Come here at all costs. Service was amazing. The interior is incredibly nice and was very clean. My pizza came out a little bit late, but it was VERY worth it. I would totally recommend. read more

Aura - Pepperoni lovers pizza - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

This place priced themselves on the sound they provide for high-level shows. I haven't been to a venue with the sound is amazing in so long. It was such a great time here the staff is amazing. They took care of us from the time we walked in to the time we left not to mention we heard they have an in-house grill, although we didn't get to try any of the food we heard it's very good. Can't wait to be back. Had a great time here looking forward to more sold out shows. read more

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As someone who typically hates a grimy, sweaty night at da club, I was expecting Aura to barely live up to my low, low expectations. Surprisingly, I had a great time at Gimme Gimme Disco Night (which was advertised as ABBA night, but whatever). There are multiple, lengthy bars throughout this multi-level nightclub, a coat check (nice considering that I didn't want to wear my full-length parka when I was boogey-oogeying), themed drinks, and a spacious dance floor. Everyone dressed on theme and had a great time. The vibes were pure, the night was young, and I felt like a Dancing Queen. 1 star docked for how pricy the drinks were and for the long lines. read more

Aura - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Went to the K-pop rave cool lights fun for children every one had fun they gave us light up sticks for the party all around a great time.

Mozzarella sticks came out quick and piping hot. Very oddly shaped venue - very vertical - but even when you're in the back it feels close and intimate Best seats in house are next to sound/ behind floor, but not balcony (if seated event). Or pit and show up early. Balcony seats semi obstructed and weirdly high- but still feel close. read more

Aura - Served with 5 mozzarella sticks, but they were too good not to eat right away - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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My favorite local venue . Great shows and staff ! Been coming here for years and will continue to do so . Keep up the great work everyone ! read more

This is a venue that I would have to say surprises me every time I go back. I love that fact that it is intimate and the seating let's you have a great view of the stage no matter where you are in the venue. I have now seen collective soul and a Van Halen tribute band here and both times we had great views and great times. The other surprising thing is the cost of other stuff like beer or booze is a little less than other places I have seen that have shows in them around Boston or even Portland. Staff is super friendly and it was awesome. read more

Aura - a band performing on stage at a concert - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Great venue to see a band! I have been here many times, and love that you can get so close to the stage. Make sure you pay attention if you get general admission it is typically standing but the way the venue is set up you can see from anywhere. They also have seats you can purchase. They have multiple bars, so you don't have to wait long for a drink. Also the drinks were very reasonably priced not just for a concert venue but in general. I will keep coming to this place for concerts! read more

After buying tickets for a show - I broke my leg. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to brave it while in a cast & on crutches, but the team at Aura and security were terrific! They were able to find a seat for my husband & I and happily escorted me through the crowd after the concert. Very pleased they went the extra mile so I could enjoy the evening & not worry about logistics. Nice beer specials as well. Great venue! read more

We won General Admission tickets for Queen tribute band. Guess what General Admission means/ standing the whole time. The tickets are deliberately misleading with a section and seat number. As people came no one knew they were standing either. I heard allot of I'm not coming back here. When the chosen few sat down we were forced to stand even closer and it was so crowded and hot it was uncomfortable. The bar was definitely at capacity+. And to be clear it is a bar. The worse thing was the "security " did not seem cohesive or trained For even the basic questions. We were told three different times something wrong. My conclusion is save your money and go to a real venue . read more

Overzealous security staff. Multiple complaints through the years about Aura security. Most likely due to low pay and shortage of labor they employ a very inexperienced staff not properly trained. I contacted a law firm that told me I had a very legitimate case . I just didn't have the energy to deal with the legal system. But eventually this will get addressed. read more

Great intimate venue . Well placed bars and bathrooms. Sound was great. I highly recommend the balcony sides, as you are basically on stage in the first two rows read more

This review is based off of seeing concerts/shows here and it may be my favorite venue in Portland for seeing one. They have upper balcony section with seats and most events besides that tickets are standing space on the bottom. Some may find an issue with this but every time I have been here I have not minded. The acoustics are great in this venue and due to the size and set up the shows are very intimate and you can easily get up close. Due to the size of the venue you won't see the biggest of names coming here but definitely worth seeing a show/concert here! The only downside really I have to say is the price for drinks are kinda high but honestly not much higher than any other concert venue so it's expected. So honestly just pregame at a local restaurant/bar beforehand and get just a drink or two here. Never had any issues with staff of bartenders, always friendly enough. If there is a show/concert planning a stop here that you want to see, check it out and give Aura a try! read more

