This is the best kept secret in Chicago for a music venue. I love love the restored old hall. The sound quality was excellent and the restaurant Dusek is amazing. Parking is a block away - easy in easy out. Unless they are shooting Chicago Fire. I can't wait to see another show here. read more

Went to Thalia Hall last weekend for Dave Chappelle stand up. Dave was amazing, but Thalia Hall was really really bad. Showed up at 515 because the ticket confirmation email said that will-call opens for ticket pick-up at 530. When I arrived there was already a line around the block, but no big deal. When the line finally starts moving I ultimately get to the front. Instead of an actual "will-call" window there are people handing out wrist bands - aka tickets. I was then told that I am not able to obtain my wrist bands/admission tickets without my entire party being present. Well this would have been tremendous information to share in THE TICKET PURCHASE EMAIL CONFIRMATION! What a joke. I planned to arrive as early as possible to grab my tickets so that when my friend arrived we would not have to wait and just enter with our tickets. WRONG - instead I get to the front of the line, stand there for 30 minutes and then have to get my wrist bands. Additionally, once you're in the venue there is extremely limited seating. For a venue that holds 800 there were approximately 200 seats. WHO THE HELL WANTS TO STAND TO LISTEN TO COMEDY?!!?! Are you on crack? Try standing for over 2 hours and see how your feet and back feel afterwards. It should also be noted that a week prior to the show I went to the Hall's website for more information. Not getting all of my questions answered from the FAQ section it says to email them for any additional questions. I do and get ZERO response. I hate this venue and will never return, even if a show is free. read more

Fantastic new venue! The space fits a decent sized crowd and the sound isn't bad. There are two bars on the main floor, one just for beer and a shot and the other fully stocked with local brews on draft for only $6 each. They take credit cards and believe it or not you can even open a tab. The security at check in was a bit hard, they took my pepper spray and gave everyone a full rub down, I thought it was a bit much! The women's bathroom is on the top floor and there was no wait during a sold out show, always a good sign. I'll definitely be back. read more

Thalia Hall - Chandelier in the main staircase - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I am not one to leave reviews on a regular basis. Aside from being an excellent venue for intimate shows with great sound quality. The staff is the best I have encountered at any music theater in all of Chicago. I was there recently with my girlfriend who fainted due to a medical issue. The staff was so accommodating and sincere that it threw me off. Several staff members were over concerned and check in on us to make sure we were okay. We were originally in the pit, however, due to the heat they kindly gave us seating on the balcony. After which they checked on us again to see if there was anything they can do. I have seen a lot of shows and encountered venue staff and often times found them to be rude and insensitive. I truly do commend the Thalia hall staff and their hospitality. If you get the chance to see an artist that you like here, you should! read more

In a short amount of time Thalia Hall has become my preferred place to catch a show in Chicago. I don't have much of anything negative to say about the experience from start to finish. First, you can enjoy a meal at Dusek's or drinks at Punch House prior to the show. I haven't stopped in Dusek's yet, but Punch House has some unique and tasty cocktails that they also serve at Thalia's bar if you don't make it early enough. The entry process is always smooth with a quick search and friendly staff on hand for will call. A nice touch is their blackboard which artfully announces the night's artists. The remodeling of this classic room was done very well. While you can tell the building is very old, most of the rough edges have been smoothed out giving the everything an updated feel. An extensive list of craft beers (and the aforementioned Punch House cocktails) is listed on another large blackboard. There's rarely much of a line and drinks are always reasonably priced for a Chicago music venue. One of the best parts of seeing a show here is that it never feels oversold. Even at sold out shows their is room to comfortably mingle on the outer edges or wander to a closer vantage point if you desire. I also enjoy the different formats they employ, whether it be available seats for older acts/crowds like Mavis Staples or their "In the Round" series for indie acts such as Hinds. My only small gripe would be that I don't understand the separate tickets for the balcony. It seems that the crowd would even out on its own, but if the system keeps the crowds as is then so be it. If there's an artist or band you even somewhat like I highly recommend catching them at Thalia. For bonus points you can explore the Pilsen neighborhood before or after. There's taco joints galore. read more

