Great experience for our first visit. Had box seats which were very comfy. Staff was very accommodating and helpful when the last couple to show up in the box complained about their seats and how it was false advertisement about seats next to each other. The Train/Barenaked Ladies/Matt Nathanson was great and we can't wait to go back. read more

Music venue at pavilion of River bend is well worth visiting again. Seen Rob Thomas of Matchbox20 and Great big world show was a great! Great acoustics, With comfortable contour seating, Completely covered from the elements above as the sides are open air yet does have a few trees to soften the light. Many permanent vendors structures for adult beverages, Note Clean facilities, easy parking. Several wheelchair accessible viewing points. Wide isles. Highly recommend venue. read more

Riverbend Music Center - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

What an unforgettable experience! I recently gifted my husband two tickets to see Keith Urban in concert for Father's Day, and it turned out to be one of the best nights ever! It was my first time at Riverbend Music Center, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they offer free parking--a big plus right off the bat. The entire event was well organized, with police efficiently directing traffic and event staff being helpful and friendly throughout. Even though it's an open-air venue, the seating in front of the stage is covered by a roof, and large ceiling fans helped provide some relief from the sweltering heat. And the concert? Wow. It was my first time seeing Keith Urban live, and I loved every single minute. He's incredibly talented, down-to-earth, and truly knows how to connect with the audience. Yes, concessions are on the pricier side (a bottle of water was $6), but there was a wide selection of food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available, which added to the full concert experience. Highly recommend both Riverbend Music Center and seeing Keith Urban live if you ever get the chance! read more

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This is one of my favorite music venues, outside with a nice breeze, plenty of space, it never disappoints. Being outside for music, doesn't get any better. Getting into the parking lot wasn't so bad, we were able to park right by one of the entrances which was very convenient. Getting out was another story, since we were all the way in the back it took awhile to get out but once they let us through after about 20-30 minutes we were able to go straight to the exit. I like to think the traffic control knows what they're doing and had a method to the madness. Didn't get any food because we were not going to spend that money, especially when the waters alone were $6 each. Bathroom lines were horrible but went pretty fast, to be expected though. I was disappointed I couldn't see the river, seeing as it's in the name, but otherwise it was a great place and great experience. read more

Riverbend Music Center - One of the entrances! - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Water was $6 a bottle. Wish these places would stop gouging concert attendees. That water cost them 25 cents! read more

This place was awesome, great customer service, vast food selection, great big parking lot. My only complaint is that it was a difficult to get out of the parking lot at night! read more

Riverbend music center is an outdoor concert venue located on the banks of the Ohio river in Cincinnati, Ohio. Me, my oldest two daughters and some family friends attended a Sum 41/Simple Plan/The offspring concert here and we had a really good time. The event staff was plentiful for parking and get you situated. And the parking is free. From where we parked you walk through an old closed down tree park called Coney Island (abandoned theme park gave me horror movie vibes) and you walk through ticketing. The setup is a large stage with covered sit down seats with a massive artificial turf hill that is host for the general admission lawn seating. Behind the turf is a party deck that takes you to the bathrooms, vendors and merch booths. The entire setup is very well Maintained and very nice. Our seats were in the herbal admission lawn so we positioned ourselves in a good spot to view the stage and enjoyed the sum 41 and simple palm portions of the show. When to our surprise a worker came up and gave us floor seats int he covered area for the offspring portion of the concert. Those seats were amazing and I can see why people pay high dollar for them. The show itself was a blast and very entertaining. The stage and sound was setup for Great visuals and way to hear from anywhere. Overall we had a great time and this is a cool venue. It helped we had perfect 70 Degree weather on a late august night. My only complaint would be after the show we went to merch booth to buy shirts. After waiting in line my daughter and her friend went to the bathroom at which point 3 different workers were telling me I couldn't wait. I told them she was a minor and I wasn't leaving her. Most understood but one lady was being pushy saying I need to tell her to hurry. So I had a few explicit words towards her until she decided she was done being a weirdo and moved on. But outside of that the rest of the actual event staff and officers were great and friendly. read more

