Amazing intimate venue for being up close and personal with musicians and performers. Great…read moreacoustics and nearly feel as though the performance is just for you with limited seats and proximity. Staff is great, super friendly and welcoming. On tap beer selection, wine and snacks available if desired. Unfortunately I am not local or I would definitely grab a membership to enjoy the front row tables and be a regular here. Street parking is available or short walk from some of the larger public lots as well. Walking distance to a number of local restaurants and bars to grab a bite prior to or after events. Highly recommend getting out to support this awesome venue!

This is a great venue to watch artists in a very intimate setting, where you could almost have…read moreconversations with the artist as they played on the stage. The seating is limited with some obstructed views, but the audio was great and there's a selection of beverages that you could have as well, including free water. The staff was super friendly as they escorted people in and checked IDs at the door and the show that we went to was phenomenal and enjoyable. I will definitely come back if an artist comes through that I wanna see here. Oh the show we saw was the Jackie Greene set.

My wife and I recently went to our first show at Blue the other night. Had never really known it…read morewas a spot prior to this concert. It was an album release party for local pop-punk/emo band Broadwing. The card featured other local bands as well as a New England DJ. I know now that some shows at Blue are free or minimal cover which is great. Tickets for this show ended up being $12 which is a great value for a concert/night out. Hard to find tickets that cheap nowadays. The person working the door was friendly and had our name already so didn't even need to pull the tickets up. Bartenders were friendly and the drinks were well made. I especially liked their spicy cocktail Bing Bong which had the perfect kick to it! Prices were reasonable for drinks as well. Venue is on the small side as expected but had a great vibe for intimate smaller shows. Even with a sold-out show it was not overpacked. The acoustics and sound were good for a smaller venue as well. If you love smaller concerts I would recommend checking out their event schedule to see if something piques your interest. Also if you are a fan of pop punk music then do yourself a favor and check out Broadwing (especially their song New England Baby)! Very down to earth friendly band!

The online presence of Blue is a dumpster fire. Why do I need to enter my contact information just…read moreto see what's happening tonight? If I don't, there is NO current reliable information on who's scheduled. Pathetic and unreliable. I'm not doing it. I've enjoyed many evenings there, but the basic management of the venue is a joke. It will be a shame when it closes. What acts are scheduled for the NEXT WEEK? How difficult is that to maintain? Apparently, it's not possible.

Classic rustic Portland pub. Long galley space with long bar and classic live music. Older crowd…read morebut isn't that Portland itself? Bartender was busy but didn't have to wait much to order. Probably not the best lobster roll in Portland, but still pretty good for my first day visiting.

During the Portland: Old Port Culinary Walking Tour on Sunday, June 14, 2026, our first stop was…read moreAndy's Old Port Pub. At Andy's Old Port Pub, our group of 13 was seated in the backroom. The backroom has darts, pool, and a pinball machine. We were served a seasoned, grilled fresh haddock with house-made pickled vegetables, pico de gallo and lime crema in a corn tortilla and Andy's house Lager. I thought the fish taco was okay and was probably my least favorite food item from the whole tour. Andy's house Lager was very smooth and I really enjoyed it. Our tour guide talked about the suspicious happenings and the history of Andy's Old Port Pub. Also, the tour guide talked about Harbor Fish Market which was right across from Andy's Old Port Pub. The staff visit Harbor Fish Market in the morning and purchase fresh seafood.

I recently attended a concert here and it was my first time ever going to the State, an iconic…read morePortland landmark. Getting into the theater was attacked tricky as there was a lot of road construction happening nearby and the sidewalk was partially closed. I found on street parking just two blocks away. Upon entering, everything was easy to locate, bar, merch counter, bathrooms. They even had big water thermoses and paper cups if you didn't want to buy a drink. There were ushers floating around, so I had no problem finding my seat. I did explore up to the upper level and was surprised there wasn't any real lighting in that staircase. After the concert, exiting is a little crowded. Being an old building, the doors are fairly narrow. Overall, it was a nice evening and I will definitely go back!

The state theater is a historical venue, we can to see Lucy Darling!…read more Great show, we were on the first floor balcony, lower level and had a Great view. There is a couple of bars in the venue and bathrooms on both floors. Challenging for handicapped friends. We did not eat anything we ate before we came to the show and plenty of options in the area. Service was prompt and staff were great.

Great Holiday Show by the POS, atmosphere and seating was perfect. The music was really nice, I…read morewould have wanted to hear more of the Classic Christmas tunes than what they chose but it was still enjoyable.

We have seen PSO shows at the Merrill. The Magic of Christmas and Star Wars a New Hope…read more Both shows were fantastic! The seats were comfortable and not too cramped. You can clearly see the stage and the instrument sounds filled the venue beautifully. The volunteers were so nice and definitely have a pep in their step. There many of them, there to greet and bring you to the general area of your seats. I say general area, because one actually brought us to the opposite end of the row were were seated. It's ok, we were there early and just walked back around. She apologized, when she saw us walking back the other way. As expected with older venues - there are a lot of stairs to traverse if you are in the balcony - this your warning. Drinks and restrooms are not available at every level, so make sure you plan accordingly. Parking is separate and it's not a bad walk - just wear comfortable shoes, so you don't twist your ankle. Security was friendly - expect the metal detectors, wanding, emptying of pockets and searching of bags. Typical for most venues. We look forward to our next show this year!

