OMG What a sweat box! I don't care how good the entertainment is going to be! The seats are set up so weird and cramped together that it feels like sardines. Really folks you might want to rethink this terrible venue. I will never return no matter who goes there. Paul Rodgers was terrific! But what a price to pay................. read more

Good shows, small room, Drinks are priced reasonable for a venue. Parking is easy and affordable.

I won tickets to see Huey Lewis and the News for free so I can't complain too much. The act hasn't started by my first impressions of this place are really, really bad. Just bad. I will start with the good to get that out of the way. $10 dollar parking. Easy access to tickets and easy to get in and security was abundant. The bad - NO AC. The place looks like a fire marshall's nightmare. Reminds me of the gym floor of a high school with the ceiling blacked out. Smells like one too. The stage is in the middle of a long rectangular room. Acoustically, this place is an echo chamber. I'm sure the ceiling fans don't help any. Exterior doors not noise or lightproof which is distracting. If the act is awesome or they somehow, mysteriously pull AC out of their *** I will log on and up the rating. read more

Pros and cons. Pros: you always had a great stage view. There are plenty of bars around the room. The bathrooms were clean and without ridiculous lines. Cons: seating is awful. If you fall outside the 'skinny' category, moving around will be tough. Tickets sold are not next to each other, but sitting across from each other. If you happen to be unlucky, you maybe diagonal from your date. Yes the floor is sticky. Yes it was warm. Lastly, I couldn't help but think about the Station fire when I developed my escape plan. Big big fire hazard. read more

Caught the Robert Hawkins and Ron White comedy show while in town. Maybe it was the great quality of the show or maybe I loved the old-style ambiance but I loved it here. The wait staff were excellent especially considering the difficult work environment. I wish I could stay longer. The quality of acts that this place draws is amazing! read more

This is pretty much my least favorite place to see a show ever. It's very dirty, and the floor is so sticky that it's difficult to walk. The staff has been rude to me on a number of occasions. Plus, what the hell is up with those sky boxes?! They are so ridiculous. I mean, it's not an arena. It's a small-mid-sized club, and the sky boxes are so unnecessary. Also it seems that any time there is an all-ages show going on, it will sell out not because people actually want to see the band, but because the kids in town are looking for something to do that night. And then those kids go to the shows and don't actually watch the shows, but rather sit there (often in the front rows) texting their pals to tell them that they are at the shows. However, I'm giving the place three stars because they do bring in some decent acts, I've seen some awesome shows there. If they could clean the place up (er, inside AND out) it might be an ok place. read more

My gentleman friend brought me here to see Zappa Plays Zappa the other night. I didn't even know Hampton Beach even existed, but it was interesting to see a boardwalk town like Wildwood, NJ all the way up here. The ballroom doesn't allow outside food so we ate some fried beach food nearby and then went in. The drinks were expensive (up to 6.50 for a beer or random strawberry margarita), but being a Boston girl now, it didn't really phase me, especially because it was a concert venue. The seating was surprising. There are assigned seats at tables (better for you to drink and eat pizza and nachos on) and then, surrounding that, general admission seats and stools at tables. Pros: Most seats were pretty good. We took GA seats on a corner and had a better view of Dweezil than some people with reserved seats. Cons: The stool caused me to have to sit up straight for about 3 hours and for the past two days, my back has been in pain, recovering from the twisting. If there was an absolutely fabulous show that was playing here and not in Boston, I would maybe come again But seeing as it's an hour plus away and not great, I have a feeling I probably won't be back. read more

Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom is a dump and a serious fire trap. Sound sucks too. Don't bother...