Went to see comedian Jen Kirkman at Thalia. Great little venue. Beautiful architecture, reasonably priced drinks, excellent views of the stage from any seat/angle, friendly and patient security and box office folks, and (most importantly) clean bathrooms with plenty of stalls. We sat in the balcony with a great view of the stage. Balcony seats are at enough of a pitch so everyone can see even if you're behind a taller person (at 4'11" this matters to me), and the stage is also taller than most venues, so you'll have a view even if you're on the floor and would normally have trouble, as I do every time. Ordered a tequila and soda from the bar. $8, healthy pour. And of course, the bathrooms have enough stalls to accommodate many women at once, so you won't have to worry about missing a huge chunk of the show when your bladder starts screaming. read more

I love this venue so much. I've come here a handful of times now and have had great experiences. Staff is great! Seriously. Honestly, the highlight of my concert attending year has got to be when the male bouncer complimented my nails while searching through my purse. Whaaaaaaaaaaatttt! Last night they had "grab bag beer" for $4, which was pretty amusing. Their draft cider was GARBAGE. I was surprised it wasn't vandermill like they have downstairs. I wish I had a natty ice. I've made jokes that the women's bathrooms are upstairs because of the patriarchy throwing more obstacles our way... but really I think it's to make it more spacious. Driving through Pilsen and seeing all these beautiful murals, I secretly wish one would be drawn on the walls of this place. Such a blank canvas. read more

Went here a couple years ago and will never come back. Security was overly aggressive and even pulled us into an interrogation-like room just for breaking one rule. That's not ok. read more

Chicago has tons of music halls, so I would say you don't need to frequent this one, but in reality, the performer selects the venue and if you are a fan of that performer you have no choice but to frequent Thalia Hall. But any performer thinking of booking this venue should know there is a chance that their fans will be treated like garbage by Thalia Hall's security! The security industry is a safe haven for individuals deemed too mentally unstable or physically deficient to be REAL police officers or members of the military, so I'm sure we have all encountered a few guards power tripping over the sole discretion to deny entry to a venue. I try to prepare by reading the venue's website to see what items are banned, Thalia Hall doesn't bother to list anything specifically that you can't bring in, except outside drinks (they are VERY prepared to make sure that you only drink their overpriced drinks!) so it is the security guards alone that can decide which of your personal items is DANGEROUS and force you to remove them. Now, there is a chance this only happened to me because I am black, the show I attended had a 99% female audience, so I don't think I was singled out for being female, but I was 1 of maybe only 4 black people in attendance, so...ya know. They took every single item out of my bag (which was not required of every attendee) and decided one of my keychains was dangerous, wouldn't explain why or answer any of my questions (this would mean treating me like a human, or I dunno, a paying customer) and confiscated it. The keychain is specifically designed to be safe for security checks, I have traveled with it and entered numerous federal buildings with it with no problems, it was even plastic, not metal and the same size as a marker. But I had friends with me and I had our tickets and we were holding up the line and I'm polite Midwesterner who doesn't want to inconvenience others, so I just remained calm and tried to get over the loss (it was a $20 keychain okay!), figuring they have some rule I didn't see and I'll re-read the website later. However, once we got inside a saw a lot of girls happily wandering about with their self-sticks, an item frequently and reasonably banned from a lot of venues, so it seems like Thalia Hall doesn't actually rules, only racial bias. There may arise a time when you have to go to Thalia Hall against your will or maybe you even want to go for some reason (I don't know your life) and if N*SYNC happens to put on a reunion concert there, even I will be forced to darken their door again, but at least try to avoid the guard who took my stuff, he is a big dumb looking mofo, 6ft tall with a beard. Ask to be searched by someone else and you don't have to give an explanation as to why since he won't answer any of your questions either. I did email them regarding the issue and never received a reply, so they are aware of the problem and apparently don't care, so assume it is an ongoing issue, there is no way it is isolated to just one employee. read more