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Have come to Riverbend many times for concerts and I love this venue. The shows are always great. The staff is always friendly and the venue is clean and enjoyable. I would have given it five stars up until now. However, for my latest show, Pitbull, the traffic getting out was just ridiculous. I have driven to Riverbend every time I've gone to a concert here, which has been about 10 times now, but never have I had to wait to get out of the venue over an hour. I have had to wait maybe 15 to 20 minutes or so but over an hour it's just crazy. I have heard others have this issue but thought maybe they came really late and we're at the very back end. However, it doesn't matter when you came because there is no good system set up with the cops, directing traffic. If they were directing it properly, there should be no reason that the lines would take this long. Even when concerts have been sold out I have never had this issue. Ben really needs to get a control of better parking and traffic management to and from the venue. Not only did I spend a ton of time getting out, but we spent about 30 minutes in standstill traffic trying to get into the venue as well. With all the experience they have with these concerts. They really should be a better way of opening up the exits, etc. many venues are this big and are able to do a better job so I hope Ben works on fixing this because I really do enjoy going to the concert, but this last experience I would be very careful to go to anything that I think is going to be crazy crowded. Like about this venue is the affordability of lawn tickets. It's all first come first serve so you could work your way into the crowd and get decent seats and views of the stage. I also love that they let you bring food into the menu because if you want to snag , good seats want to come early? You don't have to eat just eat ballpark type of food. You can grab food to go and then bring it in. I appreciate that they have water stations around (though I do wish it was chilled and not lukewarm parentheses. They are also very good at being efficient at the gates for security and scanning tickets. There is never a line which I love. I am also glad that they get a lot of very big artists into Cincinnati but they will need to figure out the parking traffic control. read more

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This is a great place to come if you: 1. Are looking for an impossible venue for ingress/egress for parking and want to see cops and parking attendants standing around on their phones being completely useless to attendees; 2. Are looking for a venue that's not ADA compliant if you happen to have a physical disability, or I don't know, a broken foot, with a handicapped card, but attendants shrug their shoulders, and direct you to the back of the 6th parking lot anyway; 3. Need to smoke anywhere you'd like in everyone's faces, instead of a designated smoking area; 4. Want to see other patrons literally peeing on the open street jumping out of cars on the way into the venue because they didn't anticipate a 1.5 hour gridlock; 5. Oversold lawn seats, and nowhere to remotely stand or sit. After 20 years of trying this place for various concerts, I'm done. So over it. The absolute worst. read more

My wife and I attend concerts regularly here. Good venue with good sound. Love the outdoor setting when the weather is nice. Two things have changed recently.... Weed smoking is now prevalent. So if you hate the smell of second hand weed, don't go. Also, the food has gotten worse. Small selection. Burgers and other stand food is normal room temp.... Blah! Go for the music. Prepare for the smell. Eat before you go. read more

It's been several years since I last visited, but yesterday made the trek with family members to see Miranda Lambert's show. This was my first on the lawn, having been in the pavillion previously times. It is covered in astroturf, which makes it better (no mud after rain). They do allow sealed water bottles, and beach chairs to be brought in. There were water bottle refill staions. They have a wide variety of beer, and other alcoholic bevs. There were several drink stands for lawn people as well, but you still have to go down the steps for food or restrooms. There were plenty of restrooms, as well as porta-potties. There were plenty of big screens to show visability too. I remembered how horrible exiting the parking areas are and we left early enough where it wasn't a problem. It was a great time. read more

Rivenbend was a pretty nice place for a great concert! Parking and leaving the parking lot was very organized. The one thing I didn't like is how expensive the concessions are! Very expensive for everything! read more

