I'm ashamed to say that, despite being a native Birminghamian, I had never previously attended a show at the Lyric. I saw a comedian perform at the Lyric last night, and I really enjoyed the venue. The views of the stage were good from multiple vantage points as I walked around to explore. My seat was in the balcony and also had a good view of the entire stage. The acoustics were good. The entire setting was intimate, which made for great people-watching. The seats are small, but that is to be expected from a historic venue. The staff were universally friendly and helpful. The security personnel were courteous and professional. The bathrooms were clean. Bar service was quick. Lots of paid parking lots within an easy walk of the theater (most seems to be about $10), and if you get there early enough, street parking too (e-meters paid through ParkMobile app Monday-Friday 8a-6p only). I will happily return to the Lyric for future shows. read more

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The Lyric was a great venue for KevOnStage. It's a nice-sized, intimate theater that made the show feel up close and personal. We sat on the main floor about 10 rows back and had a great view, and the sound was good throughout the show. Parking was easy, the bathrooms were fairly clean, and we grabbed a Magic City Mule while we were there. Overall, we had a great time and really enjoyed the venue. 5/5. read more

Lyric Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I've attended 3 Brian Culbertson concerts at this venue and a book tour with Tabitha Brown. I never have a problem finding parking since I park two blocks up and walk back. There's never a bad seat in the house, even in the balcony, which I prefer due to the stadium seating. Staffers are always pleasant and eager to show you to your seats. There's even a cute bar/concession stand on the 2nd level for your thirst and snacking needs. read more

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Everyone and I mean everyone who worked here was sooo friendly. From concession, to ticket hosts and seat hosts So professional and so well mannered. I really enjoyed watching a comedy show here. The acoustics were wonderful, the seats comfortable, and the theater itself was beautiful and historic. My only complaint is parking was hidden away in the back, but once you find it and pay via QR code you're good! read more

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Rickey Smiley. Rickey Smily. Rickey Smiley. This was far most the best comedy show that I have ever seen. Rickey Smiley did not cheat you in time or content. People laughed so hard some were crying. Rita Brent and Rock T started it off and both were hilarious. Do yourself a favor and watch him when the Netflix show airs. Pretty sure we got more than you will see. The show was long but worth sitting through for real. Only thing was we paid for floor seats and was moved to the balcony. Show was fantastic though read more

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My school puts on a performance here every year, but this year there were so many technical difficulties that I genuinely wondered what the sound crew were doing the whole time. We worked for months on our performance which was a waste because you couldn't hear us during the actual thing anyways! Sound check was a disaster, we told them many times that we couldn't hear ourselves on stage which they disregarded and said you could hear us in the audience, but when the time came to perform half the mics were off or turned down! Genuinely a devastating outcome as all of us are graduating seniors and this was our last performance. If I weren't graduating I would beg them to pick a different venue next time. Artists beware! read more

Fabulous restoration of a classic downtown Birmingham performance hall from way back in the age of Vaudeville and silent movies. Try to find a show here you'd like! We enjoyed a Taylor Hicks concert but most offerings don't appeal to over age 40. read more

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My husband planned a date, which included seeing Orchestra Noir here. I've never been to the Lyric Theater before so I was excited. Entering the venue was easy. One of the employees pointed out where the concessions and restrooms were located. Our seats were in the Loge so we headed upstairs. An employee helped us find our seats. Once seated, we took on our view. It was not bad. We could hear and see everything well. There's not a lot of leg room with the Loge seats so if you're tall, keep that in mind. The theater is very beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed the show. I could see myself coming back here. read more

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I recently went to the Lyric theater for a comedy show. Our seats were on the balcony and they are small, very uncomfortable and even though i am only 5 ft tall the lack of leg room is ridiculous. I seriously doubt i will go there again, even though the comic was great. read more

I know everyone loves The Lyric but my experience there was mediocre. I went to a one man play which everyone in the theater seemed to really enjoy. Here are my likes and dislikes... Liked the entrance looking really regal and inviting. I get as if I was going to a really important production and really got in the mood from the time I walked in the door. Disliked the price of the ticket. I'm not sure if the price would have been this high at other venues but I'm thinking the venue drove up the price of the ticket. Plenty of empty seats to prove that others didn't like the price either. Liked the concessions area even though I didn't get any concessions myself. Liked the look of the remodel and how they showed respect to the original. Disliked that there weren't more updates features and aesthetics seeing as how it was a very recent overhaul remodel. Liked the bathrooms. Very classic. Disliked very much the amount of legroom in the balcony. I would probably NEVER sit in the balcony here again. NEVER. Liked that the floor seats seemed to have appropriate legroom. But I was jealous. Liked the view of the stage. Even though I was in the cheap seats (which weren't cheap in the amount of the ticket price!!!) I could see the stage very well. So, I will probably attend another event here soon but I will not be hoping that a favorite musician or production picks Lyric instead of some of the other great venues we have in Bham. read more