Very good place to see a concert. They get some very solid acts that come through and there is not a bad seat in the house. The auditorium is on the second floor and includes a balcony above it. There are a few bars spread out throughout the building which all have a good variety of drinks. The bathrooms are very clean and the staff was friendly. The only shortcoming here is that parking can be difficult but they do offer a valet service for 15 read more

Killer venue thru and thru! Great acts, great staff, so much to do before and after IN the building! One stop shop. read more

Thalia Hall is my favorite venue in the world. The acoustics are great for all types of music (I've seen doom metal, country, indie rock, punk; all sounded great) but what's really important here is all of the things they do that most venues don't: 1. The staff is incredibly friendly, from bartenders to security to everyone else. They treat you with respect. 2. There is abundant free water everywhere. 3. They don't oversell. I've been to several sold out shows here and I never get that same gross, cramped feeling I get at other venues. 4. They typically sell the balcony and floor as separate sections.This means that the balcony can remain a chill-out section for those who don't want to do the whole floor thing. the Punch Bowl is also a fantastic place to grab drinks before or after a show. I haven't been to Dusek's yet, but I hear good things. read more

To be honest I had never heard of Thalia Hall until earlier this week. One of my favorite bands played a show here so we got our first look at the place. I prefer smaller venue concerts so Thalia fit the bill. The main floor holds maybe 1000 standing and there are two bars and a few seats. The balcony is smaller and holds an additional 300 or so I'm guessing. Balcony seats are first come first serve so you'll want to arrive early if you want a specific seat. Note that most seats are standard but some are bench style. Doors open here an hour prior to the show. Acoustically, Thalia played loud as we've seen Nada Surf at another venue and their music didn't amplify quite as hard. Not that this was a problem, I felt the music carried well in the auditorium. Their light show was well orchestrated and added to the experience. Tickets for the band we saw were $30 apiece..pretty standard.. They have three separate bars and ample bar-back coverage. Bathrooms were easy to get to and clean. They also have a separate room for concert gear, my only gripe was it was impossible to get to after the show. Overall I really enjoyed the venue. We'll be back. Cheers! read more

Ventured to this one of a kind theater in December for a needtobreathe concert. The show was amazing, their first acoustic show. This was aided by the wonderful acoustics of the hall. Tickets were very reasonably priced, and the doors opened when advertised. The area around the venue was great to get a bite to eat. Parking was a breeze with their lot. We will definitely check their show list to see any band there. read more

Thalia Hall - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Brand spankin' new awaiting the goofballs to tag up all the soulless restrooms. But hopefully it doesn't come to that. What we have here is potential to become one of the most beautiful and accessible venues in the area -- and boy are the owners doing it right. Slick decor, reasonably priced drinks, and a 'good enough' sound system begging to be pushed to the limit. This place rocks, no doubt. Minor qualm goes to the A/C system which likes to drop water on people the entire duration of the show. But this could also be taken as a good thing, depending on who's playing. read more

Dude, this is how a venue is supposed to run. Take note, other venues. They have enough seating so if you get there late, you still have a seat in the balcony. I love this place. I would totally come here for any event. I am a huge fan, they have a tasty restaurant attached and a killer bar. The thing that stands out the most is how there are good cushioned seats, cushioned hard backed non-armrest seats for the late comers, and a straight up bench if you are crazy late. But all provide a great view of the stage. All from the balcony. Man. Love it. Staff is competent and move you through quickly and without pause. I want to go to a lot more shows here. Great acoustics also. read more

I attended the amazing Cloud Nothings show at Thalia a few weeks ago. I almost didn't get in though. I had bought tix on stubhub and the seller double-sold the tickets and when I called stubhub, the show was sold out and there was nothing they could do. An employee, I think his name was Brandon, was working that night, overhead the stubhub issue, came out while I was pacing outside on the phone and asked if stubhub could redeem the tickets. When I said no, he offered to see what he could do and as it happened two people were unable to use their tickets and he let my friend and I in. Thalia has is a great space for an amazing shows, and professional smooth service. The staff is attentive and considerate and goes above and beyond. Drink lines were short, there were no bottlenecks, everything flowed. Thalia rocks read more