We attended the Morgan Myles Mariah Carey Christmas Tribute last night and it was a blast! First we had dinner jb the Sports Bar. Food was delicious and staff just fantastic. Moving into the concert area, the staff made sure guests were safe by checking vaccination status or for negative tests. Our party included an elementary teacher and three nurses; this made us feel so much better given the rise in cases. Both Stephanie Ryann and Morgan Myles delivered a fun show and the energy was awesome!! Great way to celebrate the holidays read more

Aura - Morgan Myles, Stephanie Ryann with our girls! - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

First and last time I ever come here I'm actually speechless. I came to see Drowning Pool & Ill Nino play and brought two ids that expired less than 24 hours before arrival. While I acknowledge the IDs were expired, I brought multiple and haven't changed much appearancewise over the years. I feel like its fairly obvious I am who I am. It'd be one thing if security told me they weren't valid and sent me on my way. That wasn't what happened though. The guy working security made some joke abt me to impress his friends, then told me to do something to myself and invoked several slurs. I probably couldn't quote him without getting deleted and banned from the site, nor would I want to quote him. It was pretty disgusting, though. I couldn't be more upset. Drowning Pool and Ill Nino deserved a nicer venue... read more

Wow Aura!!! I LOVED THIS VENUE! This is like a mini house of blues. We saw Big Head Todd and the Monsters and the opening band was Lionize. The sound was fantastic! (I do use ear filters - NOT plugs, but filters) It does get loud as you would expect, but the acoustics were great. The entrance is a pretty small area and you should expect to stand out on the sidewalk for a bit if you arrive just as the doors open or before. The reason for "slow" entry is a good thing, they have decent security - people and technology - similar to airport security, metal detectors and security personnel with wands. We noticed some people forgot they had pocket knives clipped to their belts, but I noticed the guards were prepared (must happen all the time). They keep the item with security and you just find the same person on the way out of the door and they hand you back your item. Easy Peasy. There are multiple levels in this venue and two big bars on the 2nd and 4th floors. There is an elevator for those that might need a lift ;) There is staff placed throughout the building that will help guide you on your way. They were pleasant and helpful. Keep in mind you will need to find parking on your own - just down the street we found a lot that had parking for Aura for $10 pre-paid. I enjoyed our experience so much here, that I am constantly looking at the artist listing to see who is playing. I can't wait to see another show at this venue. read more

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I'll be the first to admit that I was less than amused to learn that the new venue wouldn't be called the Asylum and made up many things in my head to convince myself that this place would lose its "character" with the renovation...well folks, I was wrong. AURA is an AMAZING place to go to a show. It's THE BEST in Portland - you hear me?! Every detail that went into this place shines through. They left nothing out. There are three bars, plenty of bathrooms, stadium seats and high tops on the balcony, plenty of restrooms that are easy to access and a stage that was built to ensure no matter where you're sitting you'll have the best seat in the house. Of equal importance, sound quality is unreal. AURA was designed with every type of concert goer in mind whether you want to jam from your comfy leather seat, stay close to the bar or dance the night away in the pit. Bottom line? GO SEE YOURSELF! read more

Aura - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Came here for a show during the summer late in the evening. It's easy to find parking for this place at night..I think. I didn't have any trouble but I know you can buy parking too. I was originally going to purchase 25 dollar tickets online but at checkout it ended up almost double the price what with service fees and everything added up...It was ridiculous! So i stopped in to the sports bar a few days later and bought them on site for the listed price. Much better. The interior is reconfigurable so they have nice cushioned seats for seated concerts that can then be removed for standing concerts. Inside reminds me of the setup of a nice auditorium that got mashed up with a fancy swanky club with all the neon under lighting for counters and room borders. It was easy breezy to get in and the atmosphere was nice. Bathrooms were easily accessible on all floors and they say it fits about 1800 people but it really doesn't look that big. Security folks were nice and staff were friendly. Can't complain about the venue...It's pretty unassuming. Looks smaller from the outside but is pretty big once you get in. read more

Went here for the first time to see Nimesh Patel. Loved the venue, and the fact that they had a bar on all levels, even the balcony where our seats were located. Bathrooms on the balcony level as well. Will be looking forward for I future shows here. read more