A great venue! They were organized and the stage is arranged such that it is placed on the wide portion of the room so that you are never miles and miles away from the action. I saw Railroad Earth and Yonder Mountain String Band and I had a great time! Seems like if it is a GA standing show then you will have a better time for sure. read more

Hampton Beach holds a special place in my heart. Many a skipped day of school spent on the beach here. Many a night running about town. Even as years go by I still love to spend and afternoon playing skee ball and eating fried foods. The Casino is part of that. One of my favorite venues of it's size it fits the whole feel of the Beach. Pricing is about the same as any venue of it's size, if not a tad better. The staff has never been anything but wonderful in my many trips there, no matter if the crowd is older townies, hipster kids from the city or teenagers. If I had the choice to see a band here or the closer Orpheum, I would make the trip through nostalgia and drive the hour to Hampton. read more

Four stars just for having Friday Night Fights for several years. Hope they bring them back. I admit to almost fainting from the heat, but I bring a little wooden fan (the folding kind from Pier 1) and I do like the venue for the fights. Waitresses are fairly attentive. Don't think I've ever eaten their food. Why would I? heh. I do not like Hampton Beach, but the Casino brings some good groups such as Little Feat (several awesome extended jams last time they were there...I'm jealous of anyone who is going to the Tupelo to see them soon), Tower of Power, Joe Cocker, etc. and some decent comedy. George Carlin was really good. My friend saw Zappa's son and said it was great. They seem to have a lot of last minute cancellations in the last year or so. All in all, once a year is enough, unless someone really good is appearing. Get there an hour early for the best general admission tables facing the stage. They're much better than the reserved seats. read more

STAFF NEEDS ADDITIONAL TRAINING. An accident occurred there last night next to me and it took way too long for help to come. My friend ran for help and was told they couldn't hear what she was saying. Staff had no clue what to do. Person sat on the floor, after passing out, bleeding with face trauma and no one knew what to do and paramedics did not arrive quickly or had room to help this person and they were transported to the Seabrook Hospital. The person that came with them was in shock and started to have an anxiety attack, the staff completely ignored them, I stepped in to help, finding out they were from out of town and really needed support, offering to drive their car to the Seabrook hospital. I know I would not want this to happen to me or a loved one and neither should they. They invite us to this venue, we pay so we should get the necessary help professionally, courteously and above all quickly to avoid someone dying unnecessarily. read more

I saw my second show there the other night and it reminded me how much i do love the place. The drinks are a little pricey but not as bad as some other places I've been. It's the lines for the drinks that got to me. It took me 20 minutes to get my first drink. The seating fills up fast too so you'd have to be there pretty early to get a table but if you do score one it'll both save you the drink wait and you can use a card to pay (no cards at the bar and the ATM is out back). My favorite part about the venue is the way it is situated. A long room with a stage in the middle so you feel like your close to the stage no matter where you stand. If your staying late then there is plenty of lodging available in the area as well as bars for a little afterdrink. read more

I love this place. Sure its packed, because it has some great shows. The access is a pain in the butt to get in. They do need another ticket booth. Simple, no razzle dazzle, just functional. I do agree, they need to take advantage of the beach breeze and vent out some of that heat.Just a couple intake fans down low and Pop up roof vent would work. If you are a nancy, dont go. Leave it for those of us who love em. read more

This place was the worst place I've ever been for an event. Went to see Ron White couldn't hear one thing he said everything was blurred and the seats are disgusting never go there for a comedy show ever again. I gave one star because it wouldn't let me give it none. read more

Don't buy tickets under the arches towards the back. For some reason they refuse to turn off the overhead lights on those seats.

Went last week for the 1st time (the Brit Floyd show). We thought the place was quaint and an ideal size . were in 1L section third row in and had a great view of the band (albeit from the left side) Sound was amazing - about 1,000 decibels or maybe i'm getting old. Place looked pretty sold out, bathrooms and bar were easy to get too. drinks not too pricey ($8- Ipa beer) Seats were close together but were padded folding chairs - center section has drinks holders. Staff seemed efficient and helpful. Actually, a pretty good venue, particularly as you are only a few feet from the stage Will go back again read more

Great venue for the concert we attended. Great staff and security. We enjoyed the experience and are glad we came from out of town to attend. read more