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The Lyric Theater is a beautiful historical facility restored in 2016. I was here in February 2020 for a women's conference and found nearby parking available both on the street and in nearby lots. The facility was clean and facility staff members were friendly. There are "750 seats on two levels, 12 beautiful steel reinforced opera boxes and with an intimate 60 feet from the stage to the back of the balcony, there isn't a bad seat in the house". The Lyric is a Ticketmaster location with both well known and lesser known performers scheduled. It's a beautiful facility and one-of-a-kind that is a must see if the opportunity presents itself. read more

Seats were very small in size. I am 6' 220#. My wife is 5'8" and much much less in weight than me. You could not move. Our knees we crammed into the seats in front of us. If someone in the row needed to get up and leave or come back in everyone had to clear out of the row as no one could literally turn their legs. The air was stagnant and not moving at all so it became stuffy quickly. Finally the security was horrible as soon as the show started they sat down in the empty seats to watch the show. This allowed the people in front of us to literally smoke during the show. We walked out before the show was over. Horrible experience. Will not return. read more

Jason Isbell acoustic set. We've been waiting about 2 months for this to get here and it finally arrived! First trip here, and have been really wanting to check this place out. Kind of would have liked more time to wander around and look at this historic place. Really interesting to use the restrooms on the main floor (Pictures lining the hallway area) and look at all the pictures of the shape this place got in prior to the renovations that were performed. The venue itself, is overall pretty amazing as well. Sound quality was great and the show itself was perfect for the setting that the Lyric presents. The only complaint we had is that if you have balcony seating, there is very little leg room, and we are far from being all. I would liken this to riding on a plane with general coach tickets. After the concert we walked to the front of the balcony and was able to see the renovations that had been performed. This is a gorgeous venue for any type of event. I would come back, but I think I would look to have the main floor area, because it looked like there was more leg room for those seats. Add this place as a must see, and if wouldn't hurt if it was for Jason Isbell, he never disappoints. read more

Poor sound system - so the performances were not entertaining as patrons could not hear.

Only went once. The line was long and they made you wait a long time before entering so a lot of ppl were just standing...Despite being on time, doors didn't open on time. There was a comedy show so I won't be too hard on them. read more

I Attended ARC stories here for Side walk film festival !! Overall great venture and atmosphere in this historic masterpiece; located right in the heart of downtown birmingham!! If you haven't attended an event at the Lyric Theater , you are certainly missing out on this beautiful , cozy space! The ease of getting in and out of the theater was wonderful and the bathrooms were nice and clean! (This is always a plus). I cannot wait to attend more events at the Lyric Theater in Bham, Al! Great experience!! read more

One of the best theaters in Birmingham. Don't even need a performing artist you can just sit and look at all the artwork. Great acoustic and lighting. read more

Classy intimate venue. As evidenced by the pics awesome renovation. There truly isn't a bad seat in the house!! read more

Lyric Theater - Michael W Smith - Performing Arts Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

When the Lyric was still trying to raise money for the restoration I was able to come help clean up some of the theater so that they could start hosting fundraising events. Needless to say I was super excited to see the finish product during the Sidewalk Film Festival. The theater is so stunning. I also love that my grandmother remembers going there when she was young! It's great to see it come back to life! read more

Lyric Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

My first experience at Lyric Theater was during the Sidewalk Film Festival, and was thoroughly impressed with this place. I got to see Big Bear the movie and not only was the movie hilarious, but he actual theater itself was overwhelmingly dazzling. It's a classic theater and appears to have been immaculately restored. The side boxes in the theater, or loges, reminded me of Statler and Waldorf the two old guys from The Muppets. The decor, architecture, and artwork inside are picturesque and the sound projection was very clear. I was able to meet the director, Joey Kern, and a few actors from the show after the event, which to me was very fun and exciting. If you ever get a chance to go here for any event here I would highly recommend it. read more

Lyric Theater - Pulled this from #bigbearthemovie on Instagram. I should be in the picture somewhere. - Performing Arts Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