Came here to see Thievery Corporation and it was way overcrowded. The band itself was great but I was unable to enjoy because we were so packed in. People around us were also upset and many people started leaving before the end of the show. The venue itself is nice and for a less popular act a likely more enjoyable experience. read more

Aura - Thievery Corporation - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

I absolutely love Aura. Aura is an amazing, intimate venue for a variety of events. For concerts, there is not a bad seat in the place. With a balcony and the downstairs area, there are a variety of seating options, however, wherever you are, you are in for an intimate experience. Other than concerts, Aura hosts a variety of other events. I have been to Harvest on the Harbor and their New Years Eve party, both of which have been great because of the amazing venue. With four bars and friendly staff, it really is a great place for a variety of functions. read more

Aura - Outside sign - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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'Head of security' would rather tell an inebriated girl to drive to the store to buy water, than let her BUY some, because she hurt his little feelings after being a total prick to her (very intoxicated) girlfriend. None of the staff here share an ounce of concern after their bartenders over serve their guests. I would suggest they replace their head of security, with someone who can remain level headed. I was told not to return, but I wouldn't want to bring my business here again anyway. I do want to commend the bartender (wish I got her name) who tried to convince her boss to let me just BUY water. My friend ended up grabbing me some water from the venue before she left, and I had some time to sober up in the car. I just can't believe I was refused such a simple necessity, and that the compassionless staff told me to drive drunk. read more

First, let's clarify. Basically every review on Yelp is for the old Asylum club, not Aura. It would be wise of Aura to get a fresh review page. The owners of Asylum spent nearly 11 million dollars on a complete and total overhaul and rebranding. What emerged is vastly different than the grungy, outdated club that preceded it. Also, while the sports bar is still there, it's a waste with the superior Bingas across the street. So what is Aura? Only the best indoor concert venue in Portland. Resembling a ritzy Boston nightclub with massive windows overlooking the street and trendy neon blue lighting, Aura represents the new Portland. And it's far more intimate than expected. You can get closer to the performers here than any venue I have ever been to. Downstairs you can easily approach the stage, while even the balcony veers forward, lending a great view. Aura on the inside is much smaller than you'd expect, but in a good way. And with multiple bars and plenty of enthusiastic, friendly staff, the whole experience is positive. And the bad? You have to be very careful ordering tickets. For some (many?) shows, you either have a ticket for the balcony or the main floor, and cannot access the other area. This isn't always clear while ordering online. So if you want a seat, be mindful to get a balcony ticket. And if you want to stand and have the best view and experience, make sure you opt for the main floor. Also, the beer selection kind of stinks. Only open since April 2017, Aura has already surpassed the State Theater (worst venue ever), House of Music and Port City as the best music hall. It'll be a popular spot for years. read more

The renovation is amazing. Clean and sophisticated aesthetic. Not a bad seat in the house. Great shows. Great service. Reasonable ticket prices to events. The only negative I can say is waiting outside was a major design flaw in the renovation. When there is a line to enter the establishment and it's inclement weather it is not fun to stand outside. The restaurant is busy during game times. Food is mediocre at best. Aura is the place to see live music -that is the reason for 5 star rating. read more

The New Years party was great! The DJ played a great variety of music and the staff was very friendly. They had top of the line security, a coat check, plenty of bars, clean bathrooms, and even a raffle. The drinks were small and a bit pricey, but still ok. I was pleasantly surprised overall. Had a great time and will definitely check it out again next year. read more

This venue must have been designed by giants with huge bladders. One very oddly placed bathroom in a venue for 1000 people that sells beer makes no sense. And the stairs were scary as hell for someone that is 5'2"...clearly made for someone 6'+. read more

Last night was the annual Fur Ball hosted by the ARLGP. This year it was held at Aura, an amazing venue. I was one of the fortunate ones that received a complimentary ticket. Thank you Yelp!! Everything was wonderful from the signature drink the French poodle martini to the delicious hors d'oeuvre's. It was an extremely successful event raising a record breaking amount!! Had such a great time. read more

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The people were so very kind, the food was very delicious! And did l mention after the concert was awesome?! I had a blast! This may be one of my favorites venues! read more