This isn't a concert hall...It's a hot yoga studio that serves beer. Knew I wouldn't have to worry about missing a song to go to the bathroom as I was sweating it all out. Only this place could make me give one star while watching Tesla. I thought Jeff Keith was going to melt into the stage before the end of the show. The fans and the band were all suffering through the show. I even saw an EMT show up for what I would guess was someone suffering with heatstroke. The main area has four ceiling fans. Four! This area alone has to have 1,500 people or more in it easily, if it's sold out (holds 2,200 overall). It's a great place to see a show. It's the only place in the area that can draw top entertainment as they have good capacity. They know this, so if they are already drawing the talent and getting sellouts why do anything to help with the heat? Not asking for AC, but more fans...Any fans...Ceiling fans, circulating fans, exhaust fans...Anything! Still have more tix through the summer so I will hydrate, wear shorts and go in after the opening acts. For future shows I'll travel to Boston or one of the casinos to watch a band in comfort. This review does not take Tesla's performance into account. They are always great! read more

My first experience at the Casino Ballroom has left me feeling humiliated and ashamed that I am not yet of legal drinking age. The security guard who was supposed to make me feel safe, instead caused me to feel threatened. When he discovered I was not 21, he rolled his eyes and muttered "oh my god" then snatched my hands and violently drew a large "X" on each of them. I felt incriminated and beyond embarrassed as he attracted unnecessary attention. In addition to these wrongs, my mother who is clearly of age, was also branded with an obnoxious "X" due to an expired license. Although I realize security is important, they have gone so far as to intimidate returning customers through brutal shaming tactics and near harassment. I felt unwelcome. Over 21 patrons got a little yellow bracelet, where as my skin was written on in black permanent marker. BLACK PERMANENT MARKER. I certainly hope that my hands are not forever branded with crude Xs. It should suffice to say that if you are looking for friendly customer service, you will not find it at the Casino Ballroom. However, if you and your under 21 companions enjoy being separated and marked like cattle, this is the establishment for you. read more

I have been to several show here and finally have bitten the bullet after so many HORRIBLE experiences and make the decision to never go here again. The last three times we have gone--and spent a lot of dough to sit close--we were squeezed in to a table up front that was meant for less people and had to sit across from each other, not next to each other. Not only was it terribly uncomfortable (and too freaking loud and distorted) but every time we were stuck with totally trashed loud goons who continued to be served--and twice we had couples who fought all night. It is not a place to relax and definitely not a place for those who want to HEAR your band. What a terrible experience. I'll take Tupelo in Londonderry anytime. read more

Yes, we all know the shortcomings of this place: cramped tables that you can't find, a sort of fraternity basement atmosphere, etc. But it's always been a fun place to see a show...until now. We went last night and they have turned this place into a security police state. We were seeing Tower of Power...which means you're talking about a far-less-than-capacity audience of 40-plus-year-old parents. The security staff, however, behaved like the place could turn into Altamont 1969 at any time. We had a pre-show dinner at my house where everyone had a couple glasses of wine, and when one member of our party stumbled in her new shoes walking up the considerable flight of stairs to enter the place, they denied her entry to the show for being "intoxicated" (which was ridiculous...because while she was sipping wine, I was downing bourbon -- if anyone should have been denied entry, it was me, and I was nowhere near "intoxicated" at the time.) When we asked for help finding our seats, the staff just pointed in the general direction and that was it. Once we found our table in the dark (no small feat), there literally was no way to get to our seats past all the other people, and even then I'm pretty sure other people were sitting in our seats anyway. So we wound up standing in the general admission area (even though we'd paid for more expensive tickets), at which point one security goon backed by a 6-foot-10 "don't look at me the wrong way" enforcer lectured us about blocking the path to the men's room -- which was literally 30 yards away. (I mean....ARE YOU KIDDING???) I'm done with this place -- they treat their audience like the enemy. If you want to see formerly-hot-acts-in-their- golden-years, The Blue Ocean in Salisbury is a MUCH better venue for comparable acts. read more