You'll find Empire Comedy Club on congress Street on the second floor up above Empire Chinese…read moreKitchen. Well marked signage will let you know you are in the right spot before you enter and go up the steep staircase. My wife and I came here last night for our first comedy show here. The headliner we came to see was Chris Distefano and he absolutely killed it! For our show they offered normal tickets as well as preferred tickets for a little more that would guarantee closer seats. We ended up going with that and got front row which was great! He involved both my wife and I into the show as well as almost everyone else in the front row. Definitely made the little extra of a price well worth it. Before Chris performed they had two others perform shorter sets and they were a good warm up for the crowd. Once Chris started his set it was non-stop laughs from the entire crowd. A comedian I look forward to seeing again and can't wait to revisit Empire in general. It's a small enough venue you'll get a good seat no matter what. Smaller sized bar but made us good cocktails and they were well priced. They also had some popcorn and other food offerings but we ate prior. A fantastic venue for seeing some comedy!

For a smaller sized music venue in Portland it's a really solid spot. Came here for a show for the…read morefirst time last night. It featured an opening band called Canopy from New Haven CT and the headliner was called High Fade all the way from Scotland. They are funk meets rock group but really played songs with lots of different genres. The musical talent of all three members were off the charts, worth seeing for sure! We got here before opening and a short line had formed and we got inside right on time in a quick manner. Friendly staff all around and they have a lower level, like a pit along with some tables and an upper section as well. Lots of people but it didn't feel crammed which was great. Good tap list of local craft beers and appeared to be some cocktails that could be made as well. Overall solid location to see some local or more under the radar artists!

Keeping in context that this is a medium-sized venue, I thought that the experience generated in…read morethe space was excellent! Clean bathrooms, an easy-to-access and well-staffed bar and a really unique vibe created!

Lovely visit to the Portland Observatory…read more We had intended on a self-tour but were told that self tours would start at 4:30pm...and that before that time, you would have to take a toured guide up the tower. As there was a scheduled guide about to start soon...we opted to take the guided tour. At that time (mid-week in late August around 12pm) there were only four of us on that tour. Our tour guide, an older woman, was wonderful. As we ascended the tower during the 45-minute tour, we stopped off at each floor and she explained a bit about the tower and its history. Lots of interesting facts! We made it to the top to take in some amazing views of the area. Tours are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-16 and free for those 5 and under. The stairs (there are about 100) throughout the tower are spiral-ish...so be careful of your foot placement on the narrowed parts of each step while ascending and descending. Street parking signs can be a bit tricky in the area reading "...no parking on the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th ___day of the month..." Be sure to properly read those signs and park accordingly.

My plans only have me in town for two days, so I asked my local coworker one sight I had to see…read morewith a short time frame, and was sent here. Just a fun little local tip. The history itself is cool enough: this was a lookout for ships coming into the harbor before radio, and is the oldest currently standing in the USA. But I really appreciated the elevation for getting a good look of the downtown and harbor area, walking around the tower in the breeze and seeing the ocean peaking through the islands in the harbor. Worth the $10 to the top. (Note: the stairs are steep and there's no room inside for an elevator. We're talking large curving internal staircases. Maybe not for those with mobility issues.)

Sometimes described as Portland's "art house theatre", The Nickelodeon is a cozy six screen cinema…read morelocated in the heart of the Old Port. One of Portland's treasures, the Nick has been operating in the Old Port for over 40 years, and screens mainstream indie films as well as current blockbusters. Surrounded by the best restaurants and cafés Portland has to offer, it's super easy to park and combine a dinner and a movie. The garage next door is a sure thing if you're not into street parking, just know it's closed on Sundays. I probably see a dozen or so films a year at The Nick--I like to see all of the Academy Award nominated films, and this is the place to catch all of the best picture nominees. In the past few weeks I've seen I'm Still Here, Nickel Boys, and The Brutalist at the Nick. A great experience every time--I've walked right up to buy tickets with only one party or two parties in line, at most. The selection concessions offered is reasonable, and includes vegan options. Seats are comfortable, however, they aren't the giant recliners offered at the big corporate cineplexes. Also, you can buy tickets in advance, but you are not able to reserve a particular seat. This is a old school sort of cinema, and yes, the bathrooms are upstairs. They are clean, and you can say hello to Audrey Hepburn on the large Breakfast at Tiffany's poster on your way down the stairs. People really seem to enjoy $6 ticket Tuesdays. Otherwise, tickets are $10 for a matinee and $13 for an evening ticket, less for children and seniors. The Nickelodeon is one of my favorite places in Portland, one of the few institutions that's managed to stand the test of time, and I hope it is able to stay around for another 40 plus years.

The building is very beautiful inside and parking is convenient since there's an attached garage…read more The staff is very friendly, too.

Quaint little venue to catch a good show. Stopped in to experience Bound and was pleasantly…read moresurprised with this venue! Small amount of street parking available or parking garage just down the street. Small lobby area which is where the box office is located as well. Once in you can take an elevator or the stairs to the second floor for concessions and theater access. One can enter the theater from the second floor or venture up another flight of stairs for entry towards the top of the seating area as well. Volunteer staff was great today, very friendly and helpful. Can't speak of concession as they were not open for this event. Bathrooms available in the second floor as well. Not sure how I have missed this venue with all the time spent in Portland, but don't take as long as I have see what's upcoming and experience a great time at the theater!

The Laugh Track is a fun, fast and fabulous 90 minute play about Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll…read morejr...the writers of the I Love Lucy Show. Taken from Ms Pugh's autobiography, but with some poetic license by the wonderful Playwright, Wendy MacLeod, it recounts scenarios from Madelyn Pugh's perspective both in and out of the writer's office. Her role back then was NOT always as an equal, though she was equally as funny a writer as her male counterpart. It also hits on the dynamic between all the people involved in making that show a groundbreaking hit as well as the ultimate end of the show in 1957.