I unfortunately have yet to catch an actual concert at Thalia Hall, but it's an entertainment priority! I have been here several times, however, for various pop-up events and markets such as last night's Sauced Takes Thalia, and love the space! It's very cool that Thalia Hall hosts so many community events when bands aren't onstage - free neighborhood yoga, community Easter Egg Hunt, artisan markets, and so on! First off, Dusek's on the main level is BOMB for brunch, haven't been yet for dinner but would imagine it's just as good. Punch House in the basement definitely has the 70's hipster living room vibe. And the owners have now added the Tack Room, a weekend piano bar offshoot of Dusek's, so the whole building is a fun stop! Upstairs from Dusek's,Thalia Hall itself still has the old opera house look inside, but thankfully the bathrooms have been updated! There are bars on the stage level and balcony level for drinks. The acoustics even from the DJ & speaker system for events sounds awesome, so I can't wait to see a live band. Thalia Hall actually manages to get some pretty well-known names to roll through here; I noticed Passion Pit & Edward Sharpe both playing shows here recently, and Gogol Bordello and the Dandy Warhols will be coming in the next few months. The lineup definitely skews more towards the indie/rock vibe, so you probably won't be seeing T-Swift here anytime soon. I've never had a problem with any staff - ID checkers/bouncers, bartenders; we all know event staff in a crowd can have an attitude, but it's been far from the case here, gladly. Show tickets I've seen can run anywhere from free to about $40 depending on the artist, pretty reasonable for the venue location and amenities. The balcony has super comfy chairs and where I would probably prefer to see a show from (I'm very short, so GA crowds holding up cell phones are my archnemesis). Overall, Thalia Hall is a neighborhood gem, and I 100% recommend anything happening inside! read more

Thalia Hall - Surfer Blood - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What a great little venue!! We came here to see one of my husband's favorite bands, "Radical Face", play. They--or he--is a lesser known artist, so seeing it here in this intimate setting made the experience all-the-more enjoyable. The venue looks as though it could have been an old movie theatre at some point. The acoustics were fantastic! Seating is on a first come, first served basis. We opted for the balcony rows. But know that not all the balcony seats offer a great view. We sadly picked one where a railing slightly obstructed our view of the performer. However, a slight adjustment in positioning can remedy the problem sufficiently They have a bar on the upper and lower levels. The upper level bar was less stocked than the downstairs. They also usually offer specials for the event that night. A special note on the bathrooms: They are located on the basement level. But they have painted the walls with chalkboard paint and allowed their patrons to "decorate" the walls for them. I always love legal graffiti. It makes the bathroom-going experience an event unto itself. read more

Do not go here right now. First they make you stand in the 2 h line for covid testing and even though your test is negative they will police you while you try to drink your beer to put on the mask. It's a nightmare. It's so hot you can't breathe. read more

Saw Chris Robinson Brotherhood here. Decent venue. Little far south (northwest suburbs) for my liking. Had to cruise for 15 minutes to get a parking spot that was a 10 minute walk from several blocks south. They don't accommodate early arrivals by allowing entry early- so try to time your arrival promptly. The drink service was okay with liquor available and some decent beers. Biggest problems were parking and neighborhood seems like it could be sketchy in some blocks. If the weather is fairly good i would go again but if there was a ton of snow or rain I would skip. :) read more