Want to see a good concert & don't want to go to Boston or Worcester. The Casino Ballroom in the best choice. Easy to get too, plenty of local parking. Not a bad seat in the place. It is old & set up a bit strange as you walk in & the stage is on the right wall dead center. Plenty of places to get a drink. Reasonably clean & well staffed. Cheap enough ticket prices, easy to order on line or at the window. Shows seem to start right on time. Drinks of course are over priced. Good sound here. (Saw Eddie Money with Ernie & the Automatics opening) read more

The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom offers a suitable venue for both concerts and comedy shows, but could really use a complete overhaul to compete with other, more modern performance centers in the state Pros: The sound is consistently strong and, on a good night, can be heard from the outside clear as day. The staff members have been friendly and helpful every time I've gone Cons: Hands down the hottest (temperature wise) place I've seen a concert at Personal space is at a premium I've been to the HBCB three times for concerts over the past few years. The location of the HBCB is actually rather convenient. It is near the center of the Hampton Beach Boardwalk and is surrounded by your standard issue beachy activities, so you can make a nice outing out of the day if you so choose. There is a parking lot in the rear of the venue that has only cost us $5 and since it's the beach, there should be parking all around the area if you wan to explore. In the front is the small, ratty looking box office that could really use some sprucing up or expanding, and your one entrance point into the venue. This has consistently been a pain as they can only fit two ticket scanners at the very end of this line, which bottlenecks the line to get into the venue. Once you get in, your seating is kind of dependent on what kind of show you see. For GA shows, it's like pretty much any other primarily GA venue (think Paradise without the second level). You stand where you like (unless you grab one of the tables in the way back). For a seated show, you may be at tables, you may be in rows, or you may have the GA which lets you stand or grab an outer table. No matter what though, you're going to be fighting for space. It can be quite cramped, and for whatever reason, the people who attend shows here don't understand the concept of personal space. You may want to grab food or drink if you didn't eat beforehand. Luckily, the HBCB is pretty decent for this. They have a very solid bar whose prices aren't that bad, and the food is roughly equivalent to what you'll get at other places. The lukewarm Sal's pizza was at least cheapish ($2..75/slice), while the drinks were stingy in size but decently strong. The staff members deserve kudos though. Security is friendly and efficient, the waitresses were as well, and the bartenders are cool. Nice group of people. As for the show itself, the venue does a good job presenting it. Almost every seated or standing area will give you a respectable view of the stage and I think the sound is fantastic no matter where you are. The acoustics are certainly better than Meadowbrook in comparison. However, there is a fly in the ointment: it's hotter than Hades in there. The most recent show I saw happened when it was 50 and raining outside, and even then the artists and spectators were complaining about the heat. It's legitimately uncomfortable on a warm day, which can put a hamper on almost any show. They tend to get the acts you would expect for a venue their size: classic rockers, comedians, secondary pop acts, a few indie darlings, and a lot of nostalgia tours. The prices skew pricier but not too bad. It's not a bad place to see a show, and for NH in the summer time, it's that or Meadowbrook (I like Meadowbrook a bit more). You could do worse, but this place is in desperate need of some ventilation and maybe some fresher acts. And for whatever reason, a lot of terrible concertgoers end up at these shows. read more

This place is great!! I was expecting a dump, and I really enjoyed the venue. There's a ton of space, a couple of bars, seating, and staff working there were even friendly! read more

Great place for a concert. Reasonable ticket prices and great sound. Anyplace in there is a good seat/standing spot. They have a snack bar with pizza etc which is nice and a couple of bars. read more