My first concert since Covid and it was a great night We were reliving our high school days with a trio of eighties bands Loverboy Reo Speedwagon and Styx I like the setup of Riverbend There is tons of space on the lawn and the seating in the Pavilion is covered for rainy nights It's a great place to unwind have a beer and enjoy some music read more

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Where do I begin? I used to go to this place quite a bit and within the past 10 years it is just gone downhill. I had won a set of tickets to see Chevelle tonight. It's nothing but screaming screaming screaming! I've never even heard of the first two bands. The lights were so bad, I can't emphasize how blinding they truly were. You couldn't see the band members you couldn't see the stage. All you saw was LED lights flashing in your eyes the entire fucking concert! Do I recommend this place no. Couple other reasons. We walked in and the place was completely empty. So obviously there weren't that many people there for Chevelle. To get a cocktail or even a can of beer was $12! And it wasn't even cold. And unfortunately, they sell Bud Light and pussy beer that no one was drinking. The only thing that was selling that I could see that was outrageously priced, Was most of the liquor. $24 for a glass, not even a glass of bourbon and it's measured out to one shot, was absolutely stupid! This was the worst I've ever seen this place. Even the staff members, and customer service were stupid on how honest I was being with them on how bad that facility has become. Me personally, even if I win tickets again I will never return to this shit hole. The only thing they're concerned about is the construction of building a new so-called arena to bring in other bands. Do I recommend this place, no. You'd have a better time at long necks restaurant bar and Wilder with the acoustic band that plays outside from time to time. The PNC pavilion was a joke. The music was way way way too loud, you could not understand or even hear the lead singer, and the blinding lights ruined the entire night. My wife and I left just after two songs with Chevelle. And they were playing music that, I personally have never heard. You can't understand it so we left. Waste of my fucking evening read more

The concert was great. But I'm here to review the food. It got me sick. Probably the worst food I've ever seen. 23 dollars for a hot dog, fries, popcorn and a water. The hot dog was 5 bucks, literally a burnt pencil in a soggy bun. The fries were literally inedible. Pretty sure that's what got me sick. They trick you cause the seasoning is good, but the fries are literal cardboard for 5 bucks. The water is 5 bucks and it's desani, no surprise. The popcorn for a bucket is 8 bucks, with refills so that was honestly the best deal. But again they make you think it's a good deal by giving you a free refill but once I ate damn near the whole bucket I wouldn't wanna go back for a refill. I would 100 percent recommend eating before. And if your stuck in a lynard skinnard concert for 4 hours and can't eat, well good luck Charlie. read more

Riverbend Music Center - Seats - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Leaving venue is a nightmare. Took over an hour to get out of our parking space. Concert was amazing and venue was nice. We sat under the pavilion and we went to see Post Malone! read more

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After decades of doing live shows here they still can't figure out how to use enough cops to get us out of the parking lot in less than an hour and a half. Come on people figure it out!!! read more

Riverbend Music Center - Thousands of tail lights - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I know it's not Riverbend's fault that climate change has introduced 100 degree heat to the Midwest, but the reality is that it's not going anywhere, so they had better figure out how to deal with it before soneone dies. Their website states that water and "cool misters"would be available, but in reality there was one (hard to find) water dispenser that dispensed literal hose water that wasn't anywhere near cold. If you wanted ice you had to pay $5. The only mister I saw was a crappy pathetic one tucked in a corner by the concession stand that only one or two people could stand under (if you could find it). There was no shade available unless you stood in the shadows of objects; people were huddled on the stairs seeking shade from the banister. At one point a concert-goer walked around handing ice to people. The blacktop surface covering most of the venue is a HORRIBLE decision as it literally put out visible heat waves, and the AstroTurf on the "lawn,"though I'm sure it's eaaier to maintain, just absorbed heat and offered no relief or a comfortable place to sit. I hope that this venue has some good lawyers on staff, because it's only a matter of time before someone dies or is hospitalized with heat stroke. Figure it out and do better by your customers. Oh, and I forgot to mention, if you enjoy having weed and cigarette smoke blown into your face in 100 degree heat (or anytime, for that matter), definitely check this place out. read more