I forgot how pleasant it is to watch a concert while sitting. This concert hall is amazing. Not only do they have great specialty cocktails on ta p(Manhattans and Negronis on tap is about one of the best things ever though if you don't feel like dropping $10 a drink they have several good beers around the $5-8 range), the sound quality here is the best in Chicago. I only really have a small complaint about the place and that is that the chairs were slightly too close together. Otherwise my experience at Thalia Hall was amazing. Especially because I was lucky enough to score some sweet street parking. That's something to be aware of if you plan on driving here because it may be in your interest to just taxi it based on the extremely long line I saw for the valet. I must reemphasize that the sound quality is great. If one of your favorite artists happens to be playing here it is a great place to go. Not to mention you don't have to stray farther than right downstairs for a great meal. read more

Thalia Hall is one of my favorite venues in Chicago. I have seen 3 shows in total there (all since December 2015) and they all have been awesome. This venue is clean, has good beer selection, and most importantly the sound is great. The staff is also friendly and attached to this venue is an award winning restaurant. The only reason for only 4 stars is it requires driving and valet parking or a cab/uber/lfyt and not easily accessible by train. If you haven't seen a show here, you should, soon... read more

This was a great place to come for dinner that is out of the ordinary. The only issue I had was the portions were very small. And that was after the server referred me to items towards the bottom of the menu that were supposed to be the larger. Food was good and drinks as well. After dinner you have to go downstairs to the lounge/ bar area. It's is a nice low key spot with a nice atmosphere. One of the servers showed us another room that was hidden behind a book case like in a mystery movie. She had to pull down a figurine that move the whole wall. Everyone thought this was the coolest thing ever (me included) and wanted to take a look at what was behind the mystery wall. I'll let you find out for yourself though... The stair well from the restaurant was extremely cold though. Also if you are looking for the name of the restaurant (Thalia Hall) you might miss it from the Main Street (18th st) Enjoy! read more

Go to the back room, live cool music. If you eat, oysters are small. Not worth it. Chicken. RABBIT is just chicken Jucy Lucy is ok. Foie Gras is not actually Foie Gras. So basically this review is for the back room and the music, plus cocktails! Enjoy! read more

What a surprise. This is a beautifully restored concert hall/venue with great acoustics. You can dance on the ground floor and upper levels or pay more for the balcony seats. The place flows really well and it feels comfortable to move around. The newly installed, clean bathrooms is a plus. There's a full bar with a range of price options. Skip the lukewarm hot dogs they're selling and go downstairs to the restaurant (Dusek's) to grab a bite to eat before the show. read more

I don't often review performance venues, but I had such mixed emotions about my first visit to Thalia Hall that I feel compelled... High point: Excellent sound (although it had too much treble for the Wailin' Jennys show I saw). Excellent full-frequency response, distinct presence of all instruments and voices. Low points: GA seating only (I'm willing to pay for a good seat and not have to arrive early to claim one). Tight seating (folding chairs were well-padded, but rows were way to close together, making it very hard to enter/exit rows -- actually an evacuation hazard, in my opinion). Low intimacy (I much prefer the Old Town School or SPACE,, where I feel much closer to the performers -- both are smaller footprint venues and offer reserved seating). I will probably visit Thalia Hall again if I really want to see a certain performer, but it's not near the top my favorite venues list. read more

This is one of my favorite venues in chicago, but they don't have a lot of shows that I want to see here. I wish they had more of a variety booked to play here read more

Nice venue. First time here. Good sound. I would come back again. Fairly big for a small venue. Good to see Chicago have several music bar venues around with local and national acts. Rainy night and apparently there are several leaks in the roof (not kidding). read more

Thalia Hall - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Thalia Hall is a beautiful venue for a concert however they need to do a better job with hiring security guards. My friends and I arrived 7 hours early for a concert this past weekend and ate lunch at Dusek's. Afterwards, we decided to line up inside by the stairs and wait there until we were told we had to wait outside. About 30 minutes later a staff member came by and told us we had to move outside which we had no problem with. 30 minutes before doors opened, my friends and I who had been waiting in line for 5+ hours saw people begin to line up inside again. They were coming from the basement bar. After talking to a security guard, the only answer he could give us was that they had VIP passes, which wasn't the case AT ALL because this concert was only general admission. Eventually, someone else came out and told us that those who had purchased food and drink at Dusek's were getting let in first. I don't know about you, but that does not seem fair at all. People had traveled 5 hours to stand in the freezing cold for another 5 hours only to be let in after a huge group of people just because they had purchased food? Thankfully, I had my receipt from earlier and I moved to the front but it was so unfair how we were treated. There was one security guard in particular who I wanted to kick the living snot out of. Male, long hair, mid 20's. Ring a bell? I'm sure I'm not the first person he was a complete A-hole to. Tl;Dr: Great concert, great concert venue, horrible security. read more