I went to the Hampton Beach Casino last year to see Eddie Money and to do some people watching. Hampton Beach has the best people watching around. I used to vacation there as a kid so I'm not saying that to be mean. Despite my childhood I had never been to the HBC so I decided to buy a couple tickets to Eddie Money (I'm not even a huge Eddie Money fan...I just thought it would be the perfect band to see my first time at the infamous Hampton Beach Casino). Anyway...some 35 years after spending a few summers there as a kid my girlfriend and I spent the day walking the beach, playing games, shopping for cheesy t-shirts and hoodies, snacking and drinking a few beers. Later we headed to the show and I must admit...I was caught off guard and pretty disappointed when I found out that it wasn't even a casino. In fact it was never a casino. I remembered playing the slot cars and doing spin art up the stairs there as a kid and wondering why all the adults were standing in line to get into the casino. I remebered thinking to myself "I'm going to go in there when I grow up". The fact that it was not an actual casino was a bit of a disappointment and kind of ruined my mood for about three minutes but I thought the venue itself was kind of cool. It's dark wood and rustic feel gave it a hokey vibe but I felt comfortable there (again...don't judge me). the thing I like about Hampton Beach is that everyone is there to have fun. Come as you are and no one will care. So anyway..the show was a lot of fun. Eddie looked like crap, fidgeted like he had ants in his pants and ragged on himself in between songs. The best part was that he actually sounded really good. I love all of his hit songs (which he sang) and I wasn't disappointed in the least. There is great sound and good views from pretty much anywhere in the casino and lots of bars so the wait to get a drink wasn;t bad at all. Another good feature is that you have room to walk around and dance if you want. There are some good open areas where you can just stand if you don;t feel like sitting down. **Warning** if you drink be careful if you plan on driving home because they had a roadblock set up on one of the two roads that go in and out of Hampton beach. read more

Once you enter you CAN'T leave...not even for ear plugs. I highly recommend them since the noise bounces off and sounds poor. The pizzas good and drinks are strong! Good venue for the Ticket proce read more

Fine venue for GA shows. For seated shows, this place SUCKS. We were crammed in like sardines, with 14 people expected to share a space that could comfortably seat 10. Awful experience, you had to turn sideways to see the band, people in all the aisles because there was not enough room for them at the tables they were assigned to. The staff were really nice though. read more

Unknowledgeable security staff member patrols the venue. My mom and I were kicked out of the venue, we are both over the age of 21 and were kicked out because this one security guard accused us of being underaged. He refused to check or license. We were wearing the required yellow bracelets and he still accused us of drinking underage. Don't visit this venue until this staff member is no longer working at this location. Do not recommended to anyone, we lost $300. I know many people who visit this venue, I will be sure they no longer attend concerts here. read more

Saw a comedy show of the Impractical Jokers here last night. I had very low expectations for the venue after reading most of the reviews but it wasn't as bad as people say. Yes, the floors were sticky and the venue was warm but I would expect that in any club in July. We arrived and walked right in, there were ushers to show us to our seat which was really helpful. We paid a little extra for VIP tickets (3rd row from the stage and a meet and greet after for $89 a ticket!) and our seats were awesome. They weren't squished together like people had said and they even were padded and had cup holders. After the show the meet and greet was a little chaotic but it was so cool to meet the guys we didn't mind the chaos of how to get in line, etc. **If you buy VIP/meet&greet tickets make sure you get your 2nd wrist band at the box office outside. We weren't made aware of this until we started noticing some people had two wrist bands and we asked what they were for.... thankgoodness we asked before the show so we got it sorted out. This is def something the people who scan your tickets should've been watching for though.. (minus one star). All in all we would definitely go back. read more

This place was cool. I just saw Breaking Benjamin play here and the venue was great. It was general admission and there was a lot of room to move around. The sound was excellent and the atmosphere was fantastic. read more

I'll always come back to this venue because they have amazing shows and strong drinks but we had to wait around for 2 hours before the show was even planned to start. People are packed up against the stage with people pushing, squeezing and even hitting people to get to the front. I wish there was more security to keep the crazy drunks in check. I forget all about that once the artist comes on stage but overall it's over crowded, hot as hell and just a free ground for fighting. Saw 2 fights before the show even started and no staff came to help. I felt horrible because I had a bunch of young teenage girls in front of me and super young kid behind me. Just inappropriate behavior for family concert. The venue itself has great shows and just needs more attentive staff. read more

Great venue for concerts. I'm not tall and I usually get lost in crowds but I had a decent view of the band the whole time. Four stars because of the weak pour on my Jack and Ginger. It was a waste of $8. Otherwise, super fun! read more