They did an amazing job on the restoration of this venue. I was able to watch a few films during the Sidewalk Film Festival, and I could barely watch the film because I kept looking at the architecture inside the theatre. They also have a full service bar which is awesome. It is located across from the Alabama Theatre in the heart of Birmingham's Theatre District. Parking can be an issue but it's worth it to see this historical place. I hope to come back for another event very soon! read more

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Watching Anderson East for a New Years Eve party here was a treat. Great sound throughout the venue. They've done a great job renovating the Lyric. I wish there was a tad bit more room between rows - my knees were touching the seats in front of me. That being said, it was a great time/experience, and I look forward to seeing what events are coming here in the future! read more

I have been waiting to see the Lyric since it opened. I had tickets to a show that I unfortunately was out of town for. So the wait continued until this past weekend, when we went to go see The Word. I was throughly impressed with the look and feel of this newly renovated space. Picking up tickets from Will Call was seamless and easy. They still have some work to do to open up additional space. But what they have done so far is really amazing. They even had a section right outside of the bar the showed the transition from old to renovated. A very cool visual. Before the show, we waiting to get some drinks. The only place downstairs to buy was the one bar set off to the right of the lobby. Of course that leads to long lines and a wait. They had a 2nd bar upstairs with a shorter line, but cash only. I know this is something that will improve as they finish more of the theatre and open up more common spaces. We also had trouble finding our seats without any visible numbers for the rows that we could find. But their helpful ushers were working extra hard to make sure everyone found their spot. We were in the balcony, so that may just be the case up there. The show was great and the sound traveled through the space very well. I look forward to many more concerts here since they seem to be filling their spots with quality acts. read more

I've always been curious about this theater, but never had the chance to check it out until this past week. I went to see Marc Broussard perform, the show was amazing and this venue was a wonderful fit for the event. I can't wait to go back! read more

It's easy to look up the history and restoration of this place and i would encourage you to do so. It is an absolute architectural gem and not to be missed. I could be happy just going and sitting in the theater and watching nothing. Look at the coming events and catch a show, it is an amazing place! read more

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This is a classy joint. Seeing the before & after photos in the preshow presentation was insane...I wonder how many man hours went into renovating for this reopening?! Some people even dressed for the occasion, which was anywhere from 1920s to 1940s era garb. We will definitely be back! read more

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I have been here to 3 shows. I love the architecture the colors and the history. The last show i was at i sat in the balcony and my only complaint was it was very hot.but over all a great place to watch a concert. read more

Lyric Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I've been to Sloss Tech at this venue and it was an absolutely wonderful event. I'm amazed at how they've restored this place and how grand it really is. They have everything from conferences to concerts and I haven't heard much of anything negative about any of it. You can even pop in for a cocktail if you like. They have a full-service bar in the waiting area. read more

Never again. We did not feel safe inside the venue because of the security's laissez-faire attitude regarding the drunk patron who cussed out my wife and shoved his way past us to his seat after this patron arrived 20 minutes late. The solution was to relocate us to seats with a badly obstructed view, but not to do anything about this young man or his friend. read more

Total RIP OFF! They have absurd processing charges for their ticket prices, They have no ticket office to sell you tickets so you HAVE to pay their outrageous processing charges for the privilege of buying tickets from them. Oh and don't forget the EXTRA charge to PRINT your ticket or even more to have them mailed! NOT COMING BACK! read more

This is an absolutely beautiful treasure in the heart of Birmingham! Lovingly restored down to the last detail, the venue is a work of art in itself, but the events that go on there are also a great addition to the downtown atmosphere. My personal favorites are the symphonies that are performed there (while I love seeing shows at the Alabama, sometimes it's nice to go somewhere similar, but different). My goal: To watch a show from one of the opera boxes. It's like going back in time, and in the best way! read more

Hooray for the resurrection of this masterpiece of an entertainment venue! We were recently here to see Sam Bush and sat in an Opera Box (305, I think). The seats were fairly sold as an obstructed view as the person sitting closest to the wall can barely see more than 30% of the stage. That being said, I think we'll always try for an opera box as we liked the perspective, found the acoustics to be pleasing and didn't mind having to snuggle close so that both of us could see the stage. The renovations have been extensive and were expertly done... really beautiful. That being said, I think they are still ironing out some technical details as lighting seemed a bit erratic during the show and the sound was very good but periodically I could see the musicians were frustrated with the in-house sound guy (our angle afforded a view of him: he seemed very flustered). The most obvious snafu was that the overall lighting was *harsh*... I felt like the lighting was more appropriate for an operating theatre than a historic theatre : white, bright and non-flattering. This was really my biggest criticism : install some dimmers (and use them) for those fanciful chandeliers! read more