Great place to play and or see a show. Everyone from the owners to managment to the crew and bar staff rocked. The room is well designed making excellent use of a small space. There's really not a bad seat in the house. The stage is perfect size for full band and all the accompanying equipment. The acoustics are some of the best I've heard in a room that size and the lighting rig has lots of bells and whistles but then you can't go wrong with Robie fixtures. Robie lights just knows how to make a great product I was here recently with Rick Springfield. The hose was packed and we had a great show. Thank you for the good times. Hope to see you and your crew again soon read more

Aura - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

I recently rang in the New Year at Aura's New Year's Party. This was my second time at Aura with my first time coming as part of the Harvest on the Harbor Happy Hour. I think Aura is a great location. I have yet to be here for a concert or performance, but I can't imagine there is a bad place to sit or stand as anywhere you are, you have a good view of the stage. There are plenty of bars here and it never takes too long to get a drink. Even on New Years there was a ton of people, but we still had no issues getting drinks. The New Years party was awesome. If you entered prior to 9P it was free admission and then anyone after 9P had to pay just $10. Not bad at all! For New Years I stuck with beer which they had a special for the Lone Pine Pale ale for like $6 which was totally reasonable. Some of my friends were drinking the cocktails which were served in a small plastic cup and apparently costed about $10. However, I watched the bartender pour a few drinks and they were definitely being generous on the alcohol! During New Years they also had an amazing DJ which played a good variety of music throughout the night which seemed to keep everyone (including myself) entertained. My only criticism would be the coat check. Within an hour of opening, we started to hear that the coat check was full. I was surprised by this as the place was not full at all and I feel that a venue like this should be able to accommodate plenty of coats given the capacity of people the venue holds. Luckily for us, we snagged a table in the corner and were able to shove our jackets in the window opening and didn't have to deal with the coat check. I am certainly happy to have this new venue in Portland and am excited to hopefully come back here for some more fun events! read more

I've been to the AURA concert venue several times, but have only gotten food in the sports bar twice, and both times were pretty lack luster. The first time I was seated at the actual bar, the bartender was somewhat attentive, but took a long time to check on me. I was almost done with my meal by the time he did check on me, and I had waited several minutes before starting because my meal was missing the dipping sauce I had asked for. I went ahead and ate my food without it, but it was mildly annoying. I think the bartenders were more occupied with the larger parties as opposed to the singletons like myself, but money is money, and you need to pay attention to all your parties, as that is your job. The second time I went was even worse. I went with a group of 5, and we were sat off to the side near the door. We were here on the night of the MMA fight, and there were large groups coming and going in and out of the door next to our table to smoke, which was really annoying because it was freezing outside and the cold air kept coming in and making all of us cold. Our waitress/bartender was almost non existent. She did bring some drinks, but she took forever to touch base with us again and never checked on us after we got our food. The food was really good though; I got the mac and cheese with kielbasa, and it was super tasty. Once we were all done, it took another eternity to get our bills. There was literally only one other party in the bar aside from ours, and she was too busy doing side work to check in with us. We had to flag down another bartender to get our bill because we had an event to go to. I think when you go here, just expect to have sub par service, as that is all I've ever experienced. It makes me not really want to try this place again. It's unfortunate as the food is actually pretty good. Maybe if the service improves I will consider it again. read more

Ordered through 2DineIn app. I have limited places that I will get take out from based on how well they are handling COVID (if a place isn't going to follow blatant public health guidelines, how likely is it they are following other food safety guidelines). Fortunately, I had already heard from several friends what a great job Aura was doing, with recommendations to eat there. The food came in a sealed-at-the-restaurant bag and was in appropriate to-go containers, everything was fresh and still warm. The food looked amazing, tasted amazing, great portions, and the additional instructions that I typed in were followed, no issue. (Order was their specialty salad with chicken, chicken wings, and a burger with bacon and cheese- enough for dinner plus some for lunch tomorrow). I would absolutely order again and definitely recommend. (The only thing that was lacking was the option to add on a dessert on the 2DineIn app menu). read more

Actually, for Maine, it's not really that bad. There are at least some people there, which is all you can really ask for in a small town so far north. Rethinking the whole experience, it was interesting. I don't fit in but it doesn't mean you won't. The goth/redneck crowd is actually surprisingly nice, though the eye candy leaves much to be desired.. The bartender was hilarious. read more

Aura - Yes, this is actual advertising - Sports Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