Earlier this year I was super stoked to see that one of my favorite artists was going to be playing in Cincy. What's a better reason to visit a cool city other than live music? I got tickets and it was sold out within about a day. Score! Then about two months later they moved the concert here. Ugh! I heard nothing but bad things about this venue and all my friends got refunds. I, on the other hand, kept mine. It's one of my favvvvvvv artists, I had to go, I couldn't miss it. I stressed a bit beforehand, getting feedback from friends and scoping it out as much as I could online and on social media. Who goes to a concert to sit down? Who thinks that building a slanting towards the crowd covering would make for a good show? Did it impact the experience? Absolutely. On top of that, in order to sit in the pavilion it was first come first serve and you had to show your ticket every time you left the area for food/drink or to go to the bathroom. Why wouldn't they just have wrist bands? Whatever. Will I come back? I don't plan on it. Would I if it's a favorite artist... maybe. read more

This venue cannot handle large crowds. We left before the end of the encore and it still took us 2 hours to exit an overflow parking field. Added to this, when we finally reached the empty main lot, there were numerous parking handlers directing traffic flow. However, no one in management thought to send support over to the overflow lot. We monitored the main lot traffic flow and while it was faster, it still moved at a snails pace. The adjacent casino lot was also at a standstill by the time we were able to make our way to a gate that was finally opened to allow more cars to exit the field. In reality, the poor traffic flow at Riverbend poses a hideous safety problem should there ever be an emergency. read more

Went to see Pitbull at Riverbend! This was my first concert at this venue, and I was very impressed with everything! Love that the lawn was Astro turf - what a great idea! Great to sit on and dance on! Great selection of food and drinks, well-staffed, manageable lines, and security was on point. The restrooms were the downside of the whole experience for me, but when you have thousands of people, that's going to always be messy. Would definitely return! read more

Riverbend Music Center - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I always enjoy concerts at Riverbend. This summer, I saw both the New Kids as well as the Jimmy Buffett tribute concert with lawn tickets to both. They were 2 completely different experiences. You kind of know what you are going to get with both. New Kids was a hot, sweaty mess but the staff did a great job of attending to people who were overheated on the lawn. The only downside of this show was that due to how they were emptying the parking lot - it took us almost 2 hours to get out. We eventually just parked and turned the car off until we were able to get out. For Buffett - we parked in the same area but were out in less than 5 minutes, so I'm not sure what parking lot employees were doing differently. The drinks were delicious for both shows but the food left a bit to be desired. Overall, I always enjoy shows at Riverbend and will continue to visit for summer concerts. The key to enjoying Riverbend is to just roll with the punches and not have crazy high expectations. It's going to be hot, sweaty and too many people but I always end up enjoying myself. read more

Food selection was minimal, drinks currently run $10-$18. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Parking is free, but it will take an hour to leave after a show because it's a logistical nightmare. In fact, I'm currently sitting in my car, waiting to leave the venue, and the show ended about 35 minutes ago. Everything here is decidedly mediocre. But the show itself was great. read more

I like this venue quite a lot more than some other venues of similar size. bonus points for its location and parking.

I attended the Janet Jackson State of the World tour at Riverbend last night, and as an avid concert goer (this was my fourth concert out of six this month), this is a venue that I've always struggled to decide if I like it or not. I like the lawn aspect of the venue. This was my first time not sitting in the pavilion and being in the lawn instead. I liked the party atmosphere of the lawn and the screens were well placed. The sound and accoustics were very clear. As a lawn newbie, I was unaware that a typical bag chair was considered "too tall" for the venue. I was a bit taken aback when a security lady ran up on me like a park ranger stopping someone from starting a forest fire over the simple mistake of me bringing one to the arena. Luckily, I had a blanket in my car to use so that we didn't have to sit on the itchy AstroTurf with no barrier. I wish the rules were uniformly enforced. I saw quite a few people with similar chairs as mine who were permitted to bring them in. Thankfully, with it being so hot, we were able to bring in sealed bottles of water without issue, just be mindful they cannot be frozen. The inconsistency of security and parking lot catastrophe keeps me from visiting this venue too often, but you really can't beat the decent pricing of the lawn! Leaving the parking lot is always a headache at this venue. There's always a ton of officers to help direct traffic, but the problem is they're always clumped in one spot vs being spread out to direct the traffic jams deeper in the parking lot. Last night there were so many aggressive drivers who nearly caused accidents just to keep people from being able to merge into the exit line. Had more of the officers been in that region, it might have been easier to exit the parking lot. read more

