lots of good restaurants. Came here for the Aladdin musical and had a blast. Aladdin has been my 2nd favorite musical thus far at the paramount. It's filled w good musical and hilarious lines from the genie. I really liked how they incorporated some of the Disney classics (ex. Music from beauty and the beast). My favorite musical at the paramount has been Wicked (must see). The checkin / entry at the theater is pretty quick - I was able to download my tickets to my iPhone. Swing by for a show and stop by a local restaurant for dinner (Tango is excellent and within walking distance - try their paella). read more

This was my fourth Phantom. I loved the set changes, the cast, and the costumes. All actors were superb. I highly recommend.

I went here to see Ali Wong last night and enjoyed myself. The staff was friendly and the theater is big and open (much bigger than the Moore). We were able to get drinks pretty quickly considering the crowds and found our seats fast. The decor is beautiful and decadent but the furniture on some floors are kind of funny and look like they got them from different eras or thrift stores. Also the seats seem kind of old and the person I went with actually had a seat with 10% cushion compared to mine. You could definitely tell it was used/old. Also of the angle of the seats aren't the best, so if you are short it will be hard to see above the people in front of you. There was one guy who was blocking part of the show for me. Overall, there is a lot of history in this beautiful theater but I agree with some others who say this place needs a revamp. read more

Visited the Paramount for the first time recently for a concert and had a good experience for the concert. We got there about 20 min to the show starting and while there was a line, they checked everyone's vaccination cards and got people in very quickly. My main frustration with the experience is with the bar. Fortunately a friend had warned me to avoid ordering wine there due to the very small pour sizes, so I opted for beer instead. You do get a full can, but heads up you can't take it in to the theater without buying the special cup. I get that drink prices at events are more, but had I not known about this policy ahead of time, I'd be very annoyed if I was told to chug my drink because it wasn't allowed inside. At least you can bring it back in the future to reuse, if you remember it that is. read more

A beautiful classic old theater where we attend Broadway Series shows. We have been there many times and it is time to point out some of its obvious shortcomings, mostly related to age. The bathrooms are downstairs and while the men's room is adequate, the lines for the ladies room is out the door and up the stairs at every intermission. Ladies, if you don't go before the show, don't plan on doing it later. There are no elevators to the restrooms or to the upper floors so if you have any mobility problems, you are out of luck unless you book on the main floor and don't plan to use the bathroom. The stairways to the bathrooms and up to the mezzanine levels are dark and carpeted in dark red carpet, making it difficult to see the steps. We have usually been seated on the main floor but for this recent show, we were in mezzanine 14 G3,4. The seats were difficult to get to, poorly marked and by far, the most uncomfortable seats I have ever occupied in any theater, anywhere. There is no reason to believe any of the other mezzanine seats are any better. In addition to being narrow, like an airline seat, they were very low and the space to the next seat was more cramped than the worst airline seat I have ever occupied. At 77, with 2 knee replacements and wearing an ankle brace, my knees were uncomfortably bent up near my chest and I was in pain for much of the show. This was never the case down on the main floor. Given recent events, I should be thankful that the Paramount survived but I am not sure I will survive the next 4 shows in those seats. On a positive note, they did a good job of checking vaccination certificates outside the theater although some checkers just looked at the cards and did not check ID to see if the person presenting the card was who they said they were. Entry with electronic tickets on my phone went smoothly but they opened the doors 1 hour ahead of the show to make sure they could check all the patron's vaccination status but they did not open the doors to the hall until 25 minutes before the show. This created a huge traffic jam of people packed in the mail lobby like sardines with no social distancing possible. read more

What an amazing experience. Not only are the shows incredible, but it feels like you are stepping back into time when you set foot in the Paramount. Entering and exiting are quick, however; word of warning. Go to the bathroom prior. The lines are ridiculously long, but not enough to lower the rate (although close). See a performance here. You won't be disappointed. read more

See all

I have been to the Paramount Theatre several times for musicals and concerts. It is a great place to see any entertainment. The lines before performances can be long, so it pays to arrive early. When you get in, if you want a drink head right for one of the bars. They allow you to bring drinks into theater with an adult sippy cup--and you can ask for a double. The seats are comfortable and most have a good view of the stage. I really like the sound--in particular I heard both Brian Wilson and Elvis Costello at different times and they sounded incredible. One thing they need to fix is the bathroom situation. The men's toilets are not too bad, but the situation for women is horrible. If you are a woman and need to go, I would sprint there when intermission starts. read more

Great place to see a show like we did today Hamilton. Best show ever a must see. I recommend everyone should see once.

The Paramount is such a beautiful venue. Feels like it's full of history and filled with lots of intricate detailing throughout the theater! They always attract the best shows! With a wide range of variety. Some of my all time favorite performances took place here; from Sam Smith to Aladdin, Wicked and Kaskade and Hamilton is coming?!! Whaattt?? Such a beautiful collection of arts have been hosted here it's hard not to love this place. My only vice is that when there is assigned seating, it doesn't matter how great my seats are or how much $$$ I spend.. There's a 75% chance I can't see over the person in front of me. I don't remember having this issue at theaters in NY or even Vegas. Other then that the Paramount is one of my favorite places to be! read more

See all

Beautiful venue!!! Went to see Love Never Dies. It was amazing! Beautiful singing, gorgeous sets and costumes. I watched Phantom of the Opera before going to see this so that the story was fresh in my mind. (It helped for sure!) A negative was that it was hot in the theatre. Wished that there was a better cooling system in there. Since this was my only visit here, I did over hear people saying that it is pretty common that it is either hot or cold in there. read more

Paramount Theatre - Beautiful stage! - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

This was my second Paramount experience. The first time we sat in the 3rd balcony, they should really call it the nose bleeds, and I had wished I brought bonoculars. This time I knew better and opted to sit as close to the front of the section as I could, without breaking the bank. I've been to too many shows where a very tall person becomes an obstruction and my mother being just barely 5 foot I was very concerned we'd run into issues with the seat incline. Thankfully we lucked out with the couple in front of us and the 2nd mezzanine provided a decent view of the whole stage. We were in the second row of section 24, if we had we been in the front row we'd have had more interuption as the ushers came by with late commers. I'll agree with fellow yelpers that the seat cushions could stand to be improved and while gorgeous the interior is a bit dated. There also is no elevator so be prepared to climb as you head to any of the balconies. All in all the show was fantastic, the sound carried well and the Paramount is still a timeless experience in Seattle. read more

See all

The theater itself and acoustics are great. The only issue I have with the Paramount is they sell beer, wine and mixed drinks. Ou just buy their $4 plastic glass to drink it during the show. Really? No one wants to take that crappy glass home or bring it back to another show. Poor business model of you have to have your patrons buy a cheap glass to have a drink. Sad. read more