My wife and I had the worst experience ever at this venue last evening while attempting to see the Tower of Power show. We were harassed by the security staff in the most irrational manner. My wife was wearing some new high heeled shoes and when combined with a hip injury struggled a bit on the steep stairs going in. Some half-wit security goon got up in our faces yelling at us accusing her of being intoxicated. Before we knew what was happening he used a black permanent marker and placed two large and quite offensive black X's on the back of each of my wife's hands, reminiscent of the Jews in Nazi Germany being forced to don gold stars. The dudes behavior was surreal, he acted like an out of control rabid dog barking at us saying he was going to watch us all night and throw us out of he saw my wife with a drink. That does not make for a fun night out! My wife was in tears as we were humiliated in front of our six friends with whom we were attending the show. It nearly took an act of congress to get our tickets refunded and the cheapskates only gave us face value without reimbursing the processing fees. Add to that the cost of the limo we split with our friends getting there and the taxi ride home it was a terrible waste of money and of a Friday night. I'm done with this lousy concert hall. It used to be a fun place to catch a show but something changed and it is no longer. read more

The sound was pretty bad for this show. It's unfortunate because I haven't seen Corrosion of Conformity in some time. On a side note If you ever get a chance to see Danzig don't go his fat old fuck self doesn't allow you to take pictures or record the show, and this is probably why he lost the misfits to Jerry only. Plus his vocals were the shittiest I've ever fucking heard at a live show, granted that may be the sound guy for the night. The fact that the Casino Ballroom actually attempted to stop people taking pics and/ or vids shows that they are the biggest chucks in the state of New Hampshire. It's my second and last show viewing at this establishment. Hopefully they will do sound check beforehand inviting bands like this to play. read more

The Casino Ballroom used to be a great place to see a show but sadly greed has taken over and the current owner has ruined the place. The seats are something that would be used for school kids, so uncomfortable for adults! They are small seats, hard, no cushion at all and so close together you literally are touching the strangers next to you and it's impossible to hold your drink and nowhere to put them. They have recently stuffed more seats into an already overcrowded venue making it very uncomfortable. The tables in the back were always first come, first serve, now they charge separately for them (If you pay to be a member this used to be a privilege that is now gone).This season 2017/2018 they have gone up on the membership from $200 to $250, that would be fine if they gave you something legitimate for it, but they don't. The competitor charges $225 but you get 2 t shirts and they have thick padded comfortable seats and they are spread out enough that you can truly enjoy the show. The food is okay, but the other venues all offer better food quality and choices. We live walking distance and used to join yearly and we went there all the time but we've smartened up and decided to go to the many other music venues in the area instead. read more

Great band... I don't understand why I couldn't smoke with my best friend in a wheelchair. #nothappy

A great venue for great music! Sadly, I must share a terrible experience. My wife and I were about 30 minutes into a show, each of us barely halfway through our drinks. Upon her returning from the restroom to our seats, she was accosted by two security personnel. Their Hands placed on her back and flashlights in her face. They asked if she was alright because she was stumbling to and from the restroom. After explaining to them that she has mild cerebral palsy she was then asked if she was "on anything" other than alcohol. My wife, always civil and polite , assertively and calmly said no. I find it appalling and embarrassing that among the MANY already drunk patrons, a belligerently drunk woman in the ladies room, the smell of marijuana rampant in the theater, that a limp prompted two over zealous security guards to violate my wife's civil rights. If they can't tell the difference between drunk and a limp, then they should not be working in this occupation. I do hope the establishment reads this and thinks twice about who they hire and their how comprehensive their training is. read more

Ya'know...I had set the bar very, very low for this venue for a multitude of reasons...but when "The Offspring" played there this summer, I knew I would have to give it a try (for my bf's sake anyway)...and we were both pleasantly surprised. We got there very early, so we snagged a table in the back, which allowed us to see the band from a decent close up perspective, yet we were able to avoid the mosh pit and other riff-raff. Very cool. The service was also great. We did not order much and we were not hassled a lot either...I was afraid where we had such a primo seat that we would be hounded to spend more money...not the case. read more