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I'm surprised to see an overall low average. I'm not an avid concert goer, I've only been to Riverbend 3 times in 9 years but I like this outdoor venue. Security isn't the friendliest but they quickly get you inside. I recommend looking at the allowable items on riverbend's website. You can bring 1 bottle of water per person, blankets, beach chair 9in or less and some food. No large bags. I love that the lawn has been replaced with fake turf. It's comfy and eliminates any messes from the weather. Big upgrade. Lots of huge screens all over the place. No matter where you're sitting/standing, you'll see a screen. The speakers sound good and are easily heard everywhere. Security keeps this place on lock, which is appreciated. Every now and then we got a whiff of weed but what do you expect at a Weezer concert. People are smoking cigarettes all over but there is a family area where it is smoke free. Surprised to see how many kids were there! Food and drinks available. Beer and mixed drinks average around $10. A little steep but I was pleased to have Gin and Sprite with a decent pour. Two drinks had me feeling pretty carefree. Hubs and I had the nachos and cheese and fries for under $10. The lady was generous with the cheese and was very friendly. Decently lit parking, an okay view of the river, good music and vibes. Every Cincinnatian has to go to Riverbend atleast once. Grab some skyline or Larosas while you're there. read more

We have taken in many concerts at Riverbend in the past. It's a nice outdoor venue. Since our last concert (pre COVID) some things changed. They no longer offer craft beers with so many local breweries you would think they could. And the smoking policy is non existent. No sure if we just picked a bad section but there was heavy cigarette smoke all night long. Not Riverbend's fault but the other concert goers are not as courteous as in the past. Aside from the smoking issue just about everyone who walked by us either walked across our blanket or knocked into us or our chairs. I had enjoyed watching people be creative and scale the mass of blankets and chairs tiptoeing about like a cartoon character in a mine field. Not do much now it's bulls and china shop if you know what I mean. Granted this was probably the first concert there I didn't get beer spilt on me but I definitely had better experiences before this. read more

It's been years since I last visited Riverbend Music Center. I want to say almost 10 years? Well, a lot has changed since then. Parking seemed a lot more easier and organized, a lot cleaner, better security, added turf to the lawn area, great beer selections (especially craft beers). Lines for food and alcohol went by faster. I don't know.. maybe I noticed the small things but it's the truth that our experience for the Beck concert was a smooth transaction. Even the bathrooms was clean. The screens all around the venue was super clear and sound quality was awesome. We didn't pay a lot for our tickets either. I had a blast so no complaints here! read more

A wonderful venue to enjoy an outdoor music concert. Ample, clean bathrooms with reasonable lines made this a real positive. Acoustics and visual capabilities made the show wonderful. Ample food and beverages choices. Parking was close and leaving the venue proved speedy. I will attend an event here again in the near future. read more

Riverbend Music Center - a large crowd of people sitting in front of a stage - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Parking lot is god awful. The venue is pretty nice and clean. Service was very friendly. Food was mid and pricey, as any other venue.