Fiancé and I were kicked out after she fell asleep during a show, well after midnight, after working literally all day prior to the show. Employee said that "You can't sleep at a bar in Illinois", so we're just straight kicked out? Maybe we could stand for a bit? Didn't have a single thing to drink. Really not a great experience after going to many shows at Thalia over the years. So, yeah - don't attend a late show if you're tired unless you want to have your evening ruined. Unlikely we'll be back. read more

Super sick venue! I'm a huge history buff, and this venue that has been around since 1892 gives a sentimental value to me. I think it's the prettiest venue in the city, the acts I saw (Pierce brothers and Tash Sultana) were insanely great, and I'm not a drinker, but there are two bars available that a lot of people really seem to like. Thalia Hall is a must go if you're an avid small venue goer. read more

We went to the Yeti Tundra Tour which was at Thalia Hall. Thalia Hall is a cool building built in the 1800's in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. As we waited for the Yeti function to start we decided to have a drink in a bar named Dusek's that was located in Thalia Hall. It was a nice place to sit and wait until the show started. The only problem we had was trying to find conveinent parking by the hall. There is a small private lot next door, but it only holds a few cards. We ended up parking at another lot a few blocks away for I think $20. Anyway, Thalia Hall looks like a great place for a concert. I like to visit it for a different venue, even though we enjoyed the Yeti Tour immensely. read more

My husband and I were recently in for a comedy show, everything was really great I'm updating my past review because I realize that although some staff members can be cranky and short with you when you're at the bar it's likely because they are very busy. All in all we had a very very pleasant experience and had a great time read more

their popcorn was stale and under buttered and they didn't have pretzels. Their sound quality was good though

What a great place to see a show! I just saw Lake Street Dive there (go see them!) and really loved Thalia Hall. It's a great space that preserved the best of it's past while offering superb up-to-date improvements. The show was sold out but we weren't packed in like sardines and they spent considerable dollars on the air conditioning system. The sound was great and I was floored at the price of drinks: $4 for a 12 ounce 312 and $6 for a 16 ounce Pilsener Urquell are just two examples. One unrelated question: why do people go out to hear a great band like Lake Street Dive and then talk through the whole concert? I mean, seriously, if you want to talk then just go to a bar and save yourself $40 - and save the rest of us from your insipid prattle! read more

Came here for the pre-Lolla Interpol concert. Space was pretty awesome and the washrooms are quite nice and modern. If there's another show here in the future, I'll definitely be up for it. read more

I recently was part of a group that rented Thalia Hall for a one night event. The staff here are an incredible mix of talented, skilled and helpful people. Our event went off without a hitch thanks to their hard work and assistance. We could not have been more pleased! read more

Although I love this place for drinks and food, I find it troubling how they kick patrons out. I was waiting by myself for an uber (which was 2 min away) and they just kicked me ( a young woman) out into the 20F weather, stating they couldn't wait 2 min for my uber to get there. Find it very troubling that an establishment would treat their patrons this way! read more

I have been attending Thalia since it was opened, the venue is stunning and the sound is magnificent. I always thought the workers were all so polite and nice except the security guy "kung fu mitch". It looks like they finally got rid of him. Thalia is a great place to see live music, the atmosphere is amazing. I highly suggest visiting duseks for a bite before or after a show! Recently I dealt with a young man named Taylor and he was very helpful and respectful. Took the time to hear my complaints and fixed them right away. A+ all around for thalia hall read more