10 Best Live Music Venues in Marseille

Marseille Opera is a popular venue hosting a variety of events in a historical building that dates back about a century with its most recent iteration. As the name suggests, opera performances are fairly common here with July being their peak season for opera performances.

Special events are held here all year long, so you'll still likely find something to your liking if you visit outside of July. You'll find the opera just south of the Old Port area and west of Noailles.

Dock des Suds is a prominent venue known primarily for more alternative kinds of music and is home to the Babel Music Experience. The Babel Music XP event is held every year and features current music from all around the world letting a variety of cultures and styles converge in one place.

Outside of special events, this venue frequently hosts a wide variety of genres including rock, hip hop, dance, electronic and much more. You'll find it by the docks in Arenc just west of Saint-Mauront.

Le Moulin is a thrilling concert hall that has been host to iconic artists and shows over the past several decades, and it still offers one-of-a-kind experiences. You'll find 2 different stages within this venue, and they both have plenty for you to enjoy.

The first stage here is the great hall, which has room enough for 1500 people, and a balcony that can seat 200. This is where the big-name artists perform. The second stage is known as the club, and it can hold up to 350 people for a more intimate experience. You'll find it all in Saint-Just a few miles northeast of the city centre.

Espace Julien has always strived to be a unique venue where artists of all kinds can express themselves highlighting cultural diversity and cosmopolitan openness. You'll find a wide variety of performances when you visit including up-and-coming artists as well as established international touring musicians.

No matter what genre you're interested in, you'll find it all here. Rock, hip hop and pop are among the most popular, but you'll also find blues, metal and jazz shows here. Even reggae and electro are known to make an appearance. You'll find it all in between Thiers and Noailles just west of Place Jean Jaures.

White Rabbit is known for its live rock shows and expansive drink selection coupled with a friendly atmosphere and surprisingly low prices. The available drinks range quite a bit featuring several prominent craft beers alongside a wide variety of barrel-aged whiskey.

The musical performances here tend to be restricted to just rock shows, but that genre alone can come in quite a few different forms. You can experience this rock bar for yourself in La Joliette just a few steps away from the water.

Le Dome de Marseille is one of the largest concert halls in the southern part of France with room enough for 8,500 people to attend a show. This is the place to be if you're looking to see a big-name artist that's going to draw large crowds.

Given the dome's popularity, the venue is accessible for individuals with disabilities. You'll find the dome just a few steps from the Saint Just metro station.

L’Ebenisterie is a unique combination of a cafe, a restaurant and a concert venue that offers delicious food and drink alongside live entertainment. You'll find quite a few appealing items like craft beers and fish and chips.

The decor here is notably relaxing with antique furniture and green plants complemented by designs using raw materials. The music here can vary quite a bit offering live DJs that mix hip-hop with breakbeat, afrobeat and soul. You can check it out in the 6th arrondissement just west of Place Castellane.

Theatre Silvain is an open air theatre at the bottom of the Vallon de la Fausse-Monnaie that hosts a variety of live musical performances outdoors. All sorts of performances are held here, but it's especially popular with jazz, soul and funk musicians.

You'll find plenty of room in this theatre area, as its capacity stretches as high as 5,000 people, though their standard programming doesn't typically attract that many. You'll find this theatre in the Endoume district just southwest of the town centre by the water.

La Caravelle is a popular restaurant that also hosts live jazz performances set on the ground floor of the Hotel Bellevue reminiscent of old jazz bars. The atmosphere here strives to maintain that pre-war aesthetic, making you feel like you're in a jazz bar in the 1930s.

If you're looking to catch a live jazz performance, be sure to visit on a Wednesday or a Friday between October and May. You'll find this venue by the old port just a few steps north from the water.

La Dame du Mont is a popular local bar that features DJs regularly bringing a variety of live music to your experience covering numerous genres. You'll find rock, soul, funk, reggae and much more available here.

The bar itself is quite appealing in its own right featuring plenty of craft beers and signature cocktails you won't find anywhere else. Remember, happy hours here are from 7 pm to 9 pm. You'll find it just east of Prefecture and a short walk south of the Notre Dame du Mont metro station.