First I'd like to say I was late to the show due to traffic,I felt like I left my house in plenty of time,but that's a big NO,I had a Gold package for Alanis morissette,the place to pick up my merch was closed,but Jennifer went above and beyond to get my gold package merch so Thank her for that.Alanis was Great,but I just don't like this venue,to me sound kinda sucks,just general setup not great. read more

Great concert venue. Although we were fortunate to have been placed on the bands list for will call and had killer seats, the sound was also good for as close as we were. My ears weren't ringing when we left. Getting in and out of the venue was a breeze. Easily accessible from the interstate. read more

Riverbend Music Center - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Best river based concert venue in Cincinnati in Kellogg Rd second only to Annie's. Parking lousy but at least "included". Oh well. Hey it's Iron Maiden in Cincinnati already. read more

Riverbend Music Center - The Raven Age opening for Iron Maiden - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

My first and only experience with Riverbend was a disaster. I had tickets (which was a Christmas gift) to the Dead & Co. show. Parking was a nightmare. So bad that we were still sitting in traffic at 8pm, less than a mile from the venue and an hour after the show had begun. By almost 9 we gave up. We missed the show. Never again will I gamble on this venue. read more

This is an older venue. It has old equipment and sound. It is nice enough though. It is mostly an outdoor venue. The sound quality is not as good because of this. It can be fun if the weather is nice. Sneak your own booze in. The drinks suck. The beer prices are very high but that is to be expected. The bartenders are not very good. The drinks we ordered were not worth the price. I don't mind expensive drinks. I do mind weak expensive drinks. Bring a flask... Cincinnati really struggles with the live music scene. It really shows here... If you are really wanting to see live music. I guess this will do... read more

I was recently here for a concert, and had no expectations of this venue, so everything was a surprise. I think that this would be a fantastic venue in the spring or fall, not so much in the heat of summer - especially if you have GA/lawn seats as there's no shade. These seats are also first come, first served. You can either bring a low beach chair (only 9 inch off the ground) or blankets. The acoustics are great, I've been told there isn't a bad seat in the house. The concessions are outrageous all around. While some of the prices aren't awful, every drink has to be poured into a clear cup - including bottled water which makes it very difficult for one person to carry more than two items... it doesn't sound like a PITA until it's you trying to figure out how to get your items back to your seat. Anyway.... I don't think I'd say no to a concert at this venue, however I won't jump to come back here (especially since I am from out of town). read more

Horrible horrible traffic control exiting. Even worse if catching an Uber. No signs to pick up area , drivers going to other areas cause they have to cross exiting venue traffic to get to a pick up area. Local Cop says "I don't give a f..." Never coming back! read more

They bring in a lot of great acts and often, they are your only option to see bands when they tour through the Cincinnati area. I just hate the setup. If you're looking at going to a show here, I would suggest paying for a seat under the pavilion. As is the setup at several outdoor venues, the seats are closer to the stage than the general admission. On the "lawn" you'll have to peer between the roof of the pavilion and the folks standing and having a great time in their seats. General Admission also does not have any cover from inclement weather. If you go this route, you'll have to fight for a spot on the turf, which could be wet from storms in previous days. Additionally, the river is want to flood from time to time, and since Riverbend is right next to the Ohio, flooding could cause a problem for your show. Getting in and out can be a real challenge. Big shows really jam up the surrounding highways and the lackluster instruction from the traffic attendants is often confusing and misleading. Beers are a million dollars and a bit of a hike from the seats. That said, saw an absolutely fantastic Weezer =w= show this summer and a pretty mediocre Red Hot Chili Peppers/Stone Temple Pilots show here a long, long time ago. read more

Nice place for a concert . Plenty of room even with a packed facility. Parking to to good but. Hold be worse ..

This review is specific to the hill. I think it is safe to say that even some of the smokers on the hill thought it was a bit much at Matchbox 20 summer of 2023. In 40 years, across multiple states, I have never been to a concert where there was so much obnoxious cigarette smoke in the air. It was like some crazy dystopian nightmare. I had an out of state guest with me at that concert and I was embarrassed - it literally was hard to breathe. Do better, Riverbend. People can't handle the freedom of a smoking-allowed hill. read more