It’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere, which makes it the perfect time for us to share some of our fave outdoor and garden venues from around the world.
From a gaff-rigged schooner to our founder’s own home and garden, there’s a different vibe at every Sofar show and our venues play a key role.
Outdoor venues in Europe
Rafe’s house (London, UK)
A list of great outdoor Sofar venues would be incomplete without Sofar founder Rafe Offer’s house. It’s the garden where it all started. It’s a beloved space in the global Sofar community. Rafe even lets touring artists crash on his couch if they need a place to stay before moving on to their next city.
We’ve hosted many Sofar shows here, either inside Rafe’s living room or in his lovely garden – if London weather permits.
The last show we hosted here was back in January of last year, and it featured Jensen McRae, Lise Vandersmissen, and Melisa Kelly.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, UK)
The home of Tottenham Hotspur, one of a handful of London-based clubs in the Premier League, this stadium has hosted pop superstars like Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. In July 2022, we held a Sofar show on the stadium’s roof, which featured Simeon Hammond Dallas.
Crossrail Place Roof Garden (London, UK)
We wrote about the Crossrail Place Roof Garden – a spectacular rooftop botanic garden and one of London’s largest – in our Sustainable Venues article, and it’s worth another mention here.
Crossrail Place sits along the Meridian Line and was designed with the two Hemispheres in mind: wherever you stand in the rooftop garden, you see lush flora from all over the world, including Asian plants such as bamboos to the east, and plants such as ferns from the Americas to the west.
We’ve hosted 13 shows here, including our first of the summer just last week, featuring Cyrano, Carrie Baxter.
Maximilian Towers (Linz, Austria)
The Maximilian chain of towers around Linz in Northern Austria was completed in 1832 for military purposes, but was abandoned, sitting vacant for over a century. They’ve since been sold and are now used for performances. Of the original 32 towers, just one – Tower 20 – is in use by a theater NGO called Turm 20 Theater.
Turm 20 usually hosts Shakespeare plays, flamenco shows, and tango evenings, and this summer was the first time the inside of the tower was used for shows. Due to the towers not having electricity, most of the artists performed unplugged.
The show featured local Linz hip hop artist Mrs Seriouz, Vinna-based indie rock Ernst die Band, and folk musician Jakob Steinkellner who plays the Steirische Harmonika – a type of accordion used in the alpine folk music of the region.
Outdoor venues in the Americas
A Cancún catamaran (Cancún, Mexico)
OK, we’ve featured this catamaran once before, but it’s just too cool to leave out of this outdoor venue list. Can you imagine seeing some live music a few miles offshore? This group of lucky concertgoers got the treat of a lifetime last year, thanks to Cancún Sailing Catamarans. Look out for more Sofar shows on catamarans this year!
The Denis Sullivan (Boston, MA)
A replica schooner, the Denis Sullivan sails around Boston Harbor educating people about sailboats and ocean science. Built in Milwaukee, WI, in the 1990s, the ship represents a fully functioning model of a historic schooner that would have navigated the Great Lakes.
We’re holding our first Sofar show aboard the Denis Sullivan on July 13! Don’t miss it!
Brooklyn Bridge Park (NYC)
Right underneath the, uhm, Brooklyn Bridge, is Brooklyn Bridge Park: an expansive green space where New Yorkers lounge in the summer, play a few rounds of pickleball, and catch a Sofar show. We hosted Sofars in the Park every Thursday in June, with bands like BlackJeans and Snack Cat.
Arlo (NYC)
We’ve put up Sofar shows at three Arlo hotels in New York City, in the NoMad, Midtown, and SoHo locations.
The NoMad Arlo is right in the heart of the City, just a few blocks from the Empire State Building. You can stay a couple of nights and enjoy a Broadway show, or catch a Sofar on the hotel’s spacious rooftop with stunning views. We’ve hosted over a hundred Sofar shows here, most recently in November 2023, which featured Allison Leah, R.Q.TEK, and Decent Colors.
Just a stone’s throw from Times Square is the Arlo Midtown. This is a perfect location if you love the hustle and bustle of the city and want to be even closer to Broadway’s many theaters. The Arlo Midtown has a great rooftop, which has been home to over 75 shows, most recently in May 2024 with Rose Stoller, MP Gannon, and Margot MacDonald on the lineup.
Grow + Gather (Denver, CO)
The ethos of Grow + Gather (an urban farm in an old auto parts shop) is all about providing a local, sustainable, and creative food experience for all. It’s a fantastic community hub, with tons of opportunities to learn about gardening and connect with others over all things – including music.
We hosted our first Sofar show here just last month and can’t wait to host more!
The Goldsworthy Backyard (Denver, CO)
Few know how to throw an intimate Sofar show like the Goldworthys. They’ve hosted over 20 Sofars in their sweet little backyard in Denver, most recently in September 2023 with Machete Mouth, Jordin Dearinger, and Schama Noel. The garden itself is lush and resplendent, and when the sun sets, it’s even more magical and moody — perfect for pictures:
Odell Brewing (Denver, CO)
Odell Brewing makes award-winning beer in their handful of breweries across Colorado. They’ve been in business for over 35 years, and have two taprooms in Denver, plus the original brewery in Fort Collins. We’ve hosted over 20 Sofar shows on the rooftop of their Five Points taproom, which makes for an ideal night out with open skies and fresh pints.
Bodecker Foundation (Portland, OR)
An architectural marvel and stunning coworking space, the Bodecker Foundation has hosted some incredibly memorable Sofar shows. The Bodecker building has outdoor green space everywhere you look, with patches on each of the upper levels and wide seating areas on the ground floors. The building is composed of two existing warehouses that were cut into, modified, remixed, and fused together. There’s also a performance hall and an indoor skate park. Pretty cool!
Container Brewing (Vancouver, BC)
Nothing says summer like seeing live music outside, while you sip a cold brew. At Container Brewing in Vancouver, you can do just that — with some great Sofar artists and a like-minded group of friends.
Loki’s Place (Vancouver, BC)
A historic housing co-op just a short walk from Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach, Loki’s Place brings a sweet outdoor vibe and plenty of live music to enjoy. We have a couple of summer shows at this venue, including one on August 24.
Wanna catch great Sofar shows at these venues and others? See what’s coming up in your area!