My friend and I were here on new years eve and kicked us out because we were in a stall together. I repeatedly asked service why we were kicked out and they took a video of us saying we were too drunk to talk. They will delete this video and all evidence of this but DO NOT GO HERE. The service if great but management SUCKS, I have never been some where like this. DO NOT GO HERE read more

Really like this venue for small bands and singer song writers. It's one of those small intimate venues. Wife and I had date night and went down to see Gavin DeGraw. First time at venue, won't be our last. We wanted to eat, but got out of the house late because of the kids.... fellow parents you know what I'm talking about. "Date night, yeah!" Kids reply "DONT LEAVE US....NO!!" We parked a few blocks away, amble parking in the neighborhood on a weekday, weekend... forget it, go to lots. We got in line, were hungry asked security if food around, he directed us to sports bar attached to venue. Warning: BAR FOOD and DRINKS REASONABLY PRICED, so consumption may be excessive. Got the calzone and it was pretty good. Highly recommend. Beer specials were actually good beers. So after that we went to show. Hard to find seats but security was right there help. I sat in wrong seats and they were like nope, over here! They seated everyone else in our row so we were last ones. The guy had it memorized. Good staff teamwork. The only note from show was lights. Balcony kept getting blinded. Otherwise it was a banging nugget night! Some great shows coming up too read more

I stopped patronizing state theatre for three years now because of how I was treated one time and thought I would never be able to attend show again! But last night was my first time here and I cannot believe how friendly the staff were! I was a bit intoxicated but well aware of everything and when a male staff came over I was preparing myself to be asked to leave instead he asked me if I need water and to relax a little because I would not want to miss the shows that were about to come on and how great I'm gonna be enjoying the performers! Then a female staff also came over and smile helping me;talked with me like a decent human being! I couldn't wait to come home and give them a great review!! Will def be back for future shows!! read more

Aura is okay. But doesn't have the charm of a place like Port City. Drinks are overpriced and the staff takes the job way too seriously. They think they are the TSA. Anyway, you'll never have a bad view of a show in here but it's still not my favorite music venue in Portland. read more

I find the above review by Michelle F. to be petty and vindictive -- given that there's some behind the scenes drama involved -- but, more to the point, totally inaccurate. To the point, then: I have DJed at The Asylum's goth night, Plague, on several occasions and have always found the crowd and the event to be among the better showings of the underground dark music scene here in the northeast. Trust me, I've spun at most of the events up here and I can, indeed, compare them all. That said: the people at Plague have always been friendly, outgoing and, on the whole, a pleasure to deal with. In a scene where cliquishness and childish attitudes abound I've never once seen such pettiness at Plague. The venue has a small, intimate feel and the staff has always been pleasant and supportive of visiting guests and the regulars who support the night. The place is clean and drinks are affordable, especially considering the behind-the-bar robbery that takes place in larger cities like Boston and New York. While every goth night going makes it a point to reach out to the non-goth crowd, goth nights may not be for everyone. If a person is so small minded that they view the regulars at such events as the above poster does, perhaps the problem is with a person's narrow minded perception of others. If, however, you're looking for a chill place to enjoy top-notch goth and industrial music in the company of easy going folks at a clean, safe and reasonably priced bar then I highly recommend Plague. read more

Friday nights are great and unlike anything else in Portland. The regular event, Plague, is primarily a Goth/Industrial night with rotating DJs from all over New England, many of whom are considered among the best in the US for this genre. If when you go to a club you enjoy dancing, having fun and meeting interesting people, then this is for you. Even if you're not a regular of these kinds of nights, you'll find the people friendly and unpretentious. If going to a club means piling yourself into a meat-market to show off your designer handbag and find some ego gratification from passing judgements on others to prop up your fragile self image, you might want to look elsewhere. For the record, there's some major hotness running around in PVC every time I've been there ;) read more

We just attended the Robin Trower show last night. We have been to Aura several times. Last night's show was fabulous, but we were annoyed by all of the people standing (general admission) us. We paid $153.00 to see this guy and we were seated on the floor. Many people were told to "stay out of the isle, and move back behind the seated are." They just didn't listen! It was aggravating because we had people bumping into the back of my wife, spilling beer and clogging up the isles blocking our view. I mean.......we get it, you have to stand, but BE RESPECTFUL OF THOSE sitting who paid good money! We will definitely never purchase seats down on the floor again. I truly think that the security people need to be much firmer with the rules of general admission ticket owners. Many of the people in my row were complaining